Did Robin get it right?

@clrumfelt (5490)
United States
February 10, 2009 10:37am CST
I feel the USA has changed over the years in its attitude toward immigrants. Those illegals who have entered and taken advantage of our generosity have somewhat soured many Americans toward all immigration. To quote Robin Williams: "The Statue of Liberty is no longer saying, 'Give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses.' She's got a baseball bat and she's yelling, 'You want a piece of me?'" How do you feel about this? Do you agree with Robin?
5 people like this
14 responses
@Arkie69 (2156)
• United States
11 Feb 09
Evidently Robin Williams never hired a Mexican to work for him. I have and I I needed to hire workers right now I would take a Mexican over a white man any time. Our young white men between the age of 20 and 30 are the laziest people in the world. When it comes to an actual days work they just won't do it very long. There is another thing too you better look at concerning the Mexican workers in this country. Without them the poultry industry wouldn't be able to get enough workers to run their plants. Also if it wasn't for them being willing to do a days work a lot of the crops would be rotting in the field. We just don't grow good white farm workers anymore I have worked both whites and Mexicans and I got a better days work out off the Mexicans than I did the whites with a lot less problems. This isn't just my opinion. Just ask anyone that use the lower paid workers. Tyson Foods which produce chicken and pork products has their main office in NW Arkansas with plants I guess world wide and they couldn't operate in the US without the Mexican workers. Young white people won't do that kind of work for very long. The next time you go into the supermarket go to the produce section and look at all the different vegies. The odds are good that anything you buy is there because some Mexican worker in California or Texas sweated to gather it out of some farmers field. They do the hardest work we have usually at a low wage and are glad to get it. I agree the number that is allowed into this country should be limited and the amount of benefits they can receive at the expense of the tax payers should be limited but remember if they are working and living in the US they are tax payers too and that gives them certain rights too. I just believe in being fair with everyone and giving fair credit where it is due. The Mexicans are doing the Americans a badly needed service so let's don't be so quick to put them down. Art
2 people like this
@K46620 (1986)
• United States
11 Feb 09
I don't think we have anything against Mexicans that legally immigrate here, and try to learn our language. But these illegal immigrants drive me nuts. I also hate having all these Spanish translations everywhere. If you want to come in our country you should learn the language; we should not have to learn yours.
1 person likes this
@livewyre (2450)
10 Feb 09
There is far too much excitement about immigrants and who is entitled to what. I am from the UK and there is more than the odd muttering here about immigrants, but I truly believe I am just lucky to be here, and if I were in a place which was undeveloped with little chance to better myself, I too would want to go somewhere where there was opportunity. After all, unless you are a native American, then you too are an immigrant. If you are a native American, then you might resent the US economy that was realy set up by a bunch of immigrants, or you might be grateful - I guess it depends on what's in it for you.... and that's my point really. If we could all be a bit less self-centered then we could all be a bit better off - is the statue of liberty saying 'you want a piece of me?', yes it probably is, and things are not going to get any easier in the current economic climate. My prayer is that people will unite to defeat recession, the reality is that they will probably fight for what they can get for themselves.
2 people like this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
10 Feb 09
Good point. We should all count our blessings if we are part of a free country and have the opportunities to better ourselves. I welcome all immigrants to come here and do the same through legal channels. It is the illegal intruders(not really immigrants) that I object to because they come here and consume resources and take jobs that our own citizens so desperatly need. I can understand Miss Liberty's frustration with such intruders.
1 person likes this
• United States
11 Feb 09
being a native American,i say if you can't get along you all should go home LOL.We need immigrants here in stats.the major problem i see.is if they don't have papers then our government can't control the type of people coming in.there are some real bad people out there and we don't need anymore. we have enough of our own.second is because they are below the radar the good people that come over can not be provided the protection from the bad people we have here.they have to work for below minimum wage. live in substandard housing and if they try to better them self the people that are taken advantage of them will ship them off.the only way to stop this is to let more paper people in and come down on the people that are hiring the unpaper people.most of them are coming over to work. take the work away and they will go away.this government should not provide any money or benefits to unpaper people other then protection from bad people.
1 person likes this
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
19 Feb 09
You bet I think he's right. Ppl have been coming here illegally and demanding a handout and then complaining that the country isn't doing enough for them. [b]~~AT PEACE WITHIN~~ **STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS**[/b]
1 person likes this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
19 Feb 09
I agree, twoey. They don't have a right to come here illegially, and certainly no right to come here with an attitude of entitlement and take advantage of whatever they can get.
• United States
12 Feb 09
I think most Americans are welcoming toward immigrants who go through the proper channels to enter this country and who want to become active, productive American citizens. But I think we'll always have a problem with the ones who steal their way in, take our jobs, get benefits while never paying income tax, and send a portion of the money they make back to their native country. Don't misunderstand me, I don't blame the illegals for doing what they're doing. If I was from an oppressive society, I'd want to come here also. The thing that bothers me is that they get away with it and that there are politicians who want to legalize them. I hate the thought of people who broke our laws getting to have a say in how our government is run. That may sound selfish on my part, but you can bet that if the situation was reversed we'd never get away with it in their countries.
1 person likes this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
13 Feb 09
I agree. America has laws for a reason(including immigration laws) and when people turn their heads and don't enforce them, the USA always suffers.
@fasttalker (2796)
• United States
11 Feb 09
I have no issues with "legal" immigration at all. After all thatis what we are about. Bu "illegal" immigration I have a big problem with. One of the problems I have with it is that my husband is a contractor an has been for 20+ years. It amazes me how many of these "illegal" immigrants pile into a job site and undercut these contrators. And the comapanies allow it because it saves them money.
1 person likes this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
13 Feb 09
I agree with you. Illegal immigration is the problem. Legal immigrants are welcome here.
@K46620 (1986)
• United States
11 Feb 09
If someone wants to come to our country, they must follow the laws. Period. Just think, with all this rising unemployment, the illegals that do work are taking up jobs that could provide employment to the unemployed Americans.
2 people like this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
13 Feb 09
When the government doesn't enforce its immigration laws they are leaving US citizens at the mercy of whatever consequences the illegal immigrants bring about. It's a bad situation all around.
@plasma (673)
• India
10 Feb 09
Though, I'm Indian and my brother stays in your country working as a software consultant but I think the time has come for you people to strongly say 'enough is enough'. I think the problem has been created by the big corporates of your country who were always seeking quality labour but at much cheaper rates. This caused an influx of migrants who found the living conditions were so much better than in their native land so they created a lobby, got citizenship and voting rights and now see where it has brought your country. I'm not against liberalisation and free trade and people and business moving forward but there has got to be some limit.
1 person likes this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
10 Feb 09
I agree with you. I respect your brother and all other immigrants who come into the USA legally and submit to the laws. In my view they are welcome here. It is the illegals who come in breaking the laws and use up our resources without any accountability that are unwelcome and should be deported without question. They should have no rights or benefits here except someone to point them in the right direction to get back to their own country.
@laglen (19759)
• United States
10 Feb 09
lol I do agree. And I would like to point out that I have no problem with immigration. This is what built our country. I have BIG problems with ILLEGAL immigration.
1 person likes this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
10 Feb 09
Good point. Immigrants who have come here legally and made contributions have made America great. It is the illegals who need to be stopped.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
10 Feb 09
I have always wanted to come to the States. Now I am a writer, and that means that I cab make my money writing and I do not need to work for a corporation and also I can sing, so these are creative endeavors and do not take jobs away from people. Also I figured it would be nice to retire someplace warm rather then someplace like in Winnipeg where you do not dare to go outside for fear of falling on the ice. But I do not like the idea of letting in immigrants because you can pay them less wages and not giving jobs to Americans. Get immigrants who say that they love to be in America that is a wonderful country, who have relatives here already, who are willing to work at low end jobs, who have been persecuted, not people who want to work at high end jobs for low wages. Or to change the make up of Americans to further their own social agenda. If you can live in your country and get good wages, and you love the climate and you love the political situation, stay where you are.
@us2owls (1681)
• United States
11 Feb 09
I am and have been since 1960 a LEGAL immigrant. I still have my papers to prove it - along with my birth certificate showing where I was born - the UK. This is ne reason why I am a little disgusted with Obama for not settling the matter of his birth certificate plus the fact that hs Aunt has been an illegal from Keny for 5 years. I posted under th USA on here and called it "When in Rome" and I think this better than anything explains just how I feel about people coming to my legally adopted homeland illegally.
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
10 Feb 09
It's kind of true. Being that I immigrated I sometimes do get to feel the hate. It's more when they hear me speak but didn't look at me. I'm European and most people calm down when they turn to have a look at me. Apparently I'm not considered the welfare seeking kind of immigrant, lol. Immigration is good for a nation where otherwise the birth rates are actually declining. The economy does depend in part on growth of consumer demand, which in turn is more easily generated by a growing population. Unfortunately, eventually a saturation point is reached. We (as in Americans) also dug our own hole. There are just simply too many hand-outs, too much bending backwards to accommodate people in their own native language. Although it's hard to find all that stuff in German, which would be catering to me, lol. Just by chance my childrens pediatrician speaks a little German, but I would never expect him to. Anyhow, we can't continue throwing so much money at this, especially to pamper those who came here illegally, because they are sometimes treated better than ordinary citizens, and that's really at the root of the outrage.
1 person likes this
• United States
10 Feb 09
I have to agree. But only when it comes to illegal immigration. We are sick of people coming into our country illegally and taking advantage of our system.
1 person likes this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
10 Feb 09
The illegals are lawbreakers who come here and steal the services they consume, many of which are paid for by taxpayers. Even if they are here working, they are stealing a job from an unemployed citizen if they are here illegally.
@BlueGoblin (1829)
• United States
10 Feb 09
The Irish and Italian immigrants had a rough go at it when they were coming over here. People in America are quick to forget about that. Immigration is never popular and probably never will be. It will only be popular to the corporations that get rich quick off their labor and don't care about the consequences it has on the economy in the long term.
1 person likes this
@deejean06 (1952)
• United States
10 Feb 09
Unfortunately I think that's true. There have been too many cases where illegals have taken jobs that ordinary citizens want and now need at this time. There also have been many cases of crime involving illegals and it's very sad that our generosity has been violated to such an extent.
1 person likes this