AP: Don't call them illegal

Stylebook drops term "Illegal immigrant."

What's the PC term? Comedian Jay Leno joked that the phrase should be replaced with "undocumented Democrat."

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/04/03/ap-stylebook-drops-illegal-immigrants-from-its-manual/

 

It's not a crime to be in the country without a visa. Sneaking into the country is a misdemeanor.

 

That can be fixed.

 

This is stupid. PC crap run amok.

Of course, not all immigrants are illegal. Some are, others are not. But if someone happens to be illegal, than that is what they are.

 

Misdemeanor=illegal, no?

 

“The Stylebook no longer sanctions the term ‘illegal immigrant’ or the use of ‘illegal’ to describe a person,” Carroll said. “Instead, it tells users that ‘illegal’ should describe only an action, such as living in or immigrating to a country illegally.”


If those two sentences don't contradict one another, I don't know what does.

 

A misdemeanor is still illegal.
It seems to me that "illegal immigrant" or "illegal alien" correctly and succinctly identify someone who enters the country outside the legal method. I see no reason to stop using either, and I don't plan to stop, either in speech or the written word.

 

Heard someone - a talking head for the change - in a radio interview saying that you wouldn't call a drunk driver an illegal driver so that's why you shouldn't call an illegal immigrant illegal.

 

So it can be an adverb but not an adjective?

 

Half of undocumented immigrants entered the country illegally. How do you differentiate? Seems as if accuracy should be the key.

 

I don't care for "undocumented" either. "Oh, he just forgot to file for papers but everything would be kosher otherwise."

How about unauthorized immigrants?

 

They are more illegal than Jay Leno is a comedian.