I'm amazed you even take the time to answer the question. Living in Los Angeles, I tend to run into those darn Mexicans all day long. And you know, not once has the thought that some of them are illegal crossed my mind. Or others. I've never, ever had that discussion with anyone.

The only time I can think of possessing a green card getting mentioned in a sentence, was me and a friend discussing something with a waiter at a restaurant we frequented quite often. My friend spoke Spanish. Even thou we spoke English to him most of the time, they had a little discussion in Spanish. And it was about him not having a green card.

Why it would matter to anyone is beyond me.

Much the same as the beginning of this thread. Last I saw, there are many instances of drunk drivers killing someone else. I think that's the crux of the problem. Not their alien status.

>To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't give a damn. Why should I? He either 1) owns that house and is paying taxes, etc, or 2) he's renting and paying someone else. He's also paying for phone and utilities, he's probably shopping in the area, so he's adding value to the neighborhood.
>
>What's your point?
>
>>Let me pose it differently so it's closer to your flavor of gray. What would you do if you found out (nobody cares how) that your neighbor (he's single just to keep it simple) was here illegally?
>>
>>>It is no more ridiculous than the "get rid of all the illegals by deporting them" argument.
>>>
>>>If people really want to do something constuctive about the illegal alien problem, then write your Congresscritters about investing (or requiring) the countries they are coming from so that the conditions that are forcing them to come here illegally are corrected. I seriously doubt that anyone would think to themselves "I know, I'll pay an ungodly amount to go somewhere illegally so I can always look over my shoulder for the INS man, work at a substandard job for substandard wages so I can send most of that money home, where much of it will go to corrupt officials to keep my family safe, and be blamed for all that's wrong in the country I'm in. Oh yeah, that's a life ambition of mine!" (sarcasm)Where *do* I sign up for that(/sarcasm).
>>>
>>>All that's being espoused in this thread is the same thing that was said about the Vietnamese in the 1980's, most of whom WERE legal, the Germans and the Japanese during the 1940's, the Irish, Italians, Germans and Scandinavians in the 1900's, the Chinese in the 1870's, and nothing about this arguement has changed. "They're causing ALL the crime!" or "They take jobs away from REAL Amuricuns!" (previous discusses on this topic) or "They're just not US!"
>>>
>>>The point I'm trying to make is that this country was and is based on immigration, legal or otherwise, and to stand there and say "I'm a native American" and not qualify for recognition by any of the tribes that still exist is hubris. You're a natural born American, and the product of illegal immigration, decended from groups of people who were either thrown out of their country (or several), or had to leave due to conditions beyond their control.
>>>
>>>>You must have a handle of straws by now if that's what you've been clamoring about.
>>>>
>>>>>Yup, that would be the ones.
>>>>>
>>>>>>I'm not clear on who (in U.S. history that allowed other immigrants in) you consider illegal immigrants? Are you referring those who settled here when only the American Indian Nations resided here?