Don’t let them tell you that you are anti-immigrant because you oppose illegal immigration

The equivocation between illegal immigration and legal immigration has led some to believe that opposing one necessarily means that you oppose the other. As a result, many of those who oppose illegal immigration have been deemed anti-immigrant.

As an example, the author of a recent article in the New York Times made the false accusation that “Mr Trump demonized immigrants”. To prove this he immediately referred to Trump’s rhetoric against illegal immigration and the criminal elements therein. As the plain meaning of the English language and Trump’s own family testifies, the equivocation was demonstrably false.

Is it so difficult to believe that maybe—just maybe—it is the “illegal” part people take issue with, and not the “immigrant” part?

But worse, what are the effects of such equivocation besides the blatant slander of political opponents and the spreading of self-deluding propaganda?

As with all cognitive dissonance, and to avoid the pangs of shame that come with these internal inconsistencies, people will employ little lies to resolve the contradictions long before changing their minds and behavior.

By holding illegal immigrants and legal immigrants on the same moral plane, deserving of the same praise and adulation regardless of their legal status, they end up tossing the immigrants that respect the laws and constitution, and whom have worked much of their lives to become citizens, with the ones that simply break in at their own whim and fancy. They risk elevating those who eschew the laws and constitution of the country while pulling down those that respect them. In short, they’ll have to forgo the distinction between legal and illegal in order to maintain their beliefs.

Don’t let them tell you that you are anti-immigrant because you oppose illegal immigration. It’s a lie. And even worse than that, it demonizes immigrants.

a reply to: Propagandalf

I agree with your post whole heartedly. I would like to add though: Don't let them tell you that you are for open borders because you oppose a border wall.

originally posted by: headorheart
a reply to: Propagandalf

I agree with your post whole heartedly. I would like to add though: Don't let them tell you that you are for open borders because you oppose a border wall.

I agree with that whole heartedly.

a reply to: Propagandalf

As an example, the author of a recent article in the New York Times made the false accusation that “Mr Trump demonized immigrants”. To prove this he immediately referred to Trump’s rhetoric against illegal immigration and the criminal elements therein. As the plain meaning of the English language and Trump’s own family testifies, the equivocation was demonstrably false.

I won't bother to post a new thread entitled Don’t let them tell you that you are for open borders because you don't support Trump's vanity project boondoggle" and just point out the obvious here:


Trump: Democratic Party Has Been Hijacked By The "Open Borders Fringe"

While many Democrats in the House and the Senate would like to make a deal, Speaker Pelosi will not let them negotiate. The party has been hijacked by the open-borders fringe within the party. The radical left, becoming the radical Democrats.

Donald Trump falsely claims there's an 'open borders bill' backed by Democrats

"Every single Democrat in the U.S. Senate has signed up for the open borders, and it's a bill, it's called the ‘open borders bill.’ What's going on? And it's written by, guess who? Dianne Feinstein," Trump said Oct. 6 in Topeka.

Trump is misrepresenting a bill introduced in June by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., called the Keep Families Together Act. The intention of that bill isn’t to create open borders, but to prevent the separation of immigrant families arriving at U.S. borders.

Lots of tweets like this:

Donald J. Trump Verified account @realDonaldTrump

Democrats want Open Borders and they want to abolish ICE, the brave men and women that are protecting our Country from some of the most vicious and dangerous people on earth! Sorry, we can’t let that happen! Also, change the rules in the Senate and approve STRONG Border Security!

5:46 PM - 6 Aug 2018

... and this one:

Donald J. Trump Verified account @realDonaldTrump

It is becoming more and more obvious that the Radical Democrats are a Party of open borders and crime. They want nothing to do with the major Humanitarian Crisis on our Southern Border. #2020!

7:49 AM - 16 Jan 2019

a reply to: theantediluvian

I'm not sure you know what hypocrisy means.

Here's a recent example from Greg Seargant, a DNC shill working for the WaPo.

The forces arrayed behind President Trump in the government shutdown fight are now sending out decidedly conflicting signals. Some want Trump to dig in more firmly behind the xenophobic nationalism symbolized by his wall, as if he can break the Democrats’ will through sheer force of intractable anti-immigrant recalcitrance. Others are urging him to reach out to Democrats with concessions designed to accommodate their desire for humane immigration solutions.

www.washingtonpost.com...

The blurring of lines between illegal and legal immigration is the same sort of thinking found in the most xenophobic segments of society, but here is Greg Sargent peddling it.

Here's a more recent example of the same equivocation made by Democratic State Senator Luis Sepúlveda.

“These young undocumented immigrants will work, they will pay taxes, they will buy products, and the greater earning capacity they have the more taxes they will pay,” said Democratic State Sen. Luis Sepúlveda. “This is one piece of legislation where we must get beyond the anti-immigration fervor created by President Trump and see the benefits educating these young people has for our state.”

And in the same NYT story, the author makes the same equivocation in the very first paragraph.

The newly emboldened Democratic-led New York State Legislature waded into the battle over immigrants’ rights on Wednesday, approving a bill that for the first time offers undocumented students access to state financial aid and scholarships for higher education.

Note: The rights of "undocumented" immigrants is "immigrants' rights". Legislation offering illegals financial aid and scholarships is good because it will get us "beyond the anti-immigration fervor created by President Trump". Of course, they've offered nothing for legal immigrants.

www.nytimes.com...

Dude I'm a legal immigrant and they still think I'm a racist anti immigrant.

It's surreal.

originally posted by: projectvxn
Dude I'm a legal immigrant and they still think I'm a racist anti immigrant.

It's surreal.

I bet. It's the logical conclusion of their absurdity.

It's cynical of me, but I wager that most of their equivocation is about waylaying the discomfort of cognitive dissonance and not about defending immigrants at all. In my own mind, opposing illegal immigration actually supports legal immigrants.

a reply to: Propagandalf

Same here.

Creating a system where illegal immigrants are rewarded for their law breaking is detrimental to those working within the process.

Yep strangely legal immigrants are their number 1 enemy.

Like black panthers hate uncle toms or kkk nazis hate whites who mix. They are sick selfish people who think immigrants that obey the laws are quislings ...its disgusting. Satanic even.

Takes a ballsy dude like Trump to stand up to their lies, what a hero. His personal habits mean little, needed a hard azz like Georgy Patton to make Adolf pizz his pants and shoot himself. Who cares he slapped a few folks and his nieces butt, he fought the good fight.

a reply to: projectvxn

originally posted by: projectvxn
a reply to: Propagandalf

Same here.

Creating a system where illegal immigrants are rewarded for their law breaking is detrimental to those working within the process.

Absolutely right. Such thinking makes a mockery of the legal process and those that take part in it. As such, pro-illegal rhetoric is anti-immigrant rhetoric.

As for Trump's "anti-immigrant policies", he's so anti-immigrant he married two of them.

originally posted by: projectvxn
Dude I'm a legal immigrant and they still think I'm a racist anti immigrant.

It's surreal.

Yep , i still remember when you were debating enlisting in the military

Were glad youre here bud.....

a reply to: ManBehindTheMask

Some might remember when I was an Obama defending liberal too.

I don't think anyone with a straight face can tell you that they are FOR illegal immigration. I think the problem is how we go about stopping that and are the fears grossly over exaggerated or not. IMO the wall is nothing but a moral victory for trump and it's supporters but would do little to deter the problems that illegal immigration cause.

People will still come here illegaly (majority of people here illegaly are here over staying their visas) won't stop drugs getting here (majority of drugs smuggled through ports of entry) doesn't address the welfare problem existing illegals are causing, doesn't address businesses that hire illegals etc etc

So the problems that illegals cause in this country will not be solved by a wall. Our insatibale appetite for cheap labor and drugs will not be solved by a wall.

I saw a post that said Mexico should stop producing and smuggling drugs over here and then you'll see Americans climbing the walls to get to Mexico....sad but true.

a reply to: projectvxn

I starred you for that. I agree and as I posted above a wall won't solve that problem.

a reply to: conspiracy nut

But that isn't what the wall is being fought for.

This conversation has seen a lot of conflation. Much of it deliberate.

Conflating immigrants for illegals. Immigration reform for border security. Opposition to illegal immigration for racism.

You get my point.

The wall is something BORDER PATROL is asking for to SLOW DOWN the influx of illegals so they can keep up with it on their patrols. With an OPEN border, their job becomes much harder. They currently apprehend 50,000 illegals per month. But we KNOW that many more make it in.

Asylum seekers don't need to sneak in. That's something human traffickers, drug traffickers, gun runners (the ATF mostly, let's be real here), and illegitimate migrants do.

Build the wall.

a reply to: conspiracy nut

I'm not sure anyone proposed that a wall would stop all illegal immigration. It's designed to stem the tide of illegal immigration coming across the southern border. I've always thought that was patently obvious, yet I hear people continuously mention other avenues of illegal immigration, for instance overstaying a welcome or visa.

I think you must admit, however, that coming through a legal point of entry, through security, and overstaying a welcome is less a security risk than breaking in.

a reply to: Propagandalf

Illegal immigration across the Mexican border has been steadily going down instead of a border wall I would propose more border patrol agents.

a reply to: conspiracy nut

50k a month is still a staggering problem.

Coupled with the humanitarian crisis at the border and it is going to require more than just some agents.

I think we should give border patrol what they are asking for and what Democrats have already voted for.

Enough with the hypocrisy.