Political discussion thread

The word invasion has nothing to do with armed combat. It only means to intrude or the entrance of something troublesome. The need for the term "invading armies" shows that invasion does not presuppose armed combat.

Illegal immigration hasn't always been there. It's largely a mid-20th century thing. Even so the level just of illegal immigration today blows all comparisons out of the water. The following are the levels of immigrants of Americas three largest immigrant groups that came here between 1607 and 1958

Germany - 6,798,3143

Italy - 5,017,625

Great Britain - 4,642,096

The estimated number of illegal immigrants in our country today is 12-20 million. Taking the absolute low ball of this figure there are more illegal immigrants in our country now than have ever legally emigrated here from Germany and Italy combined in America's history.  Instead of coming from a European culture which is much more similar to ours, making them more easily to assimilate, they nearly all come from a country with little history of assimilation into the U.S., from a country that carries a grudge against the U.S. and feels its lands were stolen by the U.S. when its country was young.

You're really changing subject with the Irish issue. Nobody is advocating discrimination here. I'm a 4th generation Irish immigrant, I understand how hearing those stories is emotional. I'm certainly not against this treatment of any citizen. However, the stark difference is the Irish came here legally and we are talking about people coming here illegally, breaking laws and with no right to reap the benefits of U.S. citizenship without being subject to the jurisdiction of the state.

But the similarity lies in the fact that they were driven here by poverty, and then ostracized by the dominant community, and blamed for things like crime and violence (and alcoholism, in the case of the Irish). The Irish were also distrusted for their Catholicism, and many said that because they were "Papists" they would not be able to assimilate.

Also, "English Only" signs are by no means a form of racism. What race are they discriminating against? The race of people that doesn't speak English? That doesn't exist. It's not discriminatory. Shop owners live in an English speaking country; they speak English. They do not want to be troubled catering to people and trying to understand people who don't know the language. Everyone else's descendants took the time to learn the English language and become a part of the country. An unwillingness to do so shows an unwillingness to abandons one's own traditions and become an American.

I agree that private property rights should allow people to speak or not speak whatever language while on their premises, but I do think the "English Only" movement is slightly ridiculous. Although I can't speak for bars, I know that the government should adapt to the people, and not the other way around. Government documents should be in as many languages as is practical.

Your ancestors did not do the something. Your ancestors turned their backs forever on their own country, pledged allegiance to America, became an American blood and soul and forged a better life. They did not break into America, make no attempt to even learn its language let alone become an American, and exploit its economic superiority, and return to their home and family in the motherland that they still pledge their allegiance to.

You make it sound like an immigrant conspiracy! They're just trying to feed their families, and give them the best lives possible. That's one evil plot that I find no problem with. Also, my ancestors weren't loyal to their former countries for one reason: economics. They gradually became patriots, through the generations, but I'm sure that most of them were just happy not to be living a terrible life of poverty in their old homes.

If you think the illegal immigration issue is a shame I'd say you're un-American. Our founding fathers and every president up until JFK warned against illegal immigration and warned of the importance of assimilating. As Teddy Roosevelt said "

The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities."

Oh, please. Don't toss around that word, "un-American", it's just stupid. And TR was absolutely right. But we're not a tangle of squabbling nationalities. We're just a tangle of nationalities. Some of us, such as the black power folks, or Hispanics who hate whites on instinct, or whites who severely overreact to illegal immigration, are the ones that squabble.

Yes no European country has a fenced border but a majority of them are bound together by the EU. Contractors will build the fence here in America.

I don't necessarily have a problem with giving illegals here a chance to receive the proper documentation, as long as they reimburse the government for back taxes and for breaking our laws, but allowing them to remain in the country while this happens is de facto immigration.