Is "Illegal Immigran/alient" offensive?

Annie, thank you, that is actually a good argument for finding the term offensive. I cant argue with your point. Thank you.

Thank YOU! Annie

well said and great points - I believe this just points to why we cant seem to get real news anymore..

Katrien, you are right in assuming something of a language barrier to your understanding, however, even though Marxist thought is NOT popular with most rational, thinking Americans, the insidious undercurrent has been proliferated through our propagandizing, substandard schools, our politicized media (including the "Professional Society of Journalists" ??????what is that), and other sources. Apparently there are few, if any, "Professionals" or "Journalists" around any more. You see, journalists are suppposed to report the truth, real facts and not their opinions or political double-think, and are supposed to keep watch over government activities as their duty to the American people, and, in fact, the world. Marxist thought and word reform (aka political correctness) is meant to do just the opposite.

Katrien, be very sure that America no longer has a "free press". Our mainstream media were "gagged" by the FCC sometime in 2008. They are totally politicized and no longer report truth, but "political correctness". They do not investigate or monitor government as is their duty. They "report" only what they are allowed to regurgitate by the "powers that be" of our now almost dictatorship. They, like many in America and the whole world, ignore evil, as in illegal activity of all kinds, and so it proliferates. Illegal is the operant word in "illegal aliens". While so many wait in line in respect for law and order, those who abhor and flaut the law are being rewarded and that's wrong in any country anywhere. Besides, every country has only limited resources and space, especially due to economic waste and misspending such as this. So they will find that, because of things such as this, America has become the same kind of crime ridden, third world impoverished country they intended to escape from. That's the only possible result of ignoring lawlessness and evil anywhere.

According to the dictonary : The word Illegal means; unlawful, illicit; also : not sanctioned by official rules; Criminal activity, felonious, guilty and disgraceful. Sorry according to the dictonary you are wrong.

hhmmm sounds illegal to me....

yes the Belgian government would be illegal if what they did was deemed a crime. In America, a duck is a duck. I dont know about the no criminal record for illegals. I do know that this is something that the American people want an end to. If you blatantly disregard the laws of our nation, you are a criminal.

ok gladys, lets send em home then. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_modern_Africa

I am all for families. I say deport the kids with their parents.

We could think of the many millions (but who counted) of African Americans who did not come "through customs" .. their offsprings. I think of them, I think of the millions brought here wanting to go back home .. not knowing how to return home being forced to labor for free and absolutely forced to forget their own languages and their own parents/families. Maybe, we might all think as humane as possible.

ah Hatley, yet another common sense answer. You guys are killin me!

Criminals should be punished, but not all undocumented people are crimicals. I don't think undocumented per se is a criminal. Being here illegally IS a crime...

Hatley I agree 100% send them back to their own country instead of letting them leech off our country and its benefits!

I agree that the term minority IS offensive. But illegal immigrant is a term to describe an immigrant that has entered or stayed in a country illegally. It seems to make sense to me.

Are the terms themselves what are offensive or is it the idea of the assumption that if someone is Latino they must be here illegally? I'd say, if you know someone is here illegally it's fine to refer to them as such but if you don't know that definitely could be offensive. Welcome to myLot, gladys! That's a great point you made about minorities and people not being minor to anyone. Keep up the good work! Annie

Good one Anniepa. People are prejudiced. They see someone not of their race and labeled them ... anything they see fit. Why are there lots of immigrant in the first place? The country must feel lacking in something to welcome many immigrants to it. Or the immigrants see opportunities where the locals have no vision about?

something to look forward to - aliens from mars landing and taking our healthcare, food, housing....

I agree alien does sound funny... here we have a lot of illegals from Mexico and refugees from Somalia and burma.

you are very right. Other countries having issues with the softie way we handle illegals is ridiculous.

I live in a town with a high population of illegals. I can tell you, they are NOT preyed upon. In fact, just the opposite. They get food stamps BEFORE citizens, they get healthcare BEFORE citizens, they get the jobs BEFORE citizens. The use of the term is correct. They have entered or remained in a country with out permission. What would they be labeled in your country?

I understand where you are coming from, and I do not mean to be rude. But saying they dont deserve to be treated like illegals when they are, well, I guess that just confuses me.

Hiya laglen, This happens here too. What I mean is that they are judging a Book by its cover and on the News they are always saying that illegal and I don´t really think that´s fair sometimes you know. Not all of them get those kind of things here. Some were given Houses and a Job. But the wage of the Job was so poor that they could not pay the Houses and they had to give the Houses back again. What I am trying to say and only say is that no one should be treated like that ever not you or me or anyone. A lot of them have gone back Home as they are not happy here they prefer to be with their own People in their own Land. Some are more resistant and they get to understand and withstand the many Storms they have to go through. A lot of them come from the Coast of Africa and many of them drown on the way or die of cold and lack of Food and water too. If they eventually make it here they deport them straight away again. I would not like this to happen to me or anyone. The Governments should control this kind of thing take a firm stance to protect these People from coming to more harm and humiliation too. That´s all I can say. I appreciate your point many here feel the same. I have come to understand them somewhat and their situation is not what they were promised in the first place.

When they come here and work, then go home, they take that money out of our economy as well.

Hiya laglen, Yes they do that is very true. We would not be allowed to go to their Country I think to do the same. It´s only the humane side I am getting at here. As I see so many of them get here cold and wet through, dirty and shivering and then they get sent home again almost the same Day. I cannot help but feel for them. I do not feel so strongly for the others that come here to take advantage of Spain and run riot with our economy either. But it seems almost like they have a welcome to thee signpost waiting for them when they install themselves here. There is no money in the Pot to send them back out again either at the moment. Those are the kind that do lots of harm whilst they are here. That´s my view having lived here long enough to see it going on.

I think most Americans will do as you say you will do, continued use the terms. No matter what these groups try to do, I think we have had enough.

well now, that makes way too much sense...

I agree, but then, your using common sense and we know where that leads.

lol great points. I think a lot of us are sick and tired of the PC crap and are ready to offend all and sundry. I know I am. Now, I am a bartender so I make a living offending people. great work if you can get it! PC is checked at the door. We have people from all walks of life and I am an equal opportunity offender!

Thank you for your reply. It is interesting to know that other countries deal with the same problems we do too.

While extreme that was a perfect example. I think we need to stop being worried about offending everybody and start being real. Thank you for your response.

I agree dear but others do not. I still have not seen a good argument against using these terms.