The Current Immigration Problem

[J.R.D]

Why should it be a felony for being a good samaritan?

[J.R.D]

In recent days, student protestors across North Texas took a courageous stand for their families by organizing a grass-roots opposition to controversial H.R. 4437 (Sensenbrenner Bill). While expressing our heartfelt support for these young leaders, we, the undersigned members of the Latino professional community, ask that our students remain in school for the time being. Their valued participation will be needed when the time is right.

Like our youth, we too believe that the current Congressional bill criminalizing immigrants serves only to poison the political climate and offers little value in the ongoing immigration debate. And while recognizing the need for real comprehensive immigration reform, including better enforcement of existing laws and greater protections for our national security, the Latino community cannot support any law that, by the stroke of a Washington bureaucrat's pen, makes felons of 11 million hard-working, peaceable, undocumented immigrants, and destroys loving families of mixed households ( i.e., those containing one undocumented parent) by forcefully tearing mothers from their children, and husbands from their wives, in massive, government deportation sweeps.

Although misguided support for H.R. 4437 seems to be driven partly by the myth that undocumented immigrants " drain the resources of this nation," reality sharply contradicts this misperception. Here are the facts:
• The average immigrant pays nearly $1,800 more in taxes than he or she "costs" in public benefits, such as education or healthcare. ( U.S. National Research Council)
• Undocumented immigrants do pay their taxes – local, state, and federal (IRS form 9a) – thereby easing the tax burden on other Americans. (The New York Times)
• They comprised little more than 3 percent of the total U.S. population in 2002 and provided the Social Security's Earnings Suspense File with $463 billion (while ironically they were not eligible for any benefits). (Economic Report of the President)

Beyond the direct economic gains contributed by such immigrants themselves, the entire country feels the enormous beneficial impact of their U.S.-born children. According to the U.S. Census Bureau:
• Hispanic-owned businesses are growing at triple the national rate.
• Hispanic buying power approached $1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion) nationally.

And on a state level, the impact of Latinos is staggering. Last year, they provided over $40 billion in economic growth to Texas (which was second in the nation for Latino-owned businesses) and they controlled over $90 billion in buying power. Locally, Tarrant County (which has the fastest growing Latino population in the entire country) experienced explosive growth in non-traditional, Latino-owned businesses such as real estate, finance, and education, as well as unprecedented growth in the legal and medical fields. More and more, the professional faces we see in this region are Latino.

[jasJis]

JRD,
That wasn't productive, and you already posted it on your thread. Any principles you would add or delte from the above? So far, all we've added is to remove the felony penalty from providing aid to illegal immigrants, but with some sort of qualification so as not to encourage more illegals.

[ironmonk]

[quote name='J.R.D' date='Apr 3 2006, 07:08 PM']Why should it be a felony for being a good samaritan?
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Being a good sameritan would be paying for their way back to their country of origin.

Breaking the law is not being a good samaritan. Helping people who are illegal stay in America goes against Catholic teaching because it breaks the law.

Humans have a responsibility to the community to which they were born. Instead of running from their country, they should embrace their country and push for social changes... UNLESS they can leave it legally... and live in whatever country they want to go LEGALLY. OTHERWISE - IT IS A SIN... End of story.

[AngelofJesus]

[Sojourner]

[quote name='AngelofJesus' date='Apr 4 2006, 12:03 PM']
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[jasJis]

[quote name='J.R.D' date='Apr 3 2006, 05:08 PM']Why should it be a felony for being a good samaritan?
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[/quote]A number of reasons. For one, it's not always being a good samaritin. Review the principles of the USCCB. They do not support or condone illegal immigration. One, illegals come over in an illegal status out of desperation and put themselves in a position to be exploited. We know they are exploited. Illegals come over without their wife and kids often so it splits up families. If they bring their familiy, they put their family at risk. Unfettered aid is a short term solution to a long term help. There is a difference between aiding and abetting and simply providing charitable aid. Some how we have to make a distinction. I personally know of labor pimps who house illegals in order to exploit them. I wouldn't want them to be able to claim they are providing 'charitable aid'.

[Sojourner]

[quote name='jasJis' date='Apr 4 2006, 12:32 PM']A number of reasons.  For one, it's not always being a good samaritin.  Review the principles of the USCCB.  They do not support or condone illegal immigration.  One, illegals come over in an illegal status out of desperation and put themselves in a position to be exploited.  We know they are exploited.  Illegals come over without their wife and kids often so it splits up families.  If they bring their familiy, they put their family at risk.  Unfettered aid is a short term solution to a long term help.  There is a difference  between aiding and abetting and simply providing charitable aid.  Some how we have to make a distinction.  I personally know of labor pimps who house illegals in order to exploit them.  I wouldn't want them to be able to claim they are providing 'charitable aid'.
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Quite true.

Immigration laws (imperfect though they are) are in part designed to provide some protection to immigrants. I know LEGAL immigrants who are being exploited ... the potential for problems for ILLEGAL immigrants is huge. They're very vulnerable, and people are more than willing to take advantage of that vulnerability.

[jasJis]

[quote name='Sojourner' date='Apr 4 2006, 10:40 AM']Quite true.

Immigration laws (imperfect though they are) are in part designed to provide some protection to immigrants. I know LEGAL immigrants who are being exploited ... the potential for problems for ILLEGAL immigrants is huge. They're very vulnerable, and people are more than willing to take advantage of that vulnerability.
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[/quote]More than willing is an understatement. It's a well established industry. And Unions aren't the solution. Unions are too succeptible to Animal Farm hi-jinks. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss, but this time his cut is called Union Dues. Heck, you'd have to convince the average Mexican worker to work at half speed in order to not make other Union employees look bad.

[Sojourner]

[quote name='jasJis' date='Apr 4 2006, 12:44 PM']More than willing is an understatement.  It's a well established industry.  And Unions aren't the solution.  Unions are too succeptible to Animal Farm hi-jinks.  Meet the new boss, same as the old boss, but this time his cut is called Union Dues.  Heck, you'd have to convince the average Mexican worker to work at half speed in order to not make other Union employees look bad.
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And it's not just employment. Immigrants get totally shafted in the area of housing and car purchases and so on. It really makes me sick to see the way people take advantage of others -- with no real risk of punishment because the immigrant is too frightened to get help.

And then there's cops who treat anyone who looks Hispanic as though they're stupid ... an immigrant friend of mine (legal) was recently rear-ended by a drunk teenager. She wanted a police report; the kid called a friend of his who's a cop and the friend tried to convince her she didn't need a report. She's got a crying daughter in the car, her leg hurts from an injury sustained in the accident, and the cop gave her carp about getting a report. And she's legal.

Then there's women who marry American men who turn out to be abusive. The husbands hold their wives' immigration status over their heads. These women have no recourse ... they leave, and they're in danger of deportation. One woman a friend of mine represented was in just this situation and could not get custody of her kids because she was undocumented and her husband had not allowed her to get her papers in order.

If you want to talk overrarching principles, let's start with "Love your neighbor as yourself." Our laws now don't create a system that protects the people it needs to protect.

[jasJis]

It's must mean 'something' that intelligent discussion on the issue get's dropped while we argue whether or not we could go to jail feeding an illegal worker.

[AngelofJesus]

Jas,

Why do you always feel like we're "ruining the ship for a hapeth of tar". On the contrary the we just feel like the "ship has a small hole and we need to plug it". I like the ship, just needs a little repair.

[jasJis]

Oh. That's obvious.

[Jaime]

[quote name='jasJis' date='Apr 10 2006, 07:25 PM']Oh.  That's obvious.
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Do you have a problem with stating the obvious Jas?

[Thumper]

Edited April 11, 2006 by Thumper

[Lounge Daddy]

[quote][b][font="Times"]Immigration Counterprotest Draws Millions to Job Sites[/font][/b]
In a grassroots counterprotest against yesterday’s nationwide rallies by illegal aliens, today millions of documented U.S. citizens took to their desks, factories, shops and other job sites to demonstrate their commitment to U.S. law and the American work ethic.

Police estimated that the crowds exceeded 220 million people, but they reported no incidents of violence.

Many workplaces flew the American flag, as usual, to express their ongoing devotion to the values and freedoms for which generations of U.S. troops have fought and died.

One unnamed American, a former Mexican who immigrated legally and became a U.S. citizen last year, said he joined the counter-demonstration because he admires the so-called “can-do attitude” he has found in his new home country.

The former-Mexican, who requested anonymity out of humility, said, “It’s as if Americans go to work every day and demonstrate ‘Si, se puede’ — ‘Yes, we can’.”

However, an organizer of yesterday’s illegal alien rallies said today’s counterprotests just highlight the weakness of the opposition to the new civil rights movement.

“It’s pathetic,” said the unnamed spokesman for Somos America (which, in a foreign language, means ‘We are America’).

“No chanting, no banners, no Latino music, no crowds blocking traffic,” she said, “Just millions of Americans quietly doing their jobs. All they do is work and vote. What kind of impact do they expect that to make?” [/quote]
[url="http://www.scrappleface.com/?p=2237"]--- article HERE[/url]

Scott Ott writes some killer articles
he makes people laugh AND makes a great point at the same time

[Sojourner]

never mind

[dspen2005]

it seems that there are more important issues at hand now for the Church in America... when many Catholics deny the Holy EUcharist and the efficacy and neccessity of the sacraments, i think the focus of the Bishops ought to be on these issues and not issues surrounding immigration...

[jasJis]

[quote name='dspen2005' date='Apr 11 2006, 11:23 AM']it seems that there are more important issues at hand now for the Church in America... when many Catholics deny the Holy EUcharist and the efficacy and neccessity of the sacraments, i think the focus of the Bishops ought to be on these issues and not issues surrounding immigration...
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[/quote]I heartily disagree. If the Church wants to 'prove' the Real Presence in the Eurcharist, then it better display the grace of moral behavior without biased and ignorant political games.

[dspen2005]

there is no need to prove... it just IS...

incidentally, the real presence is logical and rational