Illegal Immigration and related issues Poll - I (Why is it a problem?)

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Poll question: Illegal Immigration and related issues Poll - I (Why is it a problem?)

Why do you oppose illegal immigration? Why do you think it's a problem?

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1. Kick

[Random_Australian]

2. Technically, 'Australian Workers', but still...

anyway, I would define very little immigration as truly illegal (Of those that come to Australia, different situation here), and whilst the government ought to treat all the persons it deals with with respect, we must control our population numbers, and our accepted minimum wage and conditions. That is all the reasons. Persons are to be treated as persons; no excuses or exceptions are allowed, especially whe the persons in question are voiceless/powerless.

[foreigncorrespondent]

3. And putting it that way...

we must control our population numbers

...I couldn't agree with you more. But I am tired of seeing the illegal immigrant in the U.S. being accused of taking jobs from the American worker. Yes some jobs probably do go to illegal immigrants, but not all. The majority of lost work in the U.S. is caused by the bloody outsourcing of work to other countries (ask my partner. She lost her job in 2000 to someone in India, and hasn't been able to land one since.) Yet the poor illegal immigrant gets the blame.

[Kindigger]

6. That may be true in the larger world but

in my little world of disability, I'm pretty PO'd. My disabled neighbor had a job riding a mower at the golf course last year. This is something I can do, and he was going to get me on this year. He informed me this week the course was bringing in a crew of Hispanics this year. :(

There are some of us living on next to nothing, who would accept a little more of next to nothing to supplement our incomes. I would be willing to do the work for whatever a member of "the crew" is being paid. I wouldn't expect to be paid 40 hr per week wages for doing what I CAN do since I'd probably do the work a little slower, and with a few more rest breaks.

There was a caller on Washington Journal last week who alluded to the same thing. It's too bad "they" can't figure Americans with Disabilities into the equation.

edit...spelling

[foreigncorrespondent]

11. As I said...

...some jobs yes, but not all jobs!

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4. I've heard that Australians are generally hostile to immigrants, is that a

misconception? How well have immigrants assimilated in your society?

[foreigncorrespondent]

12. Nice bait mate!

And what you have heard is simply wrong! Yes we had some problems earlier this year. But those problems didn't involve the entire Australian race beating up on immigrants on the beach.

When you have a PM who has no respect for immigrants then you will get idiots like those earlier this year beating up on them. When you have a PM who is hell bent on supporting an ILLEGAL war, then you are going to get those idiots who will beat up on Muslims. But again I stress that wasn't the majority of this country. The majority actually supports multiculturalism.

[bowens43]

5. What a bullshit poll.

Eight choices for the xenophobes and only one for those of us on morally the correct side of the issue.

[corkerjoe]

7. morally correct ????

What to in port a ship load of slaves,so a few people can get even richer. To use mexicans to do jobs that pay so little no else wants to,is morally correct. WOW greed is such a wonder-full thing.

[AllieB]

8. You're buying into the spin

Illegal Immigration is being used by the Republicans as a wedge issue. Obviously, it's working, even among Democrats. The real issues are: the labor policies of the Bush administration, the cheap labor conservatives that hire illegals, and the immigration system itself. Don't blame the illegal immigrant-blame agribusiness, big corporations, and others who get away with hiring them.

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13. Before you attack me,

I'd like to inform you that the poll choices do not reflect MY views on immigration, I just wanted to get an idea about the dominant reason for people's opposition to immigration.

[fasttense]

9. Good poll.

Despite all the people who would like you to believe otherwise, illegals do not pay the amount of taxes a citizen pays. I have worked in the fields alongside illegals. Every Friday the foreman (actually she was a woman) would come out and pay us in cash. About the fourth week, they started paying me by check with all the appropriate deductions. I asked why the change. The foreman, who was really a nice person and everyone liked her, said because I had a Social Security number and now that I was going to stay, they would put me into the system. I was college kid and didn't know what they were doing was illegal, and didn't care. Actually I think they were so use to doing it illegally, it took them awhile to realize they could pay me legally.

But the thing is, these women were taking jobs from citizens illegally. I have since met two other woman one from the Philippines and one from Mexico who came to this country legally, with Visas. One is now a citizen and one will be next month. Both worked in hotels and homes cleaning so neither had any skills besides determination and hard work. Now if they can come here legally and become citizens, why can't the rest of the illegals? Are these women exceptions? Were they two lucky players in the citizen lottery? I don't think so.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. I don't oppose people coming here to make a better life.

As did my grandmother and 4 of her kids, including my mother. As did 99% of the previous immigrants who came here.

They work hard and support themselves and their families. Which is more than can be said for the politicians in DC who are deciding the fate of poor people.

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14. I admire your idealism

I'm quite liberal about immigration; yet some pragmatism is needed in dealing with the issue. The problem is, average Joe / Jane who believes (rightly or wrongly) that he/she is being invaded and plundered economically isn't going to lend an ear to the plight of the Mexican poor, the deaths at the border, theories of worker solidarity, capitalist exploitation, the history of Native peoples movement across borders and so on. I've heard people use every one of my poll choices as arguments against immigrants including some unprintable ones. This is a matter in which perception trumps reality, and it would be unwise to pooh-pooh complaints. In fact, I fear a violent outburst against immigrants if the status-quo is allowed to continue.

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[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. The Kennedy/McCain stance seems a reasonable start to me.

The fact that most Americans may believe that dire consequences will ensue if immigrants are allowed to make a living and blame them for their imagined woes, is of small interest to me. I heard similar howls of fear and rage during the Civil Rights movement and our history is replete with various bogeymen being erected by the powerful. From the fear of Indians to Slave revolts to the invasion of backward Irish, Italians, etc. And, of course, the "Red Menace" of unions.

Remember the "Welfare Queens" of Reagan and the support he got for his thinly veiled racism? The same is true here.

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16. Sadly, I agree with you about Americans' tendency to externalize problems

People blame Arabs, Muslims, Mexicans, China, India, welfare moms, gays, vegans, environmentalists ('green terrists'), atheists: the list is endless. That's why our problems never get fixed: blaming and scapegoating various 'others' while the real structures of oppression remain unchallenged. However, merely ignoring such views isn't going to make them disappear. That is my point.