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Originally Posted by aimeecc
--snip--so why not make them legal (with obviously some scrutiny... don't want felons to stay)? If they become legal, ...--snip--
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Originally Posted by lookout123
we tried amnesty in the '80's. --snip--
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From wikipedia, an adequate resource for this purpose.
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Amnesty (from the Greek amnestia, oblivion) is an act of justice by which the supreme power in a state restores those who may have been guilty of any offense against it to the position of innocent persons. It includes more than pardon, inasmuch as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the offense. The word has the same root as amnesia.
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I'm so sick of hearing the word "amnesty" abused in this way.
"Making them legal" != "amnesty". It *could be*, but it doesn't have to be. There have been several suggestions as to the method by which the immigrants that are here could be "made legal". Some of these include punishments, which is in perfect harmony with much of the rest of our legal system, where a person found guilty of a crime pays a penalty. After which life goes on. Nobody ever raises a stink about amnesty after the completion of the penalty phase for these other crimes. I think this narrow issue should be treated in a comparable way, and not used as a trigger for hysterical fearmongering demagogues.
C'mon people. You can do better.