> "Great! The illegals have a hard time with immigration. Maybe they should not have broken the law, then!" But to many it is their entire lives, and through no fault of their own.
This is the thing that really gets me. There's all this hand-wringing about how people in the country illegally should just accept that they did it "the wrong way", and oops, well, I guess that means they're not worthy of being treated as a human with wants and needs and dreams anymore. Because what, they crossed an imaginary line on the ground someone drew, in a way that didn't match up with the rules a bunch of out-of-touch people decided on? Not just out-of-touch, but people who actively use immigration reform (or the lack thereof) as a political weapon.
It's so easy for someone (such as myself) who was born in the US, whose family has been in the US for generations, to just not get what a big deal all this is. I will likely never have to worry about feeling unsafe in my own country, feeling like I have absolutely no opportunity to house, clothe, and feed myself. And if I did, I'd still have options! I know it can be hard for some of us to try on the shoes of someone who believes that the only way for them (and their family) to have a future is to pack up whatever they can carry and risk their lives to "sneak" into another country where they will have better chances. But I really wish people would show more sympathy and empathy toward people in that situation.
>actively use immigration reform (or the lack thereof) as a political weapon.
You criticize this but then do the exact same thing. You try to manipulate the reader by stating that if you don't agree with your view point they lack sympathy. This is exactly what politicians do.
Read the reply above yours that states facts and law, there is no politics, manipulation or appeals for sympathy.
This is the thing that really gets me. There's all this hand-wringing about how people in the country illegally should just accept that they did it "the wrong way", and oops, well, I guess that means they're not worthy of being treated as a human with wants and needs and dreams anymore. Because what, they crossed an imaginary line on the ground someone drew, in a way that didn't match up with the rules a bunch of out-of-touch people decided on? Not just out-of-touch, but people who actively use immigration reform (or the lack thereof) as a political weapon.
It's so easy for someone (such as myself) who was born in the US, whose family has been in the US for generations, to just not get what a big deal all this is. I will likely never have to worry about feeling unsafe in my own country, feeling like I have absolutely no opportunity to house, clothe, and feed myself. And if I did, I'd still have options! I know it can be hard for some of us to try on the shoes of someone who believes that the only way for them (and their family) to have a future is to pack up whatever they can carry and risk their lives to "sneak" into another country where they will have better chances. But I really wish people would show more sympathy and empathy toward people in that situation.