alright, i deffinetly have some mixed feelings on this one. overall, i wish the senate had passed this bill. illegal immigration is an deffinetly an issue that needs adressing. there are problems caused both by illegal immegration and by those determined to fight it. while i understand the problems caused by illegal immigranta, the solution is not deporting them. we need to be both realistic and compassionate and work towards a win-win solution of citizenship. i think a great point was made in that we can not blame these kids for their parents' "mistakes", weather their parents have in fact made a mistake ia a whole nother issue. i know kids who don't have the oppertunity to go to college because they need a scolarship and the fact that their parents are illegal immigrants does not allow them to apply for one. i was a little put off by a couple of things however. this bill encourages kids to join the military, even giving some no other option. looking for kids with "good moral character" and asking them to join the military seems hypocritical to me. i also get a bad feel in general with the whole idea of checking these kids "moral character" seems a little like cookie cutting to me, although i understand the sentiment. aside from these flaws, this bill seems like an important step to a compassionate solution to illegal immegration.
I think that if passed, the Dream Act would have been very fair. Children of parents who are illegal immigrants had no say in coming to America. They were brought here by their parents, not on their own free will. I agree with the the point of view that children of illegal immigrants are just as loyal and patriotic as native born US citizens because all they have ever known is their life in the US. I think that it would be extremely beneficial for children of illegal immigrants to become citizens because they could essentially contribute to the work force in our nation and contribute to the economy. In addition, it would beneficial to have more loyal and patriotic soldiers in the military. Although this Act could be advantageous, it could also be considered as a form of amnesty towards illegal immigrants. The bill might encourage other immigrants to bring their children with them into the US, and illegal immigration would continue. Ultimately though, I think the bill would be more advantageous than not.
First of all, I'd just like to mention that I actually met Richard Durbin (and Barack Obama!) on that summer teen tour I went on in 2006 (the same one that I've talked about before). I have actually learned quite a bit about immigration this week. In class, I learned that the main concern of the government is that illegal immigrants don't pay taxes on the resources that they use. I was actually under the impression that our government simply did not want people crossing the border, but now I understand the reasoning. It makes a lot of sense that the children of illegal immigrants should not be punished for the illegal actions of their parents. In fact, I was really moved when the writers of the article described them as "children whose only crime was to pack their suitcases when their parents told them to." Also, I think that if they were to be required to complete two years of higher education, they could definitely contribute to society and be a benefit. They would begin paying taxes on the resources they use. My only concern is how these children and their families would be able to pay for the college education needed to become a citizen. I know that most illegal immigrants cross the border in order to start a better life, and many of them have very little money. If they are illegal immigrants, I am guessing that they do not qualify for financial aid and I wonder how they would be able to finance their child's education. Does anyone know of a way this would work? I'm sure it's been thought out before. But other than this setback, the Dream Act sounds like a good idea to me.
There are a couple of things that we must look at, one) its ILLEGAL immigration. The word illegal is key to understanding immigration and the Dream Act. I agree these kids cannot be blamed for their parents' mistake however, illegal immigration is making life harder on americans in many ways. Illegal immigration is illegal and against the law yet we do nothing about it. Actions must be taken and i know its sounds harsh and cruel but deporation is one of the very few options we have and we must use it. I'm sorrry i even said it but we must look at the reality of the situation and make decisive decisions
I agree with Nisha about the idea that these kids have no say in what their parents did in bringing them into this country. I believe that The Dream Act would benefit this country greatly, especially economically. The fact is, no matter whether or not these immigrants are considered legal, they are going to continue to come to America to pursue a better life. We should just recnognize that legalizing them isn't going to make a difference in the numbers entering out country every year, so we might as well take advantage of it. Legalize the immigrants who have shown that they are an asset to the country, and the kids who are born knowing nothing except this country. That way they can pay taxes, contribute to the economy and work on educating their children properly. I think that it is really a disgrace that our country would not let a child born in this country to become a citizen, it is against the "American" way.
Sal brought up a really good point. It's not very fair to make these children risk their lives and serve in the military just to pay for the illegal actions of their parents. Also, how is the government suppossed to determine who has "good moral character" and who does not? Shawn does bring up a good point that illegal immigration is just that...illegal, but I agree with Alexa that they will continue to come to America no matter what. Deportation does not seem like a logical alternative to me.
I think Allie brings up a good point that many of these immigrants would not be able to afford higher education that would be one of the qualifications to applying for citizenship. I too wonder where illegal immigrants would get the money from to pay for a college education that they most likely would not be able to afford. I don't necessarily agree with Shawn that deportation is the only option. I think that those who are looking for a better life deserve a chance to find one in America if they are willing to undergo the qualifications the would be necessary in the Dream Act. If immigrants can prove their loyalty to our country, and if they contribute to the economy by paying taxes, then why not give them the chance to do so?
I'm a little on both sides of this issue. While i do agree that giving immigrants legal status if they serve in the military is a good idea, i also agree with opponents of the bill that it will only give them more of an incentive to cross the border. We, especially in California, have a huge illegal immigrant population, and like we talked about in class, the government pays for them, but they pay no money (taxes) back to the government; however, they still deserve the right to a happier life. I had never understood why people were so against immigration until we discussed it in class, but now I can see where people are coming from on both sides of the issue, and my position is definately on both ends of it. If this bill was passed it would definately make more cross the border, but it would also make their lives drastically better and make them citizens. I'm not really sure where I stand on this issue.
allie brings up a good point in that the two years of education requirement would be a definite benefite to soceity and i agree that immigrants cross the border to start a better life however, for every immigrant that crosses the border and takes a job, thats another job taken from an american. an american who was born in america and has the right to the job over an illegal immigrant who isnt even a citizen.
the problem of affording higher education is deffinetly one that needs adressing in the stamp act, as several people brought up. it's sort of a catch 22 in that you need to be legal to qualify for financial aid, but need that education to become legal. anyone have any ideas about how to adress this? i don't mean this as a personal attack shawn, but deportation is by no mean our only option. while it is illegal immigration, these people are not "criminals" in the way we think of them. don't you think they would have chosen a legal route if it was possible? these are people looking for a better life and maybe you don't think it's our duty as americans to help them, but it's certainly our duty as human beings. these people are our brothers and sisters and we should try to find a solution that helps them become citizens not that simply deports them. i completely agree with nisha that they deserve at least a chance at a better life, isn't that part of what we stand for? the right to pursue hapiness? i don't think that being born in america gives us any more of a right to jobs. we can not police the world and at the same time say that the dillema of these immigrants is "not our problem" didn't we learn way back in kindergarten the importance of sharing?
I think the Dream Act is a really good idea, but it's so hard to have any bill passed that supports illegal aliens in any way. It is completely reasonable for the children of illegal immigrants to be offered citizenship if they get educated or serve in the military because they can make a huge contribution. I disagree that the Dream Act will create an incentive for more people to come illegally, since there will constantly be people crossing the border. There is essentially no way to stop them as long as the Mexican government is corrupt and government officials take advantage of their power. However, the options for the kids are very limited. I think the choice for military service was made as a plea to Republicans to support the bill, and not many kids may have access to higher education. Also, the general term of "good moral character" is unclear and hard to classify.
I agree with Sal and Nisha that it is not the kids' fault that their parents crossed the border as illegal aliens and raised them in the US. And although Shawn is correct that illegal immigration is in fact illegal, I don't think deportation is not the best way to deal with it. I think the biggest problem is that the people coming illegally have very little knowledge of how the US government works. they come to start a better life for themselves and their families, but starting with very little money and no legal status severely limits their lifestlye. I'm not sure if some of them have a better quality of life here than back where they're from becuase many of them have to start from the bottom. And with little education about the US culture and the language, it makes it that much more difficult.
I agree that the children should not suffer because the parents chose to cross the border into the US; however, I still think that the US cannot accomodate all the illegal immigrants that come into our country, especially if they don't pay taxes to help the government. Like Nisha said, if they are given the right to become citizens, then as citizens they will pay taxes, and with military training and experience and/or higher education, they can contribute to our economy. I completely agree with a bunch of people that the illegals are going to come here anyways, and I feel that we might as well make them citizens and have them contribute to the government through taxes than to continue to give them resources that they don't pay for. It's better to make them citizens and have them pay for the resources they would use whether citizens or not, but if they are citizens, they will pay for these resources. I don't agree with Sal that offering them a military service option is a bad thing, and don't agree that being in the military means that someone does not have "good moral character," but completely agree with the "catch 22" about higher education that she discussed.
i just wanted to clarify that i wasn't insinuating that people in the military have bad moral character, but that the government is showing bad moral character by asking kids to join the military
I think the Dream Act would be a really good idea. Going off of what Allie said, since the issue seems to be that the immigrants don't pay taxes, if they were allowed citizenships, I think a big problem would be solved. I don't know what the problem is with passing the bill because the steps that will integrate the immigrant children seem to be beneficial to the United States. Now that I think about it, I think that there's something beyond the fact that the illegal immigrants don't pay taxes. Somewhere in the article, it said something about the bill, if passed, would be an incentive for immigrants to bring over their children. If their children can become citizens, then just like other Americans, they would pay the same taxes. So what's the issue? I guess it's just that the bill has the potential to encourage illegal immigration, which might anger people as a result. People might question why the government is so lenient toward one form of illegal behavior, but not toward another, like stealing, per say.
I think that this is a great opportunity to include children immigrants who have grown up in America and want to become American citizens actively by incorporating them into the community. Since it doesn't seem like there's a way, so far, to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing the border and these children have come to know America as their home, we might as well give them a chance to participate in the community in return for what they want: citizenship. However, I do agree that offering citizenship could potentially motivate more illegal immigration, meaning we have to sort out this problem from its roots. Since the primary discontent with illegal immigrants is that they do not actively participate and give back to the community whose resources they use, their children can help us attain what we need, more soldiers enlisted in the military, by us giving them the opportunity and a motive for citizenship.
I agree with both Sal and Nisha, that it's unfair to penalize the children for their parent's decisions. These children who have grown up in America feel the same nationalism as any other child born and raised in the US. Why single out these children because of their parents? And additionally, what about the parents of these children who are not legal citizens in America? We're just going to make the children work for their rights and let the adults continue living freely? I think we have more issues about immigration in general to be addressed that will help prevent this problem overall.
17 comments:
alright, i deffinetly have some mixed feelings on this one. overall, i wish the senate had passed this bill. illegal immigration is an deffinetly an issue that needs adressing. there are problems caused both by illegal immegration and by those determined to fight it. while i understand the problems caused by illegal immigranta, the solution is not deporting them. we need to be both realistic and compassionate and work towards a win-win solution of citizenship. i think a great point was made in that we can not blame these kids for their parents' "mistakes", weather their parents have in fact made a mistake ia a whole nother issue. i know kids who don't have the oppertunity to go to college because they need a scolarship and the fact that their parents are illegal immigrants does not allow them to apply for one. i was a little put off by a couple of things however. this bill encourages kids to join the military, even giving some no other option. looking for kids with "good moral character" and asking them to join the military seems hypocritical to me. i also get a bad feel in general with the whole idea of checking these kids "moral character" seems a little like cookie cutting to me, although i understand the sentiment. aside from these flaws, this bill seems like an important step to a compassionate solution to illegal immegration.
I think that if passed, the Dream Act would have been very fair. Children of parents who are illegal immigrants had no say in coming to America. They were brought here by their parents, not on their own free will. I agree with the the point of view that children of illegal immigrants are just as loyal and patriotic as native born US citizens because all they have ever known is their life in the US. I think that it would be extremely beneficial for children of illegal immigrants to become citizens because they could essentially contribute to the work force in our nation and contribute to the economy. In addition, it would beneficial to have more loyal and patriotic soldiers in the military.
Although this Act could be advantageous, it could also be considered as a form of amnesty towards illegal immigrants. The bill might encourage other immigrants to bring their children with them into the US, and illegal immigration would continue. Ultimately though, I think the bill would be more advantageous than not.
First of all, I'd just like to mention that I actually met Richard Durbin (and Barack Obama!) on that summer teen tour I went on in 2006 (the same one that I've talked about before).
I have actually learned quite a bit about immigration this week. In class, I learned that the main concern of the government is that illegal immigrants don't pay taxes on the resources that they use. I was actually under the impression that our government simply did not want people crossing the border, but now I understand the reasoning.
It makes a lot of sense that the children of illegal immigrants should not be punished for the illegal actions of their parents. In fact, I was really moved when the writers of the article described them as "children whose only crime was to pack their suitcases when their parents told them to."
Also, I think that if they were to be required to complete two years of higher education, they could definitely contribute to society and be a benefit. They would begin paying taxes on the resources they use.
My only concern is how these children and their families would be able to pay for the college education needed to become a citizen. I know that most illegal immigrants cross the border in order to start a better life, and many of them have very little money. If they are illegal immigrants, I am guessing that they do not qualify for financial aid and I wonder how they would be able to finance their child's education. Does anyone know of a way this would work? I'm sure it's been thought out before.
But other than this setback, the Dream Act sounds like a good idea to me.
There are a couple of things that we must look at, one) its ILLEGAL immigration. The word illegal is key to understanding immigration and the Dream Act. I agree these kids cannot be blamed for their parents' mistake however, illegal immigration is making life harder on americans in many ways. Illegal immigration is illegal and against the law yet we do nothing about it. Actions must be taken and i know its sounds harsh and cruel but deporation is one of the very few options we have and we must use it. I'm sorrry i even said it but we must look at the reality of the situation and make decisive decisions
I agree with Nisha about the idea that these kids have no say in what their parents did in bringing them into this country. I believe that The Dream Act would benefit this country greatly, especially economically. The fact is, no matter whether or not these immigrants are considered legal, they are going to continue to come to America to pursue a better life. We should just recnognize that legalizing them isn't going to make a difference in the numbers entering out country every year, so we might as well take advantage of it. Legalize the immigrants who have shown that they are an asset to the country, and the kids who are born knowing nothing except this country. That way they can pay taxes, contribute to the economy and work on educating their children properly. I think that it is really a disgrace that our country would not let a child born in this country to become a citizen, it is against the "American" way.
Sal brought up a really good point. It's not very fair to make these children risk their lives and serve in the military just to pay for the illegal actions of their parents. Also, how is the government suppossed to determine who has "good moral character" and who does not?
Shawn does bring up a good point that illegal immigration is just that...illegal, but I agree with Alexa that they will continue to come to America no matter what. Deportation does not seem like a logical alternative to me.
I think Allie brings up a good point that many of these immigrants would not be able to afford higher education that would be one of the qualifications to applying for citizenship. I too wonder where illegal immigrants would get the money from to pay for a college education that they most likely would not be able to afford. I don't necessarily agree with Shawn that deportation is the only option. I think that those who are looking for a better life deserve a chance to find one in America if they are willing to undergo the qualifications the would be necessary in the Dream Act. If immigrants can prove their loyalty to our country, and if they contribute to the economy by paying taxes, then why not give them the chance to do so?
I'm a little on both sides of this issue. While i do agree that giving immigrants legal status if they serve in the military is a good idea, i also agree with opponents of the bill that it will only give them more of an incentive to cross the border. We, especially in California, have a huge illegal immigrant population, and like we talked about in class, the government pays for them, but they pay no money (taxes) back to the government; however, they still deserve the right to a happier life. I had never understood why people were so against immigration until we discussed it in class, but now I can see where people are coming from on both sides of the issue, and my position is definately on both ends of it. If this bill was passed it would definately make more cross the border, but it would also make their lives drastically better and make them citizens. I'm not really sure where I stand on this issue.
allie brings up a good point in that the two years of education requirement would be a definite benefite to soceity and i agree that immigrants cross the border to start a better life however, for every immigrant that crosses the border and takes a job, thats another job taken from an american. an american who was born in america and has the right to the job over an illegal immigrant who isnt even a citizen.
the problem of affording higher education is deffinetly one that needs adressing in the stamp act, as several people brought up. it's sort of a catch 22 in that you need to be legal to qualify for financial aid, but need that education to become legal. anyone have any ideas about how to adress this? i don't mean this as a personal attack shawn, but deportation is by no mean our only option. while it is illegal immigration, these people are not "criminals" in the way we think of them. don't you think they would have chosen a legal route if it was possible? these are people looking for a better life and maybe you don't think it's our duty as americans to help them, but it's certainly our duty as human beings. these people are our brothers and sisters and we should try to find a solution that helps them become citizens not that simply deports them. i completely agree with nisha that they deserve at least a chance at a better life, isn't that part of what we stand for? the right to pursue hapiness? i don't think that being born in america gives us any more of a right to jobs. we can not police the world and at the same time say that the dillema of these immigrants is "not our problem" didn't we learn way back in kindergarten the importance of sharing?
I think the Dream Act is a really good idea, but it's so hard to have any bill passed that supports illegal aliens in any way. It is completely reasonable for the children of illegal immigrants to be offered citizenship if they get educated or serve in the military because they can make a huge contribution. I disagree that the Dream Act will create an incentive for more people to come illegally, since there will constantly be people crossing the border. There is essentially no way to stop them as long as the Mexican government is corrupt and government officials take advantage of their power.
However, the options for the kids are very limited. I think the choice for military service was made as a plea to Republicans to support the bill, and not many kids may have access to higher education. Also, the general term of "good moral character" is unclear and hard to classify.
I agree with Sal and Nisha that it is not the kids' fault that their parents crossed the border as illegal aliens and raised them in the US. And although Shawn is correct that illegal immigration is in fact illegal, I don't think deportation is not the best way to deal with it.
I think the biggest problem is that the people coming illegally have very little knowledge of how the US government works. they come to start a better life for themselves and their families, but starting with very little money and no legal status severely limits their lifestlye. I'm not sure if some of them have a better quality of life here than back where they're from becuase many of them have to start from the bottom. And with little education about the US culture and the language, it makes it that much more difficult.
I agree that the children should not suffer because the parents chose to cross the border into the US; however, I still think that the US cannot accomodate all the illegal immigrants that come into our country, especially if they don't pay taxes to help the government. Like Nisha said, if they are given the right to become citizens, then as citizens they will pay taxes, and with military training and experience and/or higher education, they can contribute to our economy. I completely agree with a bunch of people that the illegals are going to come here anyways, and I feel that we might as well make them citizens and have them contribute to the government through taxes than to continue to give them resources that they don't pay for. It's better to make them citizens and have them pay for the resources they would use whether citizens or not, but if they are citizens, they will pay for these resources. I don't agree with Sal that offering them a military service option is a bad thing, and don't agree that being in the military means that someone does not have "good moral character," but completely agree with the "catch 22" about higher education that she discussed.
i just wanted to clarify that i wasn't insinuating that people in the military have bad moral character, but that the government is showing bad moral character by asking kids to join the military
I think the Dream Act would be a really good idea. Going off of what Allie said, since the issue seems to be that the immigrants don't pay taxes, if they were allowed citizenships, I think a big problem would be solved. I don't know what the problem is with passing the bill because the steps that will integrate the immigrant children seem to be beneficial to the United States. Now that I think about it, I think that there's something beyond the fact that the illegal immigrants don't pay taxes. Somewhere in the article, it said something about the bill, if passed, would be an incentive for immigrants to bring over their children. If their children can become citizens, then just like other Americans, they would pay the same taxes. So what's the issue? I guess it's just that the bill has the potential to encourage illegal immigration, which might anger people as a result. People might question why the government is so lenient toward one form of illegal behavior, but not toward another, like stealing, per say.
I think that this is a great opportunity to include children immigrants who have grown up in America and want to become American citizens actively by incorporating them into the community. Since it doesn't seem like there's a way, so far, to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing the border and these children have come to know America as their home, we might as well give them a chance to participate in the community in return for what they want: citizenship. However, I do agree that offering citizenship could potentially motivate more illegal immigration, meaning we have to sort out this problem from its roots. Since the primary discontent with illegal immigrants is that they do not actively participate and give back to the community whose resources they use, their children can help us attain what we need, more soldiers enlisted in the military, by us giving them the opportunity and a motive for citizenship.
I agree with both Sal and Nisha, that it's unfair to penalize the children for their parent's decisions. These children who have grown up in America feel the same nationalism as any other child born and raised in the US. Why single out these children because of their parents? And additionally, what about the parents of these children who are not legal citizens in America? We're just going to make the children work for their rights and let the adults continue living freely? I think we have more issues about immigration in general to be addressed that will help prevent this problem overall.
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