SD on 26/6/2006 at 20:09
Quote Posted by Stitch
Actually, I tend to agree with you on this issue, dear.
Then what the Christ are you complaining about. Is it too much to ask that people focus their fire on those they disagree with rather than those they agree with? It's so damn confusing...
Quote:
I find the term "illegals" distasteful as well. I don't particularly like the term "blacks," or "gays," or any of these plural nouns used to sum up a minority. However, as none of these are actually considered to be slurs by anyone other than you or I, we must look beyond our own personal quirks and actually assess
what's being said.
I don't disagree that what is being said is more important than the way it is being said, but I can't actually do much to absolve people of any long-held, small-minded prejudices they may have, because those put down roots long ago.
What I
can do, however, is to get in on the ground floor of this most ugly of neologisms and try to prevent it from spreading any further than it already has.
I've pretty much come to the conclusion that the US is fucked where use of the term "illegals" is concerned, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let it infect my country as easily as that.
For anyone who still hasn't realised: the term is "illegal immigrants". "Illegals" is a noun. If you use "illegals" in place of "illegal immigrants", you're missing a word, and probably a few billion brain cells and an objective viewpoint too.
jprobs on 26/6/2006 at 20:37
Quote Posted by Strontium Dog
I've pretty much come to the conclusion that the US is fucked where use of the term "illegals" is concerned, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let it infect my country as easily as that.
Assuming you are from the UK, too late: (
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4992298.stm) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4992298.stm
Your BBC is "infected"
Quote Posted by Stitch
"Illegals should have the same rights as the rest of us as long as they pay taxes" is remarkably different from "illegals have caused all the problems in my town."
This is what is bugging most people in the US who have a problem with illegal immigration.. "Illegal" means a law was broken. People who break laws are criminals, therefore should have no claim to the same rights as "Legal immigrants". And, YES, they are illegal immigrants. They migrated into this country illegally.
I absolutely disagree with the earlier poster who claimed "Illegals commit all the crimes in Miami". But, having been down to Miami on several occasions to see the FSU-Miami games, I have to say that I do feel out of place not being able to speak a language other than my own native English.
Maybe the fix for illegal immigration would be to soften the path for full legal citizenship in the US. When the Irish were immigrating here back in the 1800s, it was much easier for them to become a citizen than it is now. Maybe we need to take a closer look at what we have done wrong to make so many decide it is easier to break the law than to follow it.
Ulukai on 26/6/2006 at 20:42
ILLEGALS is a crime as heinous as LEGOS, faghats :D
Turtle on 26/6/2006 at 20:50
Or maths.
Ulukai on 26/6/2006 at 20:52
Maths isn't even in the same ballpark. Maths is an abbreviation of a noun.
Illegals is the bastardisation of a noun!
SD on 26/6/2006 at 20:53
Quote Posted by jprobs
But, having been down to Miami on several occasions to see the FSU-Miami games, I have to say that I do feel out of place not being able to speak a language other than my own native English.
This is one of the reasons so many people are anti-immigrant in the USA. The USA is rapidly becoming a bilingual country, and many native English speakers don't like the fact.
I mean, look at how pissy you guys got over that recent Spanish language version of the "Star Spangled Banner". Never mind that it had been translated into German and Hebrew decades ago, without so much as a minor kerfuffle. But translate it into a language that threatens the dominance of English in the US... BIG problem.
Turtle on 26/6/2006 at 21:36
I know, the maths thing just bugs me.
It doesn't sound right.
LEGOS is an abomination, though.
Carini on 26/6/2006 at 21:55
Quote Posted by Strontium Dog
For anyone who still hasn't realised: the term is "illegal immigrants". "Illegals" is a noun. If you use "illegals" in place of "illegal immigrants", you're missing a word, and probably a few billion brain cells and an objective viewpoint too.
I don't think you know Americans as well as you think you do. I don't think the majority of the Americans who say "illegals" are trying to dehumanize anyone, they're just lazy. Saying one word instead of two and still getting your point across is all about lazy Americans.
Edit:
This thread is seriously missing some "The imigants! I knew it was them even when it was the bears!"
Scots Taffer on 27/6/2006 at 07:04
Quote Posted by Strontium Dog
Then what the Christ are you complaining about. Is it too much to ask that people focus their fire on those they disagree with rather than those they agree with? It's so damn confusing...
Because you make your arguments so persuasively retarded and bile-filled that even the most ardent supporter finds your manner balking, that's fucking why. Similarly, I agree with the same issue as you and Stitch but your way of dealing with it is so fucking detrimental and inconse-fucking-quential to the matter at hand (the larger, much bigger topic) that you make your argument as virtually redundant as you claim your opponent's are through their use of a single word.
Fucking Christing FUCK. You annoy the shit out of me.
SD on 27/6/2006 at 07:16
Bile-filled? In this thread? And I was so careful to avoid the use of bile too, even though I would have been well within my rights to :(.
The ilegal immigrant issue has been done to death, and it's not the issue here, that's why I'm "ignoring" it. I'd prefer to focus on the way my language is slowly being butchered and filled with loaded, racist terminology, if you don't mind.
