Democrat groups and politicians do not like the use of the word “illegal” when reports are made on illegal immigration. Instead, they would like to force journalists and news groups to use alternatives they deem more appropriate including the Associate Press.
Colorlines, a popular liberal racism watch group, has launched a campaign to get the Associated Press to stop using what they deem as the “l-word” in reports about immigration. Alternative labels, suggested by the campaign, include:
- Immigrant
- Undocumented immigrant
- Unauthorized immigrant
- Immigrant without papers
- Immigrants entering without inspection
- Immigrant seeking status
- Citizen child of undocumented immigrants
- It is acceptable to use migrant or foreign national; when possible use a specific reference to nationality (e.g.: Briton, Cambodian, Canadian, Jamaican, Mexican, Pakistani).
So, rather than calling a spade a spade, far-left liberal groups would like the world to stop using the terms “illegal immigration,” “criminal alien,” “illegal worker,” or the like.
In my humble but accurate opinion…
The problem with their campaign is the liberal agenda driving it. Groups like Colorlines would like the dialogue to change, so that over time, perceptions of Americans change. Remove the word “illegal” and you remove the stigmatism and reality of what illegal immigration is… illegal.
This is a similar agenda to the actions taken in the past to change the dialogue about other key issues:
- Abortion– instead of calling a baby or child what it is, referring instead to it as a “fetus”;
- Tea Party– instead of calling the group an example of democracy in action, referring instead to it as a “radical” group;
- War on Poverty– instead of measuring purchasing power, liberals have attempted to change the dialogue with new measures that look at income inequality.
Most disturbing is the desire of liberals to manipulate the American people, by first changing the dialogue, which changes perception–ultimately changing principles that have made America the greatest country on Earth.
Illegal immigration is illegal. Coming into this country illegally is a criminal act, as are other acts that break the law. Illegal is not a reference to the person, but a labeling of the action taken by the person. Calling a murderer “one who opposes life” does not make the person NOT a murderer. Calling a burglar “undocumented thief” does not make the person NOT a burglar.
*
Image Source
