Illegal Immigration debate?

[This was written sometime in 2007, before all the stuff in AZ]

When it comes to illegal immigration we are told to fear them.

Why? Because they will take away our jobs? Because they are terrorists? Because they bring leprosy???

Does anybody ask why they come over here in the first place?
Let's look at this way:

Let's say you are dirt poor. If you see better opportunities and a better life in Canada (lets not forget about the free health care)and all you had to do was move there illegally, would you do it? Most, or so I believe, would say yes.

It is simple, they want a better life, not even for themselves, but for their children to have opportunities that we here take for granted. They risk so much to get here and are willing to work for low wages, all the time fearing that they can be deported at any minute. All this so that their sons and daughters can have the opportunities they wouldn't have south of the border. I don't want to be sentimental. Some come over here to participate in illegal activities, but I think they are in the minority. The majority come over here for the same reasons my ancestors came (of course my ancestors were white and therefore incapable of committing any illegal activities).

Are politicians and talk show pundits dehumanizing these people just to get votes or sell books?

Don't get me wrong. There is an immigration problem. When you have people dying of heat exhaustion in the back of trailers to get here, and when greedy corporations are exploiting them for cheap labor, there certainly is a problem. But I have heard little to address this. In fact, all I've heard are irrational arguments that are geared towards fearing them. It's certainly easier to do that than to portray them as human beings with the same desires and needs that we have.

2010: I will give credit to George W. Bush (yeah, that one) for an attempt at Immigration Reform in 2008. I'm sure that that bill was wrought with toxic ideas(it was Bush's bill), but credit for at least trying to deal with it. I think that there should be a path to citizenship: it would generate new revenues, better working conditions and pay for those already working here. And these, in turn, would benefit native-born workers. Oh yeah, legalizing "it" over here may take care of the beheadings on the other side of the border--just sayin'.