You are warned, Hallelujah

[wuapinmon]

You hate dogs?

You heartless bastard.

I've been bitten countless times. I almost got savaged by a horse-sized rottweiler in Costa Rica two weeks ago. I had my pocket-knife drawn and was screaming "AUXILIO" before the hotel owner came out and got control of his beast. The damned thing lunged at me for no reason. When I told him at check-in that dogs didn't like me and that his was going to cause problems, he said, "No, éste no hace nada," which is code for, "My dog is going to bite you when you least expect it."

[TripletDaddy]

One of the few things that really bothers me about this great nation is the immigration policies. We make it very difficult for people to come into this country legally. I understand there are serious national security concerns, but there has to be a better way for the protection of human life of those immigrating and the residents of the US. This country was made great buy immigration. We've sure moved away from that legacy.

You are never far from my mind when this topic comes up. It is annoying, bordering on insulting, when folks imply that all you need to do is make a reservation and border agents will be waiting with open arms to greet you as you cross over legally into the country.

The process right now is really screwed up. We have people waiting years to come here legally. Meanwhile, families are being separated. Some of the same people that condemn gay marriage as an attack on families would also see a family torn apart because an illegal immigrant works here but doesn't have a green card, yet his children were born here.

I am not blind to the dangers of illegal immigration and am all for some sort of practical solution. However, when you see a story about a carload of people dying and your first instinct is to rationalize the deaths by noting the immigration status of the victims, then you clearly have a problem.

[il Padrino Ute]

I've been bitten countless times. I almost got savaged by a horse-sized rottweiler in Costa Rica two weeks ago. I had my pocket-knife drawn and was screaming "AUXILIO" before the hotel owner came out and got control of his beast. The damned thing lunged at me for no reason. When I told him at check-in that dogs didn't like me and that his was going to cause problems, he said, "No, éste no hace nada," which is code for, "My dog is going to bite you when you least expect it."

My grandpa used to tell me that animals can sense what a human feels about them. He respected and treated all the animals on his dairy farm and I never saw him have any kind of bad interaction with them. When I was about 10 or so, I was afraid of the bull on his farm and it used to chase me into the trees in the apple orchard where I would spend a few terror filled hours wondering if my demise was going to take place that day. Grandpa said it sensed my fear and used it to exercise some sort of dominion over me. Crazy, eh?

Perhaps dogs know you hate them and that's why they go after you.

[LA Ute]

The Immigration issue is probably the most complex moral and legal dilemma facing our politicians on both sides of the aisle. To boil it down to a simple question of obeying a border law is fairly insular and largely boneheaded.

Right. I may be wrong about this, but I think entering the country illegally is roughly equivalent to a misdemeanor, maybe closer to a traffic ticket. An important perspective to keep in mind.

Yes, this is a huge problem, but treating the illegals like criminals is not the answer. Neither is rounding up 10 million people and shipping them back to their home country.

[wuapinmon]

My grandpa used to tell me that animals can sense what a human feels about them. He respected and treated all the animals on his dairy farm and I never saw him have any kind of bad interaction with them. When I was about 10 or so, I was afraid of the bull on his farm and it used to chase me into the trees in the apple orchard where I would spend a few terror filled hours wondering if my demise was going to take place that day. Grandpa said it sensed my fear and used it to exercise some sort of dominion over me. Crazy, eh?

Perhaps dogs know you hate them and that's why they go after you.

Perhaps.....you are one of the many who have told me this, but dammit, they started it. And, they have no dominion over me....I would've killed that man's dog in two seconds had it taken two more steps; I'm not afraid of them, I just hate them. I'm never ever aggressive towards animals, but it's like they know. I kicked a sheltie across a yard once when it clamped down on my ankle.......famous last words, "Oh, he won't bite.....now, how much was the pizza?"

[wuapinmon]

Right. I may be wrong about this, but I think entering the country illegally is roughly equivalent to a misdemeanor, maybe closer to a traffic ticket. An important perspective to keep in mind.

Yes, this is a huge problem, but treating the illegals like criminals is not the answer. Neither is rounding up 10 million people and shipping them back to their home country.

I really hate it when people scream "NO AMNESTY" as if they were felonious criminals.

[The_Tick]

I don't think them being illegal had anything to do with the accident.

I would probably lay a large bet that 22 people being in that car was a major contributor to the accident.

I always am waiting to hear how we can fix the immigration problems. People that try legally get screwed. Illegals...no one seems to care.

How do we fix it? Because it is broken.

[wuapinmon]

I don't think them being illegal had anything to do with the accident.

I would probably lay a large bet that 22 people being in that car was a major contributor to the accident.

I always am waiting to hear how we can fix the immigration problems. People that try legally get screwed. Illegals...no one seems to care.

How do we fix it? Because it is broken.

I'm betting against you. 22 people were in the car probably because they were fearful of being caught and coyotes were maximizing profit for smuggling them in.

[CJF]

You are never far from my mind when this topic comes up. It is annoying, bordering on insulting, when folks imply that all you need to do is make a reservation and border agents will be waiting with open arms to greet you as you cross over legally into the country.

The process right now is really screwed up. We have people waiting years to come here legally. Meanwhile, families are being separated. Some of the same people that condemn gay marriage as an attack on families would also see a family torn apart because an illegal immigrant works here but doesn't have a green card, yet his children were born here.

I am not blind to the dangers of illegal immigration and am all for some sort of practical solution. However, when you see a story about a carload of people dying and your first instinct is to rationalize the deaths by noting the immigration status of the victims, then you clearly have a problem.

Well said. My thoughts exactly.

[Colly Wolly]

If there is any universal justice in a next life you'll be reborn in a dirt poor barrio in Mexico with no opportunities. I wonder what kind of personal risks your ancestors took so that you could be born in America?

Same comment about Lingo.

Colly's the one who brutalized a young woman from a foreign country who posted here, attacking her because of her nationality and ethnicity.

For God's sake, pull yourself together man.

[Colly Wolly]

In all seriousness, and not mocking you, Lingo and Colly, if you served a mission, where did you go?

Taiwan.

[byu71]

People are killed in auto accidents every day. Tragedies occur in peoples lives every day. Not all of these tragedies make it to CNN. Why did this one? I don't think it was because there were so many in the car, I think it was because these were undocumented's that were killed.

So cleverly this is thrown out as bait for those who are against undocumented immigration. If someone stupidly takes the bait, they can then be labled as dirt bags.

This is sad, however it doesn't change the debate one way or another. The sadness of the story doesn't strengthen or diminish the debate on either side. It is a sad story and shame on those who want to use it to exploit it.

[JohnnyLingo]

And you saw nothing in Madagascar that would make you see why people would risk everything to come here? Do you know how lucky or blessed you are to have been dropped in this country? Your comment is really tasteless because you know better, or at least you should.

As much as I appreciate condescending tones, give me a break. Why are you and Cardiac so convinced I'm being sarcastic here? People decided to break the law and took a risk to do so. They died as a result. It's a sad thing.

I don't think them being illegal had anything to do with the accident.

But logically, if they had stayed in their own country, they would not have been crammed into an SUV like cattle and speeding down a highway, and they would be alive. No? And the fact that they were illegals made it newsworthy enough to post here on CUF. I'd say their legal status has a lot to do with us discussing the story.

Right. I may be wrong about this, but I think entering the country illegally is roughly equivalent to a misdemeanor, maybe closer to a traffic ticket. An important perspective to keep in mind.

Yes, this is a huge problem, but treating the illegals like criminals is not the answer. Neither is rounding up 10 million people and shipping them back to their home country.

I really hate it when people scream "NO AMNESTY" as if they were felonious criminals.

People like wuapinmon and LA Ute are really just on the side of open borders. Either you're willing to enforce border law or you are not. If you are not willing to do so, then let's change the law and just open them up to everyone and anyone who wants to come in. Give them citizenship and call it a day.

At least openly advocate your stance instead of dancing around by condemning every other attempt at fixing the issue.

[Commando]

I've been bitten countless times. I almost got savaged by a horse-sized rottweiler in Costa Rica two weeks ago. I had my pocket-knife drawn and was screaming "AUXILIO" before the hotel owner came out and got control of his beast. The damned thing lunged at me for no reason. When I told him at check-in that dogs didn't like me and that his was going to cause problems, he said, "No, éste no hace nada," which is code for, "My dog is going to bite you when you least expect it."

well they smell fear... and furthermore, you brought a pocket knife to a rock fight.

[I.J. Reilly]

People like wuapinmon and LA Ute are really just on the side of open borders. Either you're willing to enforce border law or you are not. If you are not willing to do so, then let's change the law and just open them up to everyone and anyone who wants to come in. Give them citizenship and call it a day.

At least openly advocate your stance instead of dancing around by condemning every other attempt at fixing the issue.

Lingo, you can't possibly think that the question of illegal immigration is such a binary one, right? Do you honestly think that it is either an open the whole thing up or close the whole thing down type of situation? Black and white, just like that?

Sidenote: TD, I think you went a little far in bringing up Lingo's online yardsale. He's made it pretty clear that that is an issue that cuts pretty deeply (as you know, he dedicated a whole thread to it). Perhaps you could just drop that particular arrow in your quiver and grant him amnesty on that one.