Deceptive power of Labels- Illegal Immigrants or Undocumented Workers?

1. 61

   lostgirlscatposted 15 years ago

   If it's true that the illegal immigrants flooding our porous borders and inundating our healthcare, welfare, and educational systems are in fact just "undocumented workers" providing much needed labor most Americans are unwilling to do, may we not also assume that drug dealers are "unlicensed pharmacists" providing the same, or that Bank Robbers are just Brinks Security drivers that should receive disability checks because they are dyslexic when reading the addresses of their delivery destinations?  Let's have some fun here, I'm sure we all can come up with a few of these ridiculous mischaracterizations.  (Terrorists- Will Work for Free Demolition Experts- Don't call us, We'll call you!)

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   1. 82

      Aya Katzposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Not all illegal aliens are undocumented workers, though some are. Not all undocumented workers are illegal aliens, though some are. It is important to make precise distinctions.
      
      Anybody who wants a job that pays below minimum wage from an established employer under conditions where minimum wage would be mandatory is bound to be an undocumented worker. This applies to citizens and aliens alike. These people are all "illegal workers", and the reason it's illegal has less to do with immigration and more to do with economic planning.

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2. 99

   Rochelle Frankposted 15 years ago

   Gang bangers are "associated group members" with mutual loyalties and similar dislikes of other associated group members.
   Ex-cons are "victims of incarceration".  Burglars are "home security system testers".

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3. 63

   psycheskinnerposted 15 years ago

   But 'immigrant' isn't necessarily accurate either for someone who comes over to work on a harvest and then goes back.  And illegal immigrant is not used in an unbiassed way, an overstayer from Australia doesn't get called that.  Neither term is value/bias free.

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4. 59

   Evan G Rogersposted 15 years ago

   the real way to look at this is thusly:
   
   If you lived in a crappy land that was just a 20 minute run away from a technological wonderment that could easily provide you and your family with what you need to live a decent life...
   
   ... and then you go there and work hard at your job...
   
   
   ... have you done anything wrong?
   
   of course not. This entire "illegal immigration" nonsense needs to be ended immediately. It's a law that helps no one but hurts millions.
   
   I'm lucky enough to be one of the... what? 5% of the world's population that came out of my mother in a land with such a massive capital structure...
   
   But I don't feel that such a reason could be justification for denying millions (billions?) the right to come here and live a good life.
   
   Imagine a law that prevented you from going down the street... and it just so happened that the area down the street had a machine that could give you anything you wanted anytime you wanted it -- it could even do so for any number of people using it!! ... would that be a just law? of course not.

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