This has been in the news a lot recently. And today of course is "stay at home in solidarity with illegal aliens" day, or somesuch.

Basically my views haven't changed much since the last time we talked about this subject. There were some good discussions here, but I still think that while illegal immigration may be understandable, it should still be illegal and should still be deterred.

Immigration is important, even vital, to our economy and to our culture. Legal immigration. You want to be an American...awesome. Please fill out the paperwork and stand in line. Don't sneak across the fucking border.

Why? Well, until we become one giant utopian superstate without borders or taxes or free universal public services, we still live in the real world. And that's a world where we draw national boundaries and within those countries we pay taxes, elect officials to represent us, have our own set of laws, conduct business, and interact with other countries. I don't think the vast majority of people who sneak into the country are a security risk, but security is another concern.

Plus, when people work off the books, the potential for abuse is increased. Yes, many unscrupulous businesses profit from the cheap, undocumented labor, but those businesses are illegally competing against those who document their workers and pay taxes and provide health care for their workers. I shake my head at people who talk about illegal workers as a boon, rather than what it is: a problem. If you really think a large undocumented workforce is such a great idea, please tell me why, cause I don't get it.

Actually, having the illegal aliens staying home is a pretty good idea...it punishes those businesses who breaking the law in the first place. Conversely I'd like to see support of legal immigrant owned businesses...they would complement each other nicely.