I don’t think I quite “get” Massachusetts. That is probably nothing new to regular readers, but there’s a new example this morning that boggles me.
In Massachusetts, it’s apparently OK to sneak into the country illegally, or overstay one’s welcome, or lie about why you came here. They don’t care about enforcing the laws about immigration in the Bay State.
But woe to the person who tries to assist those people as an undocumented temporary guest attorney…
In a related event:
“Parents sue Austin [TX], 2 police officials in teen girl’s killing. The reporting of suspects who are illegal immigrants could’ve prevented her death, they say”
It seems that the city of Austin actually tells illegals not to worry about their status. Full story here:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3451336
Fortunately, they don’t have tough emmigration standards either. I was able to successfully “emmigrate” from the great state of arrogance years ago.
Unfortunately, I made the mistake of becoming an immigrant in its southern socialist neighbor, the state of Kommerade Dodd and hand-wringer Lie-berman.
The liberal mind-set is such that they emulate France’s failed policy of anybody can come in as long as it’s not a God-fearing conservative.
You’re kidding, right?
You don’t see a difference between illegal immigration, and defrauding people by practicing law without a license?
You’re missing the point, Jay Tea. This guy was hurting the poor illegal aliens. That’s why the State came after him, because they love their illegals.
You don’t see a difference between illegal immigration, and defrauding people by practicing law without a license?
And how many acts of fraud must an illegal immigrant commit to reach the state of Massechusetts, find a place to live, and gain employment? It is very likely that they had to use someone else’s social security number at the very least.
Sure kbiel, you’re right.
But someone practicing law without a license is a thief who can cause major damage to a lot of people.
A single illegal immigrant using the ID of a dead person does not inflict the same type or degree of damages.
One is actively fucking people over; the other is just sneaking around hoping to live under the radar.
If they had not broken our laws in the first place, they wouldn’t have been easy prey for a phony lawyer. Why should they be entitled to be protected by some laws while openly breaking others?
A single illegal immigrant using the ID of a dead person does not inflict the same type or degree of damages.
That’s your assumption. Illegals do not use the ID of just dead people.
One is actively fucking people over; the other is just sneaking around hoping to live under the radar.
Really. So the counties in South Texas who can’t afford to keep their hospitals open because too many illegals go there for free health care are not being fucked over? Or what about the school systems that are taking on many students whose parents aren’t paying taxes? Are those schools not being fucked?
Obviously, the penalties for the respective crimes are different and rightly so, but you seem to be minimizing the crime of illegal immigration to minor nuisance less serious than a traffic ticket. An illegal alien does more than just break on minor immigration law. To survive they must commit multiple acts of fraud and theft of services. Legal immigrants and tax payers are harmed even when these illegals are “just sneaking around hoping to live under the radar.”
mert:
That’s ludicrous. Are you telling me you’re against the prosecution of people who victimize people and fraudulently steal their money while also causing harm to their legal status? What about people posing as doctors and practicing without training or a license? What about real estate or investment frauds? What about ordinary swindlers? Are you in favor of them, or do you simply want to give them a pass when they victimize illegal aliens?
kbiel:
I’m not minimizing the effects of illegal immigration, I’m just saying you can’t compare that problem to active thugs and theives. One major difference is that victims of swindlers are readily identifiable, and their injuries or damages are concrete and cause a substantial detriment to one’s life. Whereas the same cannot be said about illegal immigration. Sure, the immigration problem creates a general drain on society, but no one individual stands to lose his savings or liberty.
Also mert,
Although this is irrelevant to the question of whether swindlers should be prosecuted (because they should regardless of whether you personally care about their victims), you’re obviously missing an important point. The victims of this shyster were trying NOT to be illegal immigrants. Get it? –they were mislead to believe they were taking appropriate steps to be LEGAL immigrants. Instead, their savings were bilked and their immigration status was tanked.
No, Mark, “the other” is a criminal in the country illegally, and almost certainly using identity fraud among other types of fraud to maintain their criminal activity.
I realize that criminals “sneak.” So, in that case, yes, the criminal/s among us engaging in illegal presence in the country, using identity fraud among other types of ongoing fraud, is, also, sneaking.
But, if you’re going to label one criminal, then you should be also labelling all criminals. Illegal aliens are criminals.
Somehow I just have no sympthy for one criminal defrauding other criminals, and the concept that society should sympathize with the other criminals while penalizing the one attempting to defraud the other criminals.
I think that pretty well explains most if not all prison environments, Mark, your theory there: ‘the bad guy is the criminal who defrauds the other criminals, who are already engaged in fraud.’
The larger picture there is that they are all criminals, all are engaged in fraud. Stop one, they others will continue on with others. It’s a case of calling fraud and those who engage in it what they are: criminals engaged in criminal activity.
I think it’s up to crazy liberal judges to then try to say that one who defrauds a widow of one million dollars is more guilty of fraud than a corporation who defrauds one million customers of twenty million dollars.
-s-:
Do you read?
The victims of the fake lawyer were attempting to be LEGAL IMMIGRANTS! Furthermore, nowhere does it say any of the victims were in the US illegally at the time. Who says any of these people were “criminals?” More importantly, none of this should be relevant.
Yes, illegal immigrants are criminals. Some even commit additional crimes beyond their illegal status. Some victimize people, while some are ordinary law-abiding citizens (aside from their status). But how should that affect the prosecution of others for other crimes? The law does not recognize the relationship you seem to imagine–nor should it. Extrapolating from your reasoning, it would seem to be ok in your mind to murder or rape illegal aliens, but not legal aliens. Is that really what you believe?
Criminals are prosecuted based on their act and their intent. If you rape someone, you’re gonna be prosecuted regardless of whether the victim has a clean rap sheet, or whether she’s a crack whore or illegal alien. Same with murder. Same with burglary. Same with these types of fraud. Futhermore, any person practicing a licensed profession without a valid license should expect to be prosecuted regardless of who his or her client is. Do you disagree with any of this?
What are you alluding to with the prison reference? Are you suggesting a kid who was popped for possession of marijuana or petty shop lifting is fair game for ass rape or murder? Would you not prosecute the prison murderer because the victim once possessed an illegal substance for personal use?
Or, is your position stirctly limited to fraud? Do you equate the fraud of an illegal alien, which essentially amounts to lying for the purpose of gaining the opportunity to EARN their money and provide a safe environment for their family, with fraud intended to deprive individuals of their savings while also placing their legal status in jeapardy? Don’t you see a distinction there?
Finally, your position seems to be that one should not be prosecuted for defrauding a fraud. In other words, if the victim ever in his or her life told a lie with the intend to deceive, and someone relied on the victim’s lie to his or her detriment, and even though the victim’s commission of fraud was distant in time and totally unrelated to the present fraud on the victim, then the perp should not be prosecuted. If that’s really what you’re saying, then criminal fraud would need to be wiped off the books. After all, I doubt there is a person on Earth eligible to be a victim under that standard.
Did that stunt earn him a pin on the pervert map?