Marriage as Bedrock of Soceity?

[Alan]

IL, you can become a citizen of the world by having empathy and caring about all the people in the world.

So if you emote convincingly at customs stations you can go anywhere? I'll have to practice my deeply caring face for my next trip abroad.

[LDAHL]

IL, you can become a citizen of the world by having empathy and caring about all the people in the world.

As a citizen of the galaxy, I condemn such parochial thinking as unforgivably people-centric.

[Teacher Terry]

Catherine, I totally agree with you.

[LDAHL]

So if you emote convincingly at customs stations you can go anywhere? I'll have to practice my deeply caring face for my next trip abroad.

That reminds me of an old joke:

Anything to declare?

My love for all mankind.

[iris lilies]

Passports are passports. But nationalism as an ideology is dangerous.

Are the Canadians dangerous for keeping me out with proper ID and appropriate assets to buy my way in?

[Tammy]

Love this response. I feel the same way.

And I don’t mind being in a higher tax bracket. I have more than enough for my needs.

I’m abnormal. 😀

[SteveinMN]

Good to know, but maybe you should have thrown in a couple of extra references to white people and corporations, that would have made it clearer.

I'll see what I can do for you in future posts, Alan. Always like to leave people happy.

[SteveinMN]

Here’s what I actually think: with citizenship in this country comes responsibilities of course, but also it comes with privileges. It comes with the privilege of support from social programs. It is an awesomely important deal when an immigrant becomes a citizen, rights and privileges on both sides come with that status. It seems disrespectful to not recognize the awesome power and privilege of citizenship.

Behind this 100%. Goes for U.S. citizens as well as citizens of -- er -- the world.

I do know that those here illegally should not expect me to fund their lives. I am not interested in doing that. They are not my fellow citizens.

And there lies the difference. Those here illegally do not expect you to fund their lives. They're busy working (largely in conditions citizens won't work) and not accepting government help (because, emergency help aside, they are not eligible for it). But stuff happens. People get injured at work. The older among them suffer age-related diseases which should be treated. People get pregnant and have kids who grow up and should go to school (ignoring the ugly reality that the kids are American citizens by virtue of being born on American soil). People without documents probably require police and fire services at the same rate as citizens. These people may not be your fellow citizens but they are fellow human beings. Display compassion about that as you will (or don't).

Unfortunately, the discussion gets clouded, primarily by fear and, to a lesser degree, supposed economic arguments. Less-educated people love a good myth despite any amount of real facts which refute it. Ronald Reagan got lots of mileage out of his fictitious Cadillac-driving welfare recipient. The current occupant of the Oval Office likes to impugn entire people groups (regardless of their citizenship status) and instill fear among his base ("They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people." [I suppose those 'good people' are as good as the Nazis he defended in Charlottesville; lots of people say that, right?]). Why don't we discuss a wall with Canada? What's the readily identifiable difference between Mexicans and Canadians? (Hint: Not how they pronounce "o" sounds). We don't because it's not being treated as a security issue at Trump's level. Let's not even go back to historical implementations of this xenophobia, like redlining.

But I'm not going to waste my time writing more about this. I've been on this board for several years now and I cannot recall any situation in which one of us convinced the other to view the situation differently. I don't even visit the Public Policy board here anymore because (it seems to me) the discussions always devolve to pretty much the same two sides. You feel it or you don't. Some of us do; some of us don't. I try not to see it as a moral failing. After all, poverty isn't a moral failure, either. Or maybe it is. I'm done. Should never have gotten into this to start with. Not the experience I want from this board.

p.s., white people evil corporations white people evil corporations white people evil corporations white people evil corporations white people evil corporations white people evil corporations white people evil corporations white people evil corporations white people evil corporations white people evil corporations (gotta make sure I end up on a high note. Wouldn't want to disappoint anyone ).

[Teacher Terry]

Steve, you summed up the situation perfectly. A lack of empathy for others really bothers me. But you are right that no one ever changes their minds so really pointless to even discuss it.

[catherine]

Steve, you summed up the situation perfectly. A lack of empathy for others really bothers me. But you are right that no one ever changes their minds so really pointless to even discuss it.

But it's still fun. Sharpens debating skills. Kind of like practicing parallel parking in an empty parking lot.