| sunanda |
Posted
on 21-Jan-04 08:34 PM
is this land your land? is this land my land--really is it?
Immigration. Foreign. Illegal. Is it legal to be illegal? Is it an issue of morality or legality? My "two worlds" clash--the legal and the moral--when I try to develop my perspective on the issue.
The Moral "World"
This is your land and this my land--the legal and the illegal. It may be safe to say America's soil "belongs" to no one and to everyone. As a fellow member stated before, "the history of the US has seen lots of immigrants." Everyone in the United States, immigrants, citizens, and illegal individuals, has "foreign roots" in American soil. If an illegal individual contributes to the American economy and upholds the values of America, shouldn't that person remain in America? What if an illegal individual comes to America to escape famine, war, and anarchy? Wouldn't any American flee if anarchy, famine and war were constantly in America?
Imagine an "illegal" individual who flees to America to escape a country full of turmoil. In America, the individual contributes to America by working seven days a week and takes half of his or her salary to help homeless American "citizens." If this illegal person is illlegal, is it "morally right" to deny America to an individual who helps homeless Americans? On the other hand, imagine a homeless American citizen who flees from jail to be free from solitary confinement. This homeless person is a career "robber" who steals food to survive and has a permanent address called cardboard box and / or "jailhouse." If a homeless citizen commits a crime as mentioned above, it is legal to fine or arrest that person. Is it moral? What is legal is not always morally correct. Maybe this is why Thoreau believed in the seperation of church--the moral--and state--the legal.
The Legal "World"
Laws were made to establish order, but laws were also made to be broken. As in the eloquent words in "Civil Disobedience," American citizens fight for justice if there is unjust treatment or an unjust law. Slavery was legal, but blacks AND whites fought against it. And won. It was not legal for women to vote, but women fought against it. And won. Illegal people are not legal, but can't they also fight? Will they win?
Of course, laws are necessary to establish order. In case of illegal individuals, they are made to prevent overpopulation and to maintain security. But should American citizenship be the same requirement for people from all foriegn coutries? Would it reduce the amount of illegal people if the same immigration regulations applied to all foriegn countries?
As a naturalized citizen of America, I have come to the conclusion that there is no simple answer about illegal individuals in America.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to express my concerns as a first-time visitor to your message board. I have seen some very positive and engaging discussions on this site. I hope to continue responding to your message board and hope my message will further open a professional and positive discussion of this issue.
***excuse the typos and errors; give me a break--it is late at night :)
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