"We are all immigrants"--a simple retort

[Donnadogsoth]

Would you like some total strangers to come live in your house?  You're an immigrant to your house, aren't you?  What gives you the right to refuse people entry to your house?

[Izzy]

Instead of asking that, one day you should just show up with a homeless guy to your friend's house and say he's living with him now.

 

I wonder, since I'm an immigrant, do I have more of a say on this subject to liberals?

[RichardY]

"We are all immigrants"--a simple retort              

Oh right, where are you from? 

 

Would you like some total strangers to come live in your house?            

Believe it or not, some people don't actually mind, name and you're good. Though just some random person entering your house Terminator 2 style and asking for your stuff is going to be intimidating  and outright theft. Personally though I can see your point, a person could be lying or just plain help themselves to your stuff, could be a psychopath who knows, as with any animal or person. 

 

What gives you the right to refuse people entry to your house?

Trust and Integrity.

[dsayers]

What gives you the right to refuse people entry to your house?

If you refuse people the use of your body, then you already understand this.

[dayna j.]

im·mi·grant

ˈiməɡrənt/

noun

noun: immigrant; plural noun: immigrants

a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.

 

I'm not an immigrant.  I was born in this country.  So no, we are not all immigrants.

[JaquanDJones]

What's even worse is when people say this country was founded by Immigrants. Those were Colonist and Settlers who started a new country. Immigrants are people who just come over and join a country.

[Anuojat]

Better yet: Compared to what/whom?

 

Compared to what standarts?

 

And even if it were true (which by defination it isint)... aaaaaand?

[shirgall]

In-group preference takes many forms. People make big changes for themselves for different reasons.

 

For example, a lot of immigrants came to America to change their situation to be part of the American dream. Some did it to change themselves to be benefiting from the American dream without necessarily participating in it. Some did it to destroy the American dream. There's absolutely no reason to take people in those "not contributing" categories.

 

You welcome people into your community or your neighborhood that love your community and neighborhood and have something to offer that will grow or improve your community or neighborhood.

 

I've fought on the front lines of inclusiveness without changing the flavor of an organization. It sucks to be told you aren't inclusive enough, but when you are appalled by the influx of people into an organization that did not share or understand the founding principle of that organization but were willing to pay dues to get ballot access. It sucked when I quit an organization that rejected a member because he *might* be part of a faction that was disliked by the dominant faction. I'll never claim to be perfect, but the struggle is real.

[Kestrelraptorial]

"We are all immigrants"

 

No, we are not. The children of immigrants born in their parents' new country are not immigrants themselves. Therefore, those of us whose families and ancestors have lived in the United States for generations are not immigrants. We/they are native-born citizens. Also, very few Americans have any problem with legal immigrants who want to work and contribute and pose no threat to the rest of us. 

 

If one wanted to go far back enough, you could argue that even Native Americans are immigrants because there was a time when there were no humans in North America (estimation of the time when the first arrived is debated, but often ranges from 18,000 - 12,000 years ago). They came from across Beringia (and I've heard hypothesis of some may have come across the Atlantic from Europe, but it's been a while since I've updated myself on that evidence, I'm more of a dinosaur enthusiast than a mammal/human ancestor one). Anyway, you could also say that every single human population across the world, barring the most ancient bush-tribes in Africa, are immigrants/children of immigrants because modern humans (a 200,000 year-old species) evolved in Africa before spreading across the globe. So, where, in the "we are all immigrants" argument, do you place the distinction between immigrant and native-born? At what generation?

[DaVinci]

In-group preference takes many forms. People make big changes for themselves for different reasons.

 

For example, a lot of immigrants came to America to change their situation to be part of the American dream. Some did it to change themselves to be benefiting from the American dream without necessarily participating in it. Some did it to destroy the American dream. There's absolutely no reason to take people in those "not contributing" categories.

 

You welcome people into your community or your neighborhood that love your community and neighborhood and have something to offer that will grow or improve your community or neighborhood.

 

I've fought on the front lines of inclusiveness without changing the flavor of an organization. It sucks to be told you aren't inclusive enough, but when you are appalled by the influx of people into an organization that did not share or understand the founding principle of that organization but were willing to pay dues to get ballot access. It sucked when I quit an organization that rejected a member because he *might* be part of a faction that was disliked by the dominant faction. I'll never claim to be perfect, but the struggle is real.

 

How do you figure out who is going to contribute and who isn't and what do you do to the people who don't contribute? Is the problem that the system props up people who choose not to contribute? How do we ever get rid of that? 

[shirgall]

How do you figure out who is going to contribute and who isn't and what do you do to the people who don't contribute? Is the problem that the system props up people who choose not to contribute? How do we ever get rid of that? 

 

You talk to them. Do you know how the Israeli airline El Al has such a good record on terrorism? They talk to the passengers.

 

I know it sounds simplistic, but the kinds of question you ask are "what do you want to do?" "who do you know in America?" "where will you live?" and lots of questions that thoughtful people will have put some effort into.

 

Going back to my organizations example, you immediately noticed the difference of people that joined the organization to support a person or an agenda versus ones that joined to support efforts outlined in the charter of the organization. If they didn't understand the mission but did know the personalities, you knew you were dealing with a mole.