The problem isn’t that illegal aliens skipped the line and broke the law. Or that they violate the wishes of their citizen neighbors, consume a disproportionate share of resources, commit a disproportionate share of crime, or import their corrupt values and diseases.

The problem is the insensitive word ‘alien’.

Move to ban “illegal alien” from state docs
Bill Cotterell – February, 27, 2007

TALLAHASSEE — A state legislator whose district is home to thousands of Caribbean immigrants wants to ban the term “illegal alien” from the state’s official documents.

“I personally find the word ‘alien’ offensive when applied to individuals, especially to children,” said Sen. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami. “An alien to me is someone from out of space.”

She has introduced a bill providing that “A state agency or official may not use the term ‘illegal alien’ in an official document of the state.” There would be no penalty for using the words.

In Miami-Dade County, Wilson said, “we don’t say ‘alien,’ we say ‘immigrant.'”

That’s right. A politician finds a word offensive so we should throw it away. Wilson has in fact already been using her bully pulpit to inflict the newspeak on any insensitive clod unfortunate enough to cross her path.

She said she encountered the situation when trying to pass a bill allowing children of foreigners to get in-state tuition at colleges and universities. Wilson, who directs a dropout prevention and education program in Miami, said she politely asks witnesses at public hearings on such issues not to use the term.

That’s right. When she’s not clouding the immigration debate by playing with words Wilson tries to get illegal aliens a break on tuition.

Wilson said the first word isn’t as bad as the second.

“‘Illegal,’ I can live with, but I like ‘undocumented’ better,” she said.

Asked if her bill might run afoul of Gov. Charlie Crist’s “plain speaking” mandate for government agencies, Wilson said, “I think getting rid of ‘alien’ would be plain speaking.”

Words words words. You only need stable definitions if you intend to think and argue rationally. Of course those who eshew reason and are driven by their emotions find it more comfortable to simply redefine anything that doesn’t make them feel right. If it feels good how can it be wrong?

This is why:

An alien is a person who comes from a foreign country. The term illegal alien is broader and more accurate because it includes undocumented aliens and nonimmigrant visa overstayers. An undocumented alien is an individual who has entered the U.S. illegally, without entry documentation. Any alien who violates the terms of his or her admission may be deemed to be out of status. Becoming out of status occurs when a nonimmigrant remains in the United States beyond the expiration date of their visa or when a nonimmigrant engages in employment in the United States for which she is not authorized. Roughly 60% of the illegal alien population are undocumented aliens and about 40% are nonimmigrant visa overstayers. Thus, the term illegal alien, being broader in scope, is the accurate term to use.

Shall we just cut the crap and call them citizens? After all if everyone can vote, get bank accounts, and go to state schools what point is there in distinguishing citizens from aliens?

The longer our leaders, in business and religion as well as politics, refuse to acknowledge the consequences of their open border policies the deeper the hole they dig for those of us who play by the rules. Those of us who support the US and its laws already distrust our leaders. If the immigration chaos doesn’t stop soon there won’t be any US or laws left to support.

Racist xenophobe gringos can at least take comfort in the hope that Frederica Wilson will help us redefine hurtful words like ‘crime’.