[LUG] OT: legal (was: Avatars and advertising)

[Philip Hudson <phil.hudson@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 2 May, 2013, at 9:48 am, Brad Rogers wrote:

> Hello Rob,
>
> > I presume you mean illegal immigrants?
> They're illegals.  How do they get handouts from the state?  To show
> themselves opens them up for extradition.  Many illegals are brought  
> here
> under false pretences by gangs that work them for little or no pay.   
> In
> the worst cases, as sex slaves.
Three things to watch out for in this discussion and others like it.  
Lazy, slipshod speech goes with the lazy, slipshod thinking that  
characterises most xenophobes.
First, "illegal" is, obviously, a legal term. It's not for you or me  
or even a cop or border guard to decide who is and is not in a given  
country legally or illegally; it's for a legally constituted legal  
authority such as a judge.
Second, what might seem like a fine distinction: actions may or may  
not be illegal; people cannot be. A given person should be referred to  
as being in the country illegally, if that has been legally  
established, or suspected/accused of ditto. Nobody should be referred  
to as being an illegal. Apart from anything else, it implies un-person- 
hood, and we all know where that leads. At least I hope we do.
Thirdly, being in a given country illegally is not the same as having  
no right to be or stay in that country. If it is a civilised country,  
it has undertaken international agreements, and signed those  
agreements into its own national law, requiring various exceptions to  
be made, most notably for granting refuge.
Everyone bristles at being told what to say. The cry goes up against  
political correctness, usually by people who would never dream of  
taking even the slightest personal risk in the cause of freedom. I  
suggest that if you do not agree, you do the reading, show your  
working, and explain to the rest of us why your loaded terms are more  
appropriate than these neutral ones.
--
Phil Hudson                  http://hudson-it.no-ip.biz
@UWascalWabbit                 PGP/GnuPG ID: 0x887DCA63


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