What part of “Illegal� don’t you understand? [General] - Jose - jose@bluelatinos.org @ 10:54:48
For the most part, this question sums up the argument and sentiments from anti-immigrant groups.
Every time I hear (or read) this question, I’m reminded of a picture I saw that was taken during the Civil Rights Movement, of a young white girl, with her family beside her, holding up a sign that read “Integration is ILLEGAL!� I could just imagine a similar sign during the reconstruction period: “Freedom for slaves is ILLEGAL!� Or even another during the Women’s suffarage movement: “Women voting is ILLEGAL!� Or another… well, you get the point.

At those historical moments, I’m sure, a small group of courageous people must have asked: Is our legal system moral? Is the legal system true to America’s values of justice, equality and opportunity? Is our legal system denying people’s unalienable rights?

I’ll venture even further and say that these courageous people understood their moral dutyâ€â€