Man, I work for a few hours and I have to play all kinds of catch up.

Ok, as far as I'm concerned, while questioning sources is always a good idea, I do believe that a larger percentage of immigrants are wanted for crimes for the same reason that large numbers of blacks are... because they're poor. If you look at the statistics of serious crime (and serious crime here implies 'felonies +'), the largest disparity of crime in the US (and I'm willing to bet the globe) is that between the rich and the poor. Reasons aside (for that would be a whole other discussion), the faster we get a group of people integrated into a society, the faster they stray from crime and poor lives.

Blind justice is not justice at all... I don't know who originally said it, just that Captain Picard said it in ST:TNG (<--nerd!). 'it's the law' is BS if the law is BS.

And as an adult I have lived in Iowa, northern Virginia, California, Texas and Georgia. Based entirely on anecdotal evidence, it would take multiple polls and studies done by the most reputable sociologists to convince me that the south isn't considerably more racist than the north, for I have seen it's disgusting, institutionalized racism more times than I can count, from afar and near.

The fact is, that if you read newspapers from 50, 100, 150 years ago and later, there was ALWAYS an uproar about some population coming to our country that was just trying to live in a nicer country. Irish, Italian, Chinese, every single one of these groups was routinely called 'a coming problem' and accused of trying to 'hijack america.' To this I say, grow up and give a little love.

And yes, the black community has not yet fully integrated, but that is ALSO another can of beans, and of particular interest to me. We can talk about that later!

I stand by post #19. There are plenty of immigrants who come here legally and that allows us a measure of contol. Criminals and people with various diseases qand whatnot who come here simply to take what they want or to be a burdon on our "free society" should be kept out. To go along with that, the laws and regulations - the system, if you will - for immigrants to become legal, law abiding citizens should be streamlined. It should be much easier for them and therefore reducing the amount of "good people" having to try and come through illegally. Seems like a win/win to me.
(see below)

That tallies with my perceptions from afar. However, it is still true that during the reconstruction years the North was not much better than the South in their attitudes to blacks. Nowadays, I get the impression than the North has moved further in this than the South.

When the government was trying to sell Immigration Reform, Chertoff said something to the effect of, I'd rather spend our resources on arresting smugglers and dangerous criminals at the border, than apprehending maids and farm workers. I agree with you, if the immigration process is improved, more "good people" would rather go that route.

Oh, and I'm not contesting it. Whoever said (not looking) that it was a tool of those in charge, a war cry if you will, was correct (sounds like communism/terrorism war cries of the 20th and 21st centuries to me!).

Now, that's not to say that there aren't many a rural Yankee who's not terribly racist (I recently heard slurs I'd never heard before in Pennsylvania), but it's instances are more confined and less socially acceptable. The cops in good ol' Augusta GA love to talk about their 'niggers' and 'nappy heads,' out in the open and to the populace. It's so much more open and pervasive, I've got to say I had a case of culture shock worse than my first trip to the ex-soviet bloc.

And of course there's higher instance of minority land ownership, rage, that's because there are more minorities. I live in a burg that is something like 45% white... but I'll bet a dollar to a donut that the white ownership is 60% or so.

And finally, 'criminals and people with disease' make up such a small portion of our immigrants, and indeed the whole planet, that casting these overarching policy nets to capture them (while simultaneously eliminating the 99% of those who would make wonderful editions to any society) is just plain wrong, and based on the racist (yeah I went there) notion that 'Mexi-cuns and negroes is bad.'

First line was in reference to Dana. I've really got to figure out the quote system on here...

Well said. (for your earlier point):P

The quote system: above the box you are posting in are buttons. One of them is a quote button. If you press it this will appear: [quote] followed by the same thing with [/ in front of it. Just cut and paste your quote in between the two. Or, alternatively use the 'Quote' button at the bottom of a post.

Thats cuz you're a falcons fan - j/k

Wow...another 'lefty' to bother the right wing loonies around here. How exciting! lol

Welcome to the Cellar queequeger! (if you're not a lefty I apologize. We're just a bit short of supply at the moment)

Australia should open it's borders to any and all of those Indians, Africans, Asians and Islanders that want to move in.

Australia basically has no restrictions on islanders. A large proportion of south pacific islands have (virtually) automatic dual citizenship with NZ and there are no restrictions for New Zealanders who want permanent residency in Australia. We like to work together in the south pacific.

We take in a large number of refugees from Africa and Asia. We even had a bunch of phillipino sailors wash up on the shore the other day. I don't know what's going on with them. They're part of the navy, but their boat isn't looking so hot.

If you have something to offer, it's a lot easier to get residency in Australia than the US.

Specially doctors. If you're a doctor, we'll take you no matter where you're from. Even if you're not really a doctor, or lie on your application form. Yeah, we need more doctors here. Not enough smart people becoming doctors over here, and the ones that do end up working overseas.

Haha, yesman. If I were a Falcons fan, I wouldn't derive so much joy in seeing their holy Kevin Vick get booted. Not because I'm anti-ATL or anti-Vick, I just always knew that he wasn't as 'classy' as everyone claimed he was.... No, unfortunately I seem to be tied at the hip to the Lions.

And Aliantha, I'm about as left as they come. The only differentiation between my political ideals and most other liberals is that I'm pro-militaries in a general sense, even if they are so frequently misused (it's the one realpolitik philosophy I allow). I find them a necessary and indeed often useful tool of humanity as long as they are wielded with prudence and (more importantly) out of love and not greed.

I'm pretty sure you and DanaC are going to get along very well. BTW, she's single you know. ;)