AP: Don't call them illegal

Morphing and softening language as a way to shift or shape a debate is a tool of the intellectually dishonest.

For instance, people need to stay in the realm of "pro-abortion" and "anti-abortion," rather than hiding behind coattails of "-choice" and "-life." Same with vague blanket words like "fairness," which can be turned and flipped every which way.

It's mumbo-jumbo to play that "people aren't illegal, their actions are illegal" nonsense. They're people. They're human beings. But based on how they immigrate, they are illegal. The action is inherent in the label, and they took that action illegally.

I suppose we could call them trespassers. Or intruders. Or line-jumping thieves.
I prefer RickStain's "unauthorized immigrants" to the "undocumented" silliness, but even that softens the offense of breaching sovereign borders. Seems to put more of the onus on those who might (or "should") authorize, as opposed to the transgressors.

What term would the AP use for U.S. citizens who tried to barge illegally across other nations' borders? "Jailed Americans?" Maybe "dead Americans?"

 

Funny how the mainstream media never called the Iraq War illegal in 2003.

 

Why does it seem like the crimes and "sins" of brown-skinned people and gays are so much worse than the crimes and sins of straight white people?

 

Disagree with this, top to bottom.

I support a woman's right to have an abortion. That does not make me pro-abortion. I'm generally pretty anti-abortion, but for a variety of reasons, I think it should be a legal option. (I do think "anti-abortion" is a better label than "pro-life." I don't any abortion opponents would really argue that they are not anti-abortion.)

And it's hardly mumbo-jumbo to distinguish between a person and their actions. People are not "illegal." Entering the country without legal permission is illegal. "Illegal immigration" is an accurate and reasonable term. "Illegal immigrant" is not. I'm not a great fan of "undocumented," but at least it actually makes sense.

 

A misdemeanor isn't a crime?

Since when?

 

Let's just call them "Mexicans" and be done with it...

 

Just describing how using the term illegal immigrant is inaccurate to describe those who do not have a valid visa to be in the country, but entered legally. Therefore, they haven't committed a crime.

 

But a misdemeanor is a crime. Only an idiot would think otherwise.

 

I'm more pissed off about the fact that they made under way one word in all uses.

 

when joe montana walks down the street in his hometown, should every person that walks past him greet him simply as MVP? no? and why is that?

jesus christ, if it were you, me or capt. obvious in these people's shoes, we'd have made the same choices as them. we would have tried to have made a better life for ourselves and our families ... and any person who says differently is most likely either lazy or lying.

 

Reading comprehension isn't your strong suit, IF.

 

That's about as phony and strawman as it gets, Tom. No one is saying address these people as "Hi, Illegal Immigrant." But that is what they are, and to refer to groups of people by the thing they have in common -- they breached the borders of this country "illegally," without following the process to citizenship -- is simply to preserve clarity and to keep the discussion straight. What, we can't refer to kids studying abroad as "exchange students." I know we don't go around saying, "Hi, Exchange Student." What the F does that false construct have to do with anything?

You're better than that, man.

As I said, "unauthorized" would work too, IMO, but "undocumented" is squishy and ultimately a shaded partial-truth. The sudden urgency to alter the reference is driven by politics and political correctness.

Don't deny the option for those desperate-for-their-families people to make a stand and improve their lots in life where they are, either. How do societies and cultures ever change and improve? Elect leaders, etc. Skipping the process for entering this country and further burdening a system already hemorrhaging red ink isn't noble, either. Just cuz a guys' family is hungry doesn't make it OK to steal from the grocer.