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Originally Posted by billybob
Shocker, do you believe that there comes a point when someone who arrived illegally has earned the right to stay? Or should every person who arrived here illegally be forced out? If you committed a speeding offence in 1986, would you be happy to receive a fine 20 years later because someone decided that speeding was becoming a major issue that needed radical action?
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Ok, I think the best way for us to discuss this is to try and build some common ground. I am sure we can all agree that, obviously, illegal immigration is, well, illegal. Now, I'm not a legal expert by any measure, however, I do know that regardless of a persons intentions in breaking a law, when someone breaks a law then they are held accountable to it.
Now, as MaggieL pointed out, and whether you agree with her or not, every law, every crime committed, has a statute of limitations. That means that after you commit a crime, there is a time frame that charges or action must be brought against you, and if they aren't, once that period of time is up, then it would basically fall of. Crimes like homocide have no statute of limitations, while others, like speeding have a very short statute of limitations. So your example could never happen. However, for the sake of argument, if I was caught speeding in 1986 and then summoned to court in 2006 to pay past due fines and penalties, I would obviously be royally pissed off, of course I wouldn't be happy with that. But, I was raised to know when I do something wrong, and that I am responsible for my actions. So while I know that I would be pissed to pay up, I would accept responsiblity for breaking the law and pay up.
That said, illegal immigrants here today are still in the process of breaking the law. They are breaking the law by being here. Many have stolen social security numbers as well in order to obtain work. For a moment, just forget that we are talking about immigration, forget all the emotional arguments about them needing work or they are doing no harm. In as simple as black and white, when a law is broken, the penalties must be paid. Whether it is robbery, speeding, murder, rape, and even illegal immigration. The laws of our country have been structured as to not discriminate between groups of people. This has nothing to do with Mexico, Canada, Central America or anywhere else. This is a law which has been broken. And by being here for 20 years illegally rather than a week doesn't make it any better, it makes it worse! That would have been 20 years they were breaking the law, 20 years they could have tried of become legal immigrants. Instead they continued to disrespect our laws and our society.
So, Billybob, yes I do feel that any illegal immigrants aprehended on U.S. soil should be deported back to the countries they came from. If they really wanted to become Americans they would follow the processes that have been put in place in order for them to do so. In this I like to quote Teddy Roosevelt, what I would say was a darn good president, back in 1917:
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"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."
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As my last point, however, I just want to stress that all I have argued has been the logical arguement when you take the issue down to its simplest, concrete parts. Understandabley, there are emotions involved as well as differing belief systems which make the solutions for this simple problem, not so simple. The solution will take money, resources, and time. It will not be easy, but until a solution is found, we must stay the course, respect laws in place, and continue to enforce them as well as we possibly can.
Thank you and that is all.