Quote:
Originally Posted by Eliseus
[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]
Well obviously there is exceptions the rules. There always is. That is why I say more likely than not. I don't know any illegal immigrants at all, so I reserve judgement that hopefully they wouldn't, but, people tend to not break patterns, at least very easily, hence why there is addiction (whether you think it is relevant or not to this discussion). For example, a family on welfare tends to have most the children living on welfare, and their children. Or people who commit X crime tend to commit X crime again.
|
So, here's something we can both agree on, a logical extension of what you said: undocumented immigrants are more likely than documented immigrants/citizens to have undocumented children and to violate immigration laws again. What's not logical is saying that because a man is willing to risk his life and travel for months just to get a job, that he's more likely to be a criminal. The evidence shows that's just not true.
Now for the TLDR part.
You said you didn't know any illegal immigrants. Well, as it happens, I know the most famous one in America, Jose Antonio Vargas. Jose went to the same high school as me, and he was the hardest working person I knew: he slept like 3 hours, was involved in tons of extra curricular activities (I knew him through Speech and Debate; his rendition of The Highwayman was incredible), and got straight A's. He was also incredibly kind, and would do anything for a friend. Since high school he's gotten himself a Pulitzer prize, been on The Colbert Report, and "come out" as an undocumented immigrant.
Jose was brought here when he was just a kid; he had no choice in the matter. He didn't even know his status until he turned 16 and tried to get a driver's license. Now, despite having done Pulitzer-award winning journalism, Jose risks being deported to a country he hasn't been in since he was like 7.
I'm telling you all this because undocumented immigrants are people, and we should have empathy for them. When you don't know anyone of certain group, it's hard to have empathy, but hopefully the next time you start to envision the evil job-stealing, law-breaking, "illegal" immigrant that you've never met but Fox News tells you exists, try to think of Jose. And the many other good people who are undocumented but don't fit Fox News stereotypes.