14 years and counting...

citizen shmitizen. We're all in this thing together. I think we all should look beyond the idea of cintizenship, nationality etc. We need to take better care of each other regardless of where we were born and where we currently reside. I think laws that are in place that make it difficult to be legal in this country are terrible. It's sad to see what's going on in Arizona and hopefully that will not become a popular thing to do.

Freedom?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTOQhPd2Xh4

Immigration?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW20EMJr6o4

...I'm lazy today.

(this is just my opinion, but it's an opinion born out of experience)

The small county in Kansas I live in has one of the highest percentages of hispanics in the country (about 49%). Most all of them work in the livestock feedlots or packing plants that dominate the area. And a fair chunk of them have a less-than-legal status. I don't have a problem with this, per se, but I have seen the problems it can cause for a community. I've noticed that they have very little involvement in the community, I'm guessing because of their rather transient nature (I go through a new set of neighbors in my apartment complex about once every six months), but part of it is also that a chunk of these people don't WANT to learn english and don't want to assimilate. A disturbingly high percentage of the school children are being taught english as a second language, which puts further strain on an already stressed and under-funded school system. I'll go to walmart to pick something up, and it's like going to the zoo. The little kids are pretty much left to run amok throughout the store and if you aren't really careful, you'll run one of them over (I've been tempted a few times). I see people who can't speak a lick of english going through the checkout line waving around wads of food stamps. It's so bad that it's almost impossible to get a job out here if you aren't fluent in spanish. I see brand spankin new Escalades that have been tricked out to the hilt parked in front of some of the dirtiest ghetto houses.

I've had this conversation with several people that work in agriculture, and we've come to the conclusion that there's a difference between those who work in the fields and those who work in livestock. The field workers are some of the best, most hard working laborers you can find, but the livestock ones are some of the laziest, and seem to think that they're somehow entitled to things which they aren't.

Bust most of all, I want these idiots to learn english so they'll quit fucking up my order at the drive-through.

Eliot Rosewater wrote:

citizen shmitizen. We're all in this thing together. I think we all should look beyond the idea of cintizenship, nationality etc.

But it's a matter of logistics. We're already over-populated. And while I know a lot of illegal immigrants come from Mexico with nothing and get landscaping jobs, I'm sure there's some that come from Mexico with nothing and "rape and pillage" for lack of a better phrase.

lukin2006 wrote:

haffajappa wrote:

Eliot Rosewater wrote:

citizen shmitizen. We're all in this thing together. I think we all should look beyond the idea of cintizenship, nationality etc. We need to take better care of each other regardless of where we were born and where we currently reside. I think laws that are in place that make it difficult to be legal in this country are terrible. It's sad to see what's going on in Arizona and hopefully that will not become a popular thing to do.

Great points! (Even though I don't live in your country lol)

And I know some people don't like it but I'll get it out of the way early (because you know its going to come up!)
"We're all immigrants" is a good thing to keep in mind. Just because one nationality came and set up borders doesn't mean they have to be bastards about it.

+1

although, arthur dent does have a point about stressing the system.

i get a little irked that 5 families can pack into one house and only pay one property tax, but send 14 children to school. that might be an exageration, maybe its the shitty education funding problem we're having in B.C. but it is a little frustrating.

Eliot Rosewater wrote:

citizen shmitizen. We're all in this thing together. I think we all should look beyond the idea of cintizenship, nationality etc. We need to take better care of each other regardless of where we were born and where we currently reside. I think laws that are in place that make it difficult to be legal in this country are terrible. It's sad to see what's going on in Arizona and hopefully that will not become a popular thing to do.

I totally agree with this. People are people. They should be able to easily go and live where they want to live. Nationalism is stupid.

redrock wrote:

Immigration made America.

Arq, I believe that if you live in a country, contribute to it's economy and are 'part of the community', you have every right to express opinion in national matters. After all, these matters can affect you. I am also a foreigner in the country I live in. I've lived here over 22 years, been married to one of their citizens for that time, have a daughter and have been working here, paying my taxes for all this time too. But, I have no say in who will head the country and what they do with my taxes.

For those saying that immigrants (legal or illegal) take jobs away from 'us', that is not the complete truth. Most jobs these people do are very hard an low paid - most americans wouldn't want to do them. Same here... lots of 'lowly' jobs are held by immigrants and, if they were not here, the positions wouldn't be filled.

I also believe that if you are going to immigrate, you need to adapt to the country in which you reside, ie learn the language, customs, etc., and the citizens of the country need to be more accepting of these immigrants and help them integrate (whichever country this may be).

Without movement of people (in and out) we would not have advanced the way we have (in all areas).

Am I reading this correctly? Are you saying you can't vote? If so that's outrageous.

I agree with the 2nd para about jobs. We had a documentary about Peterborough which has a huge Polish community living there. The locals wouldn't do the jobs they did and the Polish made the English look like lazy slobs.

Legally we can't shut the doors but I think we should. I think 60million on this tiny island is more than enough.