The Term “Illegal Immigrant” Offensive To Some Journalists

The Term “Illegal Immigrant” Offensive To Some Journalists
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet


The US used to be described as a “melting pot.” Today, that melting pot has transformed into a “Boiling Pot” heated by the rage of LEGAL American citizens born and raised in this country and by naturalized American citizens who went to the trouble to enter this country – LEGALLY-- out of respect for the laws of their newly adopted country.

Millions of so-called “immigrants” have chosen to break and enter the United States by crossing our clearly marked borders illegally. Those who do so are called “illegal aliens,” “illegal immigrants,” and a number of other terms less printable than these two.

The reason we call them ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS is because they are in this country illegally.

So – they find it “offensive?” Say WHAT? It reminds me of an old joke from the 1940’s and 1950’s with the punch line: “Don’t you call me what I is!” But, of course, that old joke IS offensive today… as is so much of our language and, well, darn near everything that gave us color and spice, and yes, even spirit as Americans. We have gelded ourselves as a robust, boisterous, flamboyant people. We have become lifeless, pale, bland, and dull. Political Correctness did it all.

Now comes more politically correct pabulum from a journalist’s organization. It seems they find the term “Illegal Immigrant” offensive and even unconstitutional!

In an article By Eric Scheiner entitled: “Society Of Professional Journalists Says 'Illegal Immigrant' Is An 'Offensive' Term” CNSNews reports the following:

"The Diversity Committee of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) is undertaking an educational campaign against the term “illegal immigrant” seeking to inform reporters that the term “illegal immigrant” is “offensive” to Latinos.

In the latest issue of SPJ’s magazine ‘Quill’, SPJ’s Diversity Committee member Leo Laurence writes about the campaign referencing the National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ recommendation to use “undocumented immigrant” or “undocumented worker” and to “Avoid using ‘illegal(s)’ as a noun.”

"SPJ’s Diversity Committee met during the 2010 convention in Las Vegas and decided to engage in a yearlong educational campaign designed to inform and sensitize journalists as to the best language to use when writing and reporting on undocumented immigrants," wrote Laurence.

In his article, Laurence also made a constitutional argument against the term 'illegal immigrant', “One of the most basic of our constitutional rights is that everyone (including non-citizens) is innocent of any crime until proven guilty in a court of law," wrote Laurence. "That’s guaranteed under the Fifth, Sixth and 14th Amendments of the Constitution.”

“Simply put, only a judge, not a journalist, can say that someone is an illegal,” Laurence adds." (SOURCE)

Am I mistaken in my belief that the US Constitution is for “AMERICANS?”I mean -- legal citizens of the United States? I know our government seems bent on extended rights intended for American citizens to terrorists and to Illegal Aliens, but wait a cussed minute! Doesn’t it cheapen those rights? Doesn’t that make a joke of all the efforts our forefathers made to protect and defend those rights?

Look: Attempting to change the way we refer to illegal aliens is not entirely politically correct. It is propagandizing of the highest order.

It seems to me, as a former member of the press, that the job of a reporter, a member of the press, and/or a journalist, is to report the news. They have no business trying to influence the way you and I think about the news. But that appears to be exactly what this campaign is all about.

I find the very fact that illegal aliens are in this country illegally – “OFFENSIVE!” I find the fact that my government will not do its duty – and STOP IT! – OFFENSIVE as all get-out! The moment they set foot on US soil, without the proper, documentation, they have broken US laws and the laws of many of our states.

Here is the bottom line, as I see it: This campaign is all about One-World Governance, a One World Government, or Global Government. A globe with no borders and a single government – likely, the United Nations or some equally pathetic bunch of yahoos we never met -- let alone elected.

To those in the Mainstream Media: This is why your newspapers are failing. This is why your magazines are failing. This is why your broadcast “talk shows” fail. This is why your news networks run second, at best, to Fox News. The American people know YOU CANNOT BE TRUSTED, anymore!

Don’t talk to me about “Undocumented Workers.” Don’t talk to me about “Undocumented Immigrants.” They are, in fact, Illegal Aliens, Illegal Immigrants, or even “Undocumented Democrats,” or in most cases, “Undocumented Mexicans.”

Of course, all this effort is intended to assist the democrats in gaining AMNESTY for those millions of Illegal Aliens already in this country sucking the life out of the economy of a number of our states. But HEY, if given citizenship, they’re going to vote democratic! See where all this is going?

Yes, the melting pot is boiling over -- and with good reason. We are suffering the greatest land invasion in history while our government looks the other way and tries, desperately, to distract its citizens from observing the madness, the mischief, the malign intent of a shadow government controlled by a cabal of uber-wealthy miscreants with Napoleonic complexes and a lust to rule the world!

J. D. Longstreet