Again, you are ignoring the fact that we have taken in MANY Haitians into this country–just like all other groups. The storms were only a recent situation that apparently affects the situation your friend is in now. This tells me that much of this is being based on your friend and not history. Also, let’s not forget that anytime America has intervened to bring stability in that country, they are accused by members of congress and activists of being racist and imperialistic. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

According to you, Haiti is the one who has thrown him in prison without food or medicine. On the flip side, America gave him:

#42 years to legalize his status
#an opportunity to empower himself economically
#Free education
and the space to raise a family

And America is at fault?????

I understand that this is your friend and therefore you have an emotional stake in this situation. But the truth here is that he was extended 42 (forty-two) years of “mercy”.

If all men are created equal (that includes illegal immigrants!) they are all entitled to humane treatment.

You are right. Now communicate that message to Haiti. America has done its job.

Yes, this creates more jobs for citizens, but at the price of breaking up families.

Again, people who come here illegally and have children CHOOSE to set up their own fate when they do not abide by the law. If you and I can abide by the law, but yet we assume poor immigrants LACK that same basic ability, we are in effect expressing bigotry. When we assume that nations like Haiti lack the ability to govern its own people all while we pridefully say to ourselves “America knows best”, we are treating these folks as second class humans.

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Its no longer our policy.

This is not about grilling someone over what cannot be changed, this is about pointing out what could have been easily prevented. Your friend and his family had roughly 42 (forty-two) years to legalize his status here in the US, but for whatever reason he chose not to. Other than the mentally-disturbed, people are quite aware of those laws and consciously make the decision whether or not they are going to abide by them. When those laws are violated, there are consequences. The same rule of thumb applies to ANY nation on the planet. So why you feel as though America is at fault for enforcing its own laws is beyond me.

Another thing worth thinking about here is that for every slot your friend ‘took up’ (so to speak) in the job market, there were many more legal poor Americans who could not fill that space to support their own families. There were two examples of this where legal low-income Americans were able to find work thanks to the removal of illegals from these plants (here are one of those examples).

If we are really wanting to cast stones here, let’s put the governments of countries like Haiti and Mexico in our sights. These governments have for years been raping their own people all while they themselves are living off the fat of the land and American handouts. You would think these government leaders would be embarrassed to see that their own citizens have to rely on the good graces of another country. Instead, they feel entitled.

Despite our imperfections, America has for years have given folks all around the globe a second chance either here or in their place of origin. This is a tradition deeply rooted in our culture and continues to this day. At some point we have to start demanding these own countries begin to pull their own weight. To ignore this is by default, bigotry.

Then perhaps you never lived in California (LOL).

You said earlier that he has been in this country when he was 10, but never became a citizen.

What really is bothering me is that we would deport people, including my friend George in York, PA County Prison to a place where no food or medicine is given. Its not humane.

From the way it sounds, your friend had years to straighten out his citizenship status to avoid this unfortunate mess he is in now. Was there a reason for this?

Soooooo, how is America at fault here?

As for the rest of your comment, man, save the sermon for the Vatican (which btw) has LEGAL borders they expect the world to respect. At the same time they wag their finger at America for simply enforcing their own laws.

Read up on how Mexico treats its illegals and compare it to the free healthcare, free education, affordable housing, employment they get here in the US.

You sound like you have a good heart, but man. I think you really need to look at the entire picture

In general God shows mercy everyone. The sunshines, and the rains fall on the just and unjust. We all benefit from some form of God’s mercy. But when I speak of the mercy that God has shown the Christian, it is the mercy of salvation. Anyway my emphasis on the word Christians was to highlight what perspective I was coming from. Not to say that God shows no mercy to anyone else.

It should enforce the laws that it has and create new laws to protect us. Mercy is not in the equation.

That is absolutely NOT so. The Government shows mercy all the time. You never got off from a speeding ticket with just a warning? That’s mercy. Parole is mercy. Ever file your taxes late, even by one day ? I have. IRS never came down on me, they didn’t even mention it. That’s mercy. I would hate to live in a country that was devoid of mercy. Sometimes people make mistakes and sometimes people have mitigating circumstances (I think thats a legal term). I will even go as far to say that you can not even have a just society unless that society practices mercy.

If we as people have a capacity for mercy, than a Government by, for and OF the people should have that same capacity. Within reason.

Because God showed us (Christians) mercy, he expect us to show mercy also. Being that The US has a government of, by and for the people it is WELL within its capacity to to show mercy AS A NATION if it is the will of its people. And I as a person and citizen of this Nation can support this mercy without compromise to, and I will dare say because of, my Christian beliefs.

I never believed such drivel. I don’t think you do either. I am surprised that you referenced it.

My opinion is that we should “plug up” this leaky faucet (known as the border), put the remaining illegals on a plan that has them paying taxes while they are here, and most importantly, like any other person who want citizenship, put them through a background check.

on this you and I agree. And once they have status. They can be tracked and taxed, and most of the negatives of having them here will no longer exist.

By definition, an illegal immigrant is someone who has cross the line (pardon the pun) of a certain set of boundaries. Regardless of the reason, this person is a law breaker and needs to be treated accordingly. If someone were to break into my house and lay in one of my kid’s bed –and there reason was because they wanted to keep warm, they will see my brand of MERCY.

Your Tookie analogy does not follow because Tookie committed crime so he would not have to find an honest living

If you were to listen to his supporters, he was “forced” into a life of crime because the racist American system kept Negroes like him out of it. Again, “mercy” becomes realative in his case.

Realistically, I do not think that it is possible to hunt down every illegal person here in the US and deport them. My opinion is that we should “plug up” this leaky faucet (known as the border), put the remaining illegals on a plan that has them paying taxes while they are here, and most importantly, like any other person who want citizenship, put them through a background check. Until that is done, there is no argument out there that can convince me that poor edcation our kids are getting out here in CA should be considered as a “greater good” sacrifice.