Immigration Orange Lessons are a series of essays aimed at combatting the talking points that derail every public conversation about immigration.  They can all be found on Immigration Orange.

This fifth and final essay will make what I think is the most important point.  I frequently confront what I like to call an "America first" attitude.  Citizens argue for the protection of the U.S. no matter what the consequences for the rest of the world.  To some, this might seem to be a noble and patriotic position to take.  But the truth is that the health and prosperity of the United States and its citizens is inextricably intertwined with the health and prosperity of the rest of the world. 

Immigration Orange Lessons are a series of essays aimed at combatting the talking points that derail every public conversation about immigration.  They can all be found on Immigration Orange.

"No amnesty" is the cry of anti-migrant advocates in the U.S.  As if migrants were cheating, as if migrants were fortunate, as if migrants don't already endure some of the greatest injustices on Earth, people angrily protest that these people shouldn't get leniency.  I don't understand how some people can wish more suffering on migrants, through their advocacy or apathy.  Following is a discussion of the "special treatment" that migrants are blessed with, cutting to the front of the single file-line into the pearly white gates of the United States.

Immigration Orange Lessons are a series of essays aimed at combatting the talking points that derail every public conversation about immigration.  They can all be found on Immigration Orange.

"I am in favor of legal immigration."
"I am not anti-immigrant.  I am anti-illegal immigrant."
"I am for enforcing the law."

Every migrant advocate has heard these phrases or phrases like these.  They're usually used to justify the atrocities that migrants suffer in the U.S..  People also use these statements with a smug tone, as if migrant advocates haven't heard them before.  It's not worth my time to keep on addressing unimaginative talking points straight from the mouths of pundits and politicians.  So I'll address them once and for all here.  Following is a discussion of immigration law and it's history.

Immigration Orange Lessons are a series of essays aimed at combatting the talking points that derail every public conversation about immigration.  They can all be found on Immigration Orange.

All manner of migrant hardship and suffering in the U.S. is justified and even encouraged under the pretenses of "the law".  Anti-migrant advocates like to put "the law" on a sacred pedestal, while they completely divorce "the law" from justice.  The law and it's application, need I remind everyone, is supposed to serve justice.  Following is a discussion of justice.

Immigration Orange Lessons are a series of essays aimed at combatting the talking points that derail every public conversation about immigration.  They can all be found on Immigration Orange.

It is impossible to have a real conversation about immigration in the U.S. if people can't even agree on the terminology that they are debating with.  Conservatives automatically become hostile when they read or hear the word "undocumented immigrant", and progressives often call people that use the term "illegal alien" racists.  Both terms are incorrect.

When describing the 12 million people that have illegally immigrated into the U.S. the best term to use is the word "migrant".   Although I wouldn't be surprised if people opposed this, this shouldn't be a controversial claim.  The rest of the world uses the term migrant to describe people that immigrate into the country illegally.  The BBC uses the word migrant.  So does Prensa Libre, Guatemala's main newspaper.  The list goes on and on.

Since I've started cross-posting my more substantial posts over at Daily Kos and Blue Mass. Group I've been startled by the amount of opposition that I have recieved.  In these supposedly progressive online havens I was hoping to start building support.  Instead I find myself combatting misleading…