Thread: How did the 1986 Amnesty go down?

I was a little too young in 1986 to remember how things went down. Anyone here want to give some details and was there the same division?

A history lesson might be in order..

Pistov,

There were some complaints from the citizens but they accepted the promise of never again.

I remember seeing a picture on the TV of illegals lined up as far as the eye could see for days at the Consulate just waiting to get a ticket to come back at a later date. That went on for over 2 weeks!

Your public library should have copies of newspapers from back then and you can read up on it.

I will guarentee, nothing like they are hearing from us now!

Dixie

Well, there was no New Media of the Internet fused with talk radio to organize the public backlash. We know that was not in play.

Talk radio was not consider a player in politics till the Republican sweep of 1994 and most civilians started to hear about the Internet in 1992.

Back in 1992, I was in the first wave of civies getting on the Net through the University VAX and VM mainframes.

Everything was all text, usually no color, and I think I still have my 2400 baud rate modem around here somewhere for nostalgia.

W

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

Well, there was no New Media of the Internet fused with talk radio to organize the public backlash. We know that was not in play.

Talk radio was not consider a player in politics till the Republican sweep of 1994 and most civilians started to hear about the Internet in 1992.

Back in 1992, I was in the first wave of civies getting on the Net through the University VAX and VM mainframes.

Everything was all text, usually no color, and I think I still have my 2400 baud rate modem around here somewhere for nostalgia.

W

Ha! You're a youngster! Try a 300 baud modem sometime.

Winders? What's Winders? (Texas version of Windows)

Why do I need Winders when I have DOS?

Rice

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

Well, there was no New Media of the Internet fused with talk radio to organize the public backlash. We know that was not in play.

Talk radio was not consider a player in politics till the Republican sweep of 1994 and most civilians started to hear about the Internet in 1992.

Back in 1992, I was in the first wave of civies getting on the Net through the University VAX and VM mainframes.

Everything was all text, usually no color, and I think I still have my 2400 baud rate modem around here somewhere for nostalgia.

W

Seriously though, he's right.

All we had to get our news from were the newspapers that were written by a bunch of college educated communists and the national news at 5:00 o'clock that played any "spin version" of a story that the government or any special interest group told them to.

No wonder us "old types" are amazed with this new technology thingy called the internet, huh?

It sure clears out the BS and lets all people hear the truth for a change. Not just the Ted Kennedy "spin for the day"!

Rice

Also, I'd just add...

Another thing that is markedly different (I am old enough to remember some of the events of the day...) is that the very strong polarization between the 2 major parties of today largely wasn't nearly so bad then.

The congress people all had their disagreements alright, but the pure vitriol that is apparent today just wasn't around then. So, it was not only easier to pass bills, it might even be safe to say it was easier to pass BAD bills too.

And, at that time, the average person (outside of some agricultural activities) really wasn't affected much by the widespread entrenchment of illegals into various parts of the workforce. Now, that is entirely different. And, in addition to that, is the fact of people coming in - in very large numbers - under legal work visas, and well, that never really happened or never happened in the same way before.

So, even though the basic questions involved are very similar, the circumstances out here in the background of the public, are quite different.
Let's hope for a different and much improved outcome than the shortsighted policy 'surrender' in 1986.

I'm not that young, but I don't remember the 1986 amnesty. Very few people even had a computor then and most people really didn't watch cable news or even had cable. I doubt the three major TV networks had much on it either...Besides most states except for Californai didn't have or didn't notice the illegals that were here. I guess 2 million is a lot different than 30 million that are here now.

[quote="PhredE"]

(snip)

So, it was not only easier to pass bills, it might even be safe to say it was easier to pass BAD bills too.

(snip)

quote]



Absolutely true!

Very few people outside of Washington DC even had access to copies of the bills as they were being proposed and voted on. It would take so long for the truth about a "Bad" bill to finally get to the publics ear that it was often to late to do anything about it.

Sound familiar, Pistov?

Same "Old dogs." Same "Old tricks."

Rice

Originally Posted by rwrice

Originally Posted by PhredE

(snip)

So, it was not only easier to pass bills, it might even be safe to say it was easier to pass BAD bills too.

quote]



Absolutely true!

Very few people outside of Washington DC even had access to copies of the bills as they were being proposed and voted on. It would take so long for the truth about a "Bad" bill to finally get to the publics ear that it was often to late to do anything about it.

Sound familiar, Pistov?

Same "Old dogs." Same "Old tricks."

Rice

I guess most of us were in the dark then. I bet this President and Congress wish they were so lucky. The internet and talk radio is their worst nightmare. Good!

Originally Posted by Pistov

I was a little too young in 1986 to remember how things went down. Anyone here want to give some details and was there the same division?

A history lesson might be in order..

From what I have read, the most divisive part of the bill, incredibly, was the employer sanctions--which was supposed to be a major part of it. It was the first time in our history that employers would face penalties for hiring illegals. Ted Kennedy thought it would sanction discrimination against hispanics, and others voiced concerns about criminalizing employers.............

Can't you just see it? The Swimmer and fellow traitors in some smoke filled room. And The Swimmer says, "Hey guys, how 'bout we just don't enforce that part?"

The rest, as they say, es historia.