Post by TRIPWIRE on Apr 30, 2006 20:13:05 GMT -5
April 30, 2006
Another Babble on Illegal Immigration
Written by David M. Hickerson
Originally Posted at tripwire.hickersonfamily.net/2006_0430.html
"The Great May 1st Boycott" protests are scheduled for tomorrow, [1] and I don't think I've got the big picture figured out yet in regards to what they're complaining about. In case you aren't familiar, the idea they (the immigrant activists, whoever the hell they are) have in mind is to disrupt the functionality of several major cities across the country by instructing their patrons to take the day off work, pull their kids out of school, and group together in the streets. Sure, it is probably more elaborate than that, but this appears to be the main theme.
Somehow they get the idea that being absent from work to stand (or march, whatever) in the streets, preventing medical service providers, police and fire units, and everyone else, from driving in the effected areas, will make people more inclined to support the legalization of the 11-12 million individuals in this country illegally. I'm sure I'm not the only American that thinks this is a complete joke.
First, I find the idea of anything that stops traffic for an extended period of time appalling. With the obvious exceptions of traffic accidents, weather conditions, and construction, there is no logical reason for any road inaccessible to cars for any period of time. Unless they're crossing, people should not be walking on the streets, just like cars should not be driving on the sidewalks. Sure, I take a relatively extreme position on this, as I don't even think parades belong on the streets, let alone protest marches. I'd argue that people should be arrested when they are intentionally interfering with traffic, but if you get a million or more bodies in the street, I think even the best law enforcement department in the country would have trouble doing it.
Secondly, I'm finding it hard to believe that having many of these people off work is going to cripple our economy, even if it is for just one day. I think that is what they're hoping to do... to show us "how important they are" to the country. Sorry folks, if I were your employer, I'd fire you if I found you were taking a day off just to go to a protest march like this, and yes it is legal to do so (at least in most states). It is called "at will" employment [2] --an employer doesn't necessarily have to have a reason to fire you, and even if he has one, it doesn't have to be a "good" one. Maybe it doesn't work this way in other countries (I know most of Europe has done away with the concept) but it has helped to keep our economy strong and I don't see it passing away anytime soon.
People who appreciate this country enough to bother coming here to find work and raise their families should respect it enough to follow it's laws. If you have overstayed your visa, you are in breach of the law. If you walked across the border undetected, you are in violation. If you think that the law should just turn a deaf ear to you while you proceed to utilize government services like welfare and education, or while you cost businesses like hospitals and clinics money because you can't pay for needed medical care, you're crazy.
If you are here illegally and you think that, because you work a job no one really wants to do, you should be legalized, you're beyond reason. Just the fact that you have a job at all is illegal, and not only you, but your employer, should be penalized.
Sure, in a little less than twenty four hours we will have seen how "important" immigrants are to this country. What the protests will not show us, no matter how hard they try, is how important (or unimportant) illegal immigrants are. This is why I don't understand the protest in the first place -- it seems to equivocate illegal and legal immigrants when the two groups are not equal. One includes citizens of this great nation, and the other does not.
References:
1. www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/28/boycott/index.html
2. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At-will_employment
Another Babble on Illegal Immigration
Written by David M. Hickerson
Originally Posted at tripwire.hickersonfamily.net/2006_0430.html
"The Great May 1st Boycott" protests are scheduled for tomorrow, [1] and I don't think I've got the big picture figured out yet in regards to what they're complaining about. In case you aren't familiar, the idea they (the immigrant activists, whoever the hell they are) have in mind is to disrupt the functionality of several major cities across the country by instructing their patrons to take the day off work, pull their kids out of school, and group together in the streets. Sure, it is probably more elaborate than that, but this appears to be the main theme.
Somehow they get the idea that being absent from work to stand (or march, whatever) in the streets, preventing medical service providers, police and fire units, and everyone else, from driving in the effected areas, will make people more inclined to support the legalization of the 11-12 million individuals in this country illegally. I'm sure I'm not the only American that thinks this is a complete joke.
First, I find the idea of anything that stops traffic for an extended period of time appalling. With the obvious exceptions of traffic accidents, weather conditions, and construction, there is no logical reason for any road inaccessible to cars for any period of time. Unless they're crossing, people should not be walking on the streets, just like cars should not be driving on the sidewalks. Sure, I take a relatively extreme position on this, as I don't even think parades belong on the streets, let alone protest marches. I'd argue that people should be arrested when they are intentionally interfering with traffic, but if you get a million or more bodies in the street, I think even the best law enforcement department in the country would have trouble doing it.
Secondly, I'm finding it hard to believe that having many of these people off work is going to cripple our economy, even if it is for just one day. I think that is what they're hoping to do... to show us "how important they are" to the country. Sorry folks, if I were your employer, I'd fire you if I found you were taking a day off just to go to a protest march like this, and yes it is legal to do so (at least in most states). It is called "at will" employment [2] --an employer doesn't necessarily have to have a reason to fire you, and even if he has one, it doesn't have to be a "good" one. Maybe it doesn't work this way in other countries (I know most of Europe has done away with the concept) but it has helped to keep our economy strong and I don't see it passing away anytime soon.
People who appreciate this country enough to bother coming here to find work and raise their families should respect it enough to follow it's laws. If you have overstayed your visa, you are in breach of the law. If you walked across the border undetected, you are in violation. If you think that the law should just turn a deaf ear to you while you proceed to utilize government services like welfare and education, or while you cost businesses like hospitals and clinics money because you can't pay for needed medical care, you're crazy.
If you are here illegally and you think that, because you work a job no one really wants to do, you should be legalized, you're beyond reason. Just the fact that you have a job at all is illegal, and not only you, but your employer, should be penalized.
Sure, in a little less than twenty four hours we will have seen how "important" immigrants are to this country. What the protests will not show us, no matter how hard they try, is how important (or unimportant) illegal immigrants are. This is why I don't understand the protest in the first place -- it seems to equivocate illegal and legal immigrants when the two groups are not equal. One includes citizens of this great nation, and the other does not.
References:
1. www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/28/boycott/index.html
2. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At-will_employment
