11

The New Colossus

Posted by khalling 9 years, 2 months ago to Education
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Poem by Emma Lazarus.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”


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    Posted by Mamaemma 9 years, 2 months ago
    At the time the Statue of Liberty was erected, immigrants were not allowed to come here and live on welfare provided by citizens. At the same time, citizens were not allowed to live on welfare provided by other citizens. To me it is not an immigrant problem; it is a welfare state problem.
    For example, I am convinced that the high number of unwed mothers in our country today is due to the fact that there are no negative consequences for such behavior, most especially financial.
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    • Posted by dbhalling 9 years, 2 months ago
      Thomas Sowell shows that about the unwed mother issue. In fact before welfare blacks had a lower percentage of out of wedlock births.

      Welfare is number one problem, but the drug war also attracts the worst sort of people to the US.
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      • Posted by Mamaemma 9 years, 2 months ago
        Yes, I have read the statistic that black unwed births was very low before the great society. Also that employment among young black males used to be lower that young white males.
        And, yes, there is a ton of money to be made in the war on drugs!
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      • Posted by $ jbrenner 9 years, 2 months ago
        Your comment about the drug war attracting the worst sort of people to the US is timely. I heard Lou Dobbs quote Donald Trump's border agent source last night. The source from Laredo was the border patrol union chieftain that Trump wanted to trot out on stage a couple of weeks ago before the AFL-CIO, the parent of the border patrol union, nixed that.
        The border agent source said that the usual price for safe passage into America is to bring a backpack full of drugs, whether the immigrant wants to do so or not.
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        • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago
          people who are desperate will be desperate. the black market thrives every time we make a law. Watch the price for people to go up when the wall does
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          • Posted by $ jbrenner 9 years, 2 months ago
            Few were as desperate as Ayn Rand to get to America. Now I wonder whether she would come here, or go somewhere else. That might make an interesting thread.
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            • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 2 months ago
              My main Doctor here moved from Russia via Poland and France. Two decades later he moved to Mexico. He gave one reason. The US was starting to remind him too much of Russia when it was the Soviet Union. I could hardly disagree.
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          • Posted by $ jdg 9 years, 2 months ago
            Which will lead to people coming up with new ways to get past the border. The drug lords already have "stealthy" unmanned submarines to carry the stuff far up either coast of the US. How long before those subs show up with people inside them?
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      • Posted by wiggys 9 years, 2 months ago
        the problem which is bigger than you are seeing is that the homeboy is allowing MUSLIMS into the country that have NO skills etc so they are relegated to the homeboys welfare rolls. The peom does not apply to what is happening now. This situation will be looked at in 10 years at the most as the straw that broke the camels back I.E. the usa.
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      • Posted by scojohnson 9 years, 2 months ago
        Along with being the largest economy in the world, we are also the largest market for illicit drugs. You would think China would be a close second (I have no idea) but we are also a consumerism constant-stimulation culture as well and that probably feeds addiction to weaker personality types as well.
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    • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago
      yes, but at what point do we say those born in the US deserve the welfare over someone from another country? what difference? that is at the heart of the immigration debate. It's nationalist/naturalist and is bad thinking
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      • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 2 months ago
        There is a difference between moochers and the truly needy. the method for setting unemployment provides a start point. Subtract 10% then figure the percentage of the remaining 90% the 10% are those who will never be employed. subtract 8% of 90% = 82.8% unemployment minus those who dropped off the end. Adjust for welfare recipients they are employed as moochers. Minus the truly need but not already in the other ten per cent.next decide how to count children 0-21 and to age 23 student. If parents are on welfare subtract. define truly needy and the status of permanent or temporary subtract those who are able and refused jobs. Should be getting close to some useful figure. The other way is look at those that paid no taxes or filed no returns as a percentage and are on the dole.

        Immigrants by definition for admittance normally have to have some marketable skill or be sponsored. There are some exceptions. Illegals who work obviously and some others.

        I can't give you an answer but I wonder how much of a relationship it would bear to the 75,000 a year limit.

        Now quit calling some of those folks immigrants and call them refugees. One is oranges one is apples. Along with blanket citizenship etc. for illegals they serve one very negative purpose. Lowers the rate of immigration for legitimate emigrants from other countries.Why should they have to wait an extra five or ten or more years.

        Demand the surrender of foreign passports prior to granting citizenship. I worked with a lot of Belizians, Pinoys and a few others who carry both and constantly refer to their former country as my country. Most have no intention of remaining after retirement what they really needed was a green card.
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  • Posted by $ jbrenner 9 years, 2 months ago
    Are the huddled masses really yearning to breathe freely now? They are trying to escape the ravages of oppression for sure, but do they really want freedom or just a more benevolent dictator? The answer matters, because it tells the country to which they immigrate whether or not they will assimilate into the new country or just drag the values of the old country with them. When they drag the values of the old country with them, the golden door is tarnished. Au is generally corrosion-resistant, but pour enough acid on it, and it will dissolve just like the countries to which "the wretched refuse" is going to.
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    • Posted by scojohnson 9 years, 2 months ago
      Anyone notice that most of the Syrians trotting through Hungary on news footage tend to be 20-something males? They are not looking for opportunity, they are running away from having to fight. I say send them back, and they can take up arms to fight for their country... we did it 250 years ago.. time others follow suit.
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    • Posted by JCLanier 9 years, 2 months ago
      jb: Yes, the answer matters.
      America cannot be all things to all people. It must be selective to survive in this day and time. As it is, it risks becoming nothing to no one.
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      • Posted by $ jbrenner 9 years, 2 months ago
        The others who say that if America shuts off the welfare spigot are correct in saying that that will largely eliminate the problem. However, enough immigrants have dragged the values of their old country with them, and earned the right to vote, such that American individualism and exceptionalism are now regarded as racist ideas. It is as if I am Hugh Akston explaining to Dagny during the Wyoming diner scene and the snow in Atlantis scene why things that I have taken for granted are now utterly rejected.

        America has become nothing to anyone of value. It is only something now to those who feed on us.
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        • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 2 months ago
          Tie the maximum amount of welfare to the minimum wage and make it worth while to go to work.

          Minus the illegals who are artificially depressing wave levels in some areas of employment that should make jobs available. Not their fault but that's the way it is.

          Put those who 'use' them, the employers in jail.

          For those who are able and refuse to work (three job offer limit) cut their welfare. If they have children employ them chopping cotton and weeds on the county work farms THEN feed the kids.

          Make it worth while to work and not worth while not to work.

          That leaves that small percentage who truly cannot work nor be trained to work. Solves the problem of bloated welfarism.
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        • Posted by JCLanier 9 years, 2 months ago
          jb: A profound commentary. Thank you.
          So true -and it hurts.
          It is a war of attrition against all that we hold most dear... and straight out of AS. The slow, continuos eroding of individual rights, of freedom which is barely perceptible -that is the real danger. What do people expect after eight years of obfuscation.

          "Gutta cavat lapidem"
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        • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago
          "dragged the values of their old country with them." There. that just is what is. caught you, j. caught you. I live in Mexico. The people are very conservative here. Tradition is old fashioned. think the 50s in the US.
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          • Posted by $ jbrenner 9 years, 2 months ago
            I make no apologies. If you consider me "caught", then by your definition I am "caught".
            When I said "dragged the values of their own countries with them", I am referring to people I know personally. Most such internationals that I know are Caribbean, Arabic, Indian, or Chinese. Some choose to assimilate into American culture. Roughly half don't.

            I don't know much about Mexican values and don't have much basis for making a statement about that. I see very few Mexicans here.

            What I am saying is that American individualism and exceptionalism are now considered racist, and therefore it is time to shrug or leave to somewhere where such values are treated with the same honor that the sign of the dollar is in AS.
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    • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago
      only roughly 50% of latino immigrants (illegal) are on the dole. I don't like it that the other 50% are, but you condemn all.
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      • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 2 months ago
        Why are illegals on the dole? How was the figure arrived at? That implies their whereabouts are known. That means a RICO violation at one or more levels of government.

        You and I are seeing negative immigration figures now as many are streaming south. Perhaps the in the tank US economy and probable 80% employment level is going to solve the problem for us.
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      • Posted by $ jbrenner 9 years, 2 months ago
        Only 50% on the dole? Wow. Even I wouldn't have expected that high a percentage.

        I don't condemn all Latino immigrants or any other nationality of immigrants. Those that come here legally are welcome. Those who come without knocking on the door are not welcome.

        Come one, come all. Just do a courteous "Buenos dias", gracias, or por favor, and I will gladly say De nada.
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        • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago
          hey, anecdotal story for you. I have a good friend who has a successful mango farm down here. He was raised in the US. Had a very successful business in south LA, actually still has it. anyway-a graffiti cleaning business. But- since he was an "anchor baby" came back with his parents to the Baja and met his wife here. They got married. He tried to get citizenship for her. Immigration officials, after 2 years of waiting and numerous re-scheduling told them they had to be at the center (up at the border) within 24 hours to "interview" her. um, we live at the bottom of the Baja, and highway 1 is famous for deaths driving at night. To do it safely, you plan 3 days. somehow, they wanted it THAT badly and made the "appt" which was to get there, stand in line 6 hours, then they separated her from my friend and interrogated her for 3 hours. when she came out, she was hysterical and said she would never go "up there" ever and how evil the americans were. the fantastic entrepreneur he is- he said, Iris, I will never put you through that again. and He bought some land put in a mango orchard and figured out how to connect in the japanese. they sell mangoes to the japanese who sell them EACH for 8 US dollars. we lost that. That's legal, j.
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          • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 2 months ago
            A ditto in support. If I marry my girl friend and then adopt the kids (that has to be done first in Mexico) then apply for admission and go through both steps again ....well to copy Khalling's story it's easier and cheaper to buy them a Mexico passport get them a visa cross the border then disappear and wait for the next amnesty. The problem is who can afford to live up there any more? Or would want to? That's the part they don't understand. they watch too much TV and have a warped view of the other United States.
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            • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago
              I am done with these nationalists in the Gulch michael. I can't stand it.
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              • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 2 months ago
                Reason is not automatic. Those who deny it cannot be conquered by it. Do not count on them. Leave them alone. Ayn Rand

                I take great solace in realizing even the best teachers can reach those who refuse to be reached ergo sum keep on trucking. Both Bajas in overnight drive? That took some big brass ones.
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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 2 months ago
    I love this poem. It was certainly appropriate when my grandparents came here at the turn of the 20th century. For today, the word "Don't" should be inserted, as in "Don't give me your poor...."
    When it comes to "entitlements" what you are entitled to is being in a free country filled with opportunity. Oh, wait a minute, that was the last century, wasn't it?
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    • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 2 months ago
      life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness does not guarantee success only opportunity.
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      • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 2 months ago
        Notice, it also doesn't guarantee happiness. Only the freedom to Pursue happiness. The way the latest generation (those that can read, that is) understand it, is that they should be guaranteed happiness, which means that they should be provided with happiness in the form of money and stuff. To them, freedom means free stuff. Not my grandchildren! I hear them talking that way I'll have their father smack 'em upside the head.(They're too big for me. Grandson David alias the Karate Kid got his black belt at age 12.)
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  • Posted by Zero 9 years, 2 months ago
    My favorite National Monument - and for me one of the great "essences" of America.

    I could never close the door on anyone yearning to be American.
    They are neither the cause nor the bulk of our problems.

    We need to fix our own problems and stop blaming them!
    Those immigrants I have known have been some of the truest "true-blue" Americans I've met.
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  • Posted by MagicDog 9 years, 2 months ago
    Take away the welfare, jobs and don't let deported aliens back in. US employers have thousands of humble lackeys to choose form. American citizens go without jobs. This land is my land and don't forget who built it.
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