First thing’s first. I’m not certain if Donald Trump really is a racist pig. I don’t know if he’s actually capable of that level of commitment. But, he’s obviously more than willing to sell himself as someone who refuses to eat Neapolitan ice cream because he doesn’t like mixing colours.
Having said that, when it comes to arguing about his stupid fucking wall and his horrible immigration policies, I think there’s something the left needs to stop trying to dodge. All this talk of ‘law-abiding undocumented immigrants’ is nonsense.
The first step in fixing a problem is admitting that you have one. You’re not going to convince people on the other side of the aisle that your ideas are better if you don’t own up to fact that if you’re in the United States without an appropriate visa, you’re breaking the law. You are a criminal. You’re not ‘law-abiding.’ Your mere presence in the country is a violation of the law. Terms like ‘undocumented immigrant’ sound like the kind of obnoxious spin that makes the people you don’t agree with roll their eyes. The moment those people hear shit like that, they stop listening to you.
Instead, tell the truth. Just come right out and say it.
I think immigration laws in the United States are out-dated and cruel. I think they are a drag on the economy and they don’t do anything to protect citizens from all that is wrong with the world.
I also think that if you’re in the country without the appropriate paperwork that you’re a criminal. I won’t try to hide behind fancy spin to make it sound like it’s some kind of technicality. A law has been broken and you chose to break it.
So, now what? Once we all accept the honest truth, then we also get to decide what to do about it. Maybe I’m wrong. But, I truly believe that the vast majority of people would be perfectly fine with wiping the slate clean and slapping a big ‘ol “citizen” sticker on some paperwork and moving on. The catch is that the people you currently disagree with won’t get to that point if they feel like you’re constantly trying to wiggle around what they see as basic facts. This just seems like one of those issues where the left needs to get a bit of a back-bone and own the truth.
For anyone who is worried about the ‘stigma’ of being called a criminal, please get over yourselves. Guess what? If you’ve ever gotten a speeding ticket, you’re a criminal. Illegally parked in a loading zone? Criminal. Lied on your taxes? Criminal.
For the record, I was living in a foreign country illegally for close to 3 years. Yea, it sucked at the time. But it’s amazing how quickly it stopped sucking once I stopped having to worry about breaking the law just by living my life. IE once I stopped being a criminal. I’m feeling less stigmatized by the day.
