ebrown_p wrote:Mame, the problem with that is then you end up with a subculture that has lived in a country for generations that have lived their entire life in a country and contributed to its economy and society without belonging.
The US policy enshrined in the 14th amendment (as upheld by 100 years of precedent (and a couple of supreme court cases) has served us well. Each wave of immigrants has assimalated after a generation even though a number of immigrants from each group came here illegally.
Imagine if every person of Itailian, Greek, Polish, Chinese or Jewish descent whose ancestors had arrived in the past 100 years had to worry if they couldn't find documents for their grandparents.
The US policy had led to diversity and assimilation of generation after generation. Now there are doubtless Americans who don't even know their grandparents didn't have permission to come... but no one cares because we are all Americans equally.
This is one of the things that make America great.
Sorry, just now saw your reply. I have to disagree... when I worked in the medical system here in Canada, a Mexican doctor asked me to extend her stay, illegally, so her child could be Canadian. Naturally, I said no.
That law is simply another way for people to take advantage. That means that that child could live elsewhere its entire life and then come here and get a cheap university education, even though its parents had not paid one penny into the system. I completely disagree with that.
Foreign students pay dearly to be educated here and it's because they haven't paid into the system - as it is, all education is subsidized in Canada to some degree.
The other thing is that in Canada we are not assimilating incomers; we cater to them. We encouage them to embrace their cultural differences and even give them money to help them do this. We go a little too far sometimes, I'm afraid. I would prefer to assimilate, not accomodate.
I don't want people taking advantage (individuals) or being taken advantage of (society) yet our programs and laws seem to foster both. Is this a conservative view? 
) & yes, I will & do disagree with conservatives on some issues, the death penalty, for example. I am not a member of any political party & vote for whichever candidate most coincides with my own views.
