Why not?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Because illegal immigration is one of those touchy subjects I don't think we should be talking about in school, like religion, even more so when a shit load of kids from my school are immigrants from Mexico, and a lot of their parents are illegal. And no, I'm not just lazy and don't want to write the essay. I live like, really close to Mexico (AZ), so yeah, lots of Mexicans here.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Okay, I guess I understand. But even if they are illegal, don't they still recognize that illegal immigration is not a good thing?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I agree illegal immigration is not a good thing, but it would be like writing about if I think republicans or democrats have it right, or if I think Christians have the right to pray in public (kinda...). I just don't think it's appropriate for a highschool class.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Oh. Well I disagree there. I think discussing politics and religion in school is great! Maybe not in your case, since there are so many illegal immigrants there. But in an average high school, I think political and religious discussions are good.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Talking about politics is fine, taking sides and asking students to isn't. You're not supposed to, they want you to develop an unslanted political opiniom of your own, not swayed but your teacher. If students WANT to say which they're for though, fine. And talking about religion in school is just off limits, unless you go to a Catholic school or something.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I think any topic of discussion and essays is okay, just as long as the teacher or school isn't trying to tell you what to think. If they're just asking for your opinion, that's okay. But I noticed in a comment below this one, you said your teacher was obviously biased and was telling you what to think. That's not okay.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I agree with most of that. But I still think it's something a lot of kids would be offended about. I'm one of the only white kids, and the teacher was telling me all those things in the comments below, and as I was walking back to my seat I got glared at.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

As long as they don't make you write one about how America should stop the immigrants(or, even worse, punish you for writing an essay which goes against the teacher's personal opinion), I think it's ok. Debates are a good thing, and well-made debates about touchy subjects are an even better one.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

The teacher was sitting there talking about how they are uneducated so they will work for cheap and how they're ruining ruining America, so I'm probably a little bit biased for I shouldn't have to write this.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Ah, then that's a different thing. The problem is not with the essays, but with the fact that your teacher is a prick. I'd write one of them pro-immigrant essays that are so convincing it would shut him/her up(or at least cause one of them extreme guilt-trips).

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Well, I do agree that illegal immigration should be stopped, it has more cons than pros for the country (I googled, my teacher couldn't tell me much), but I still don't think we should be doing this in school.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Having a personal opinion on something is ok, but imposing that view when you are a teacher is not. (and hey, paperwork aside, migration is kind of responsible for 100% of America's population. You should cut them some slack.)

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Agreed with the first part. I have nothing wrong with immigrants, I just think they should do it legally.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Well to be fair, if those people could do it legally they could. Unfortunately immigrant laws are kind of harsh and it is hard to even achieve a visitor visa(e.g. To get to my uncle's wedding in the US I would have had to go through months of paperwork and interviews, and in the end it wouldn't have mattered thanks to a subclause in his work contract), not to mention how hard it is to get a permanent one. It's not like they have too many other options.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

It's bad for the economy though. Like, really bad. We pay so much in taxes because they're here illegaly, and they often send the money back home, which simulates Mexicos own economy and harms our own. You should google it and read just how much we pay because they won't take the test. I'm from Canada, I did it. So can they.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

http://www.factcheck.org/2009/04/cost-of-illegal-immigrants/ for that. For the rest, you live amongst them so you know better about how they live and what they do. Good luck with the essay.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Thanks for the link, it's the only non-biased one I've seen.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

That basically is just debunking what some email said, they do cost money. Their children, if they were born here, have rights to an education, which we pay for. They get caught being illegal, it costs thousands of dollars to keep a prisoner. They do cheap day labor for places that won't check for less than minimum wage, which makes the product cheaper but will cost legal citizens more taxes, the money they send back to their families doesn't get spent on American things to help our own economy. So while they might not cost 300 mil, they cost money. http://www.personalliberty.com/conservative-politics/government/how-much-do-illegal-immigrants-really-cost-the-united-states/

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Duh, everything costs money. Statements like "which we pay for" irk me, because mainly each person's taxes are split into a gazillion things and allocated accordingly, so no matter what actually happens the taxes end up in the same place...But come on. Devil's advocate it is. Anchor babies are not considered illegal immigrants. And yes, a percentage of the taxes go to education, but it does not go to each illegal immigrant in person. The same schools would be there, with the same teachers and books and requirements, unless there are schools especially dedicated to illegal immigrants. Even then, it's just so ridiculously self-righteous to state that the taxes are going into the immigrants pocket. You have 10% of the funds going into education, divided by around what, 65 million kids? Out of which how many are borne by illegal immigrants? I didn't find an estimate around, but taking the general estimate of 5% out of the total population being aliens, then you have around Your yearly tax/10/6/20 going for the illegal kids. Quit being self-righteous about it. When an alien is caught he is deported, not jailed. And hey, someone has to do the shitty jobs. I don't see the empl...

by Anonymous 12 years ago

And hey, someone has to do the shitty jobs. I don't see the employer's complaining about the cheap workforce. How the hell does that affect taxes though? FFS man. If they're working below minimum wage then how much money do you think they can send back home? And how the hell are they not spending it on American things, do you think their food magically pays itself? Do you think that if those immigrants wouldn't be there than the sweatshops would magically pay appropiately? They'd just close down and continue importing from other countries sweatshops, thus not improving the economy in any way whilst raising the prices for the common folk. And here's a hypothetical stereotype. You have a young couple with a kid. They both want to continue working(and thus adding to the taxes which get paid). But they can't afford the costly daycare, and they won't leave their kid alone in the house. Say they can only afford a really cheap nanny, and get an illegal immigrant. A citizen working in basically whatever field will be earning more than a nanny, thus contributing more via taxes. Sure, the nanny won't be paying her taxes, but she is helping another person pay a much higher sum, and it w...

by Anonymous 12 years ago

and it works out for the couple since they pay much less than they normally would have, thus affording a better life for themselves and their child. It's not always black or white. Damn, that was long.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I only read the beginning, so I'll respond to that.l They benefit from the things taxes pay for, but they don't pay taxes. This is not ok. It costs OUR money (sorry, but it is ours, as in the taxpayers, money). They cost billons of dollars of year, google it.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Ah, a self-righteous prick who admits it. I like that.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

.......Right. An idiot arguing on a subject they are ignorant about, who has nothing relevant to say about the actual conversation. Love it.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I live in az too! and I know exactly what you mean about 80 percent of your school being Mexican. I feel you man!

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Stop being a little bitch about it and just get it done!

by Anonymous 12 years ago

You should write about how they shouldn't, and then let one of your Mexican friends peer-edit.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

A lot of teachers seem to be deliberately oblivious about things like that. I had a teacher who assigned us crafts that blatantly mocked native culture, never mind that we're right next to a reservation and a quarter of the class was native.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I don't know enough about immigration to have an opinion on it but I think a lot of times people are too harsh on them

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I don't think it should affect you too much, so long as you don't have to share your essay with the class. But if I were one of that 80 percent, I would definitely be offended. However, it is a subject very relevant to your class, and there's no harm in sharing your opinions.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

My class is English. How is illegal immigration rellevant? And it does effect me, as now no one will talk to me because they heard me talking talk to the teacher that they should be stopped,

by Anonymous 12 years ago

As long as they don't make you choose a side, I don't see the problem with it.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Um, they do make him/her choose a side. Reread the post.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

"I should not have to write an essay about WHETHER OR NOT I think America should stop illegal immigrants from crossing the boarder, especially when 80% of my school is Mexican, and a good half of them actually came from Mexico, amirite?" They can write that they don't think immigrants should be stopped.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

You are so dumb. Obviously I can chose to write about immigrants should be stopped, or I could write about how they shouldn't be, either way I HAVE TO PICK A SIDE.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Ok, well you have to pick a side with every argument you're presented, and you could always play the devil's advocate if you want. I've written an essay about how we should replace lethal injection with the guillotine, and I supported it with completely logical arguments in a way that sounded like I was completely serious, and I got an A. It's fine to argue a point you don't agree with if you don't actually want to express an opinion on the issue.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

tl;dr You're stupid. You just said as long as they don't make you pick sides, then you said you have to pick sides with every argument. I quit reading after that.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Oh I get what you're saying. I simply misspoke in my first comment; what I MEANT was that as long as they don't make you pick a SPECIFIC side (as in you HAVE to choose pro or you HAVE to choose con), then I don't see a problem with it. Sorry for any confusion I caused.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Well that's like saying black students shouldn't have to write essays on slavery in America. (But I do agree in your situation the teacher is being kind of insensitive)

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Why the fuck not? It's an opinion-based essay and doesn't restrict illegal immigrants to choosing one side to defend. They can express their views on it just like a legal immigrant can. Honestly, censoring "touchy subjects" that aren't even that touchy is a bit ridiculous.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

It's pretty touchy, considering I almost got jumped after school (got saved by a teacher walking by) and now no one will talk to me because they heard me asking the teacher for help. So yeah, pretty fuckin sure it touched a nerve for them.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

LOL. Okay, so what about the gay kids who get bullied? We should never write a paper on gay rights. What about children who were used for stem cell research? Should never touch that topic. Racism? Oh god, that's touchy to some people too. Let's just ban any controversial topic because some kids are sensitive about it. It'll only create more fear and misunderstanding whereas writing about it would open others up to the idea of change, but hey, you're sensitive about it. So we'll just stop.

by Anonymous 12 years ago