(November 16, 2016 at 3:57 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:(November 16, 2016 at 3:53 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: The problem is that in our national discourse on this topic, far too many people do not make that distinction. Hell, far too many don't distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants, much less refugees. I take you at your word; you seem like a decent person. But as Rhythm pointed out earlier, on this topic talking about Platonic ideals is about as useful as a pinholed condom. Reality gives not one shit about our precious abstractions. And the reality is that for far too many folks, racism is the driving emotion underlying their own stance vis-a-vis immigration. I'm not saying that's the case with you; I do take you at your word.
I'm just not in the habit of ignoring 800-pound gorillas simply because I wish they didn't exist. They do, and only fools ignore them.
Tib already had made that distinction earlier on in the thread. Life/death situations are different for sure.
Yes, I know he did. My point is that that doesn't change the fact that racism is at the root of much concern over immigration, like it or not. It is a cold, hard fact, and one we would ignore only at great risk.
