Thread: McGavick sticks by use of "illegals" in TV ad

http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/d ... tv_ad.html

McGavick sticks by use of "illegals" in TV ad

Posted by David Postman at 05:50 PM

A coalition of immigrant rights and liberal interest groups wants Mike McGavick to stop airing a TV ad that refers to "illegals," saying it is offensive "anti-immigrant rhetoric."

McGavick told me he thinks a press conference by the groups was no more than a "staged event by Senator Cantwell's allies" and called the groups' charge "absurd."

The ad began airing yesterday and features McGavick talking about his differences with Sen. Maria Cantwell on a series of issues. He says in the ad:

Senator Cantwell voted to allow Social Security benefits to illegals — I'd have said no way.
Pramila Jayapal, executive director of Hate Free Zone Washington,
and one of the organizers of an afternoon press conference, told me by phone that "illegals" is "racially charged language."

"It has no place in a candidate's campaign, any candidate. The language is fundamentally dehumanizing to an enormous number of people that are working and contributing to the economy. This kind of language detracts from our ability to have a real conversation about this issue."
I asked Jayapal, given that the ad is only 30 seconds long and that she disagrees with McGavick's position, not just his language, if there was a way to describe illegal immigrants that she would find more acceptable. Surprisingly, she pointed to another McGavick ad, this one on radio. That ad says:

Senator Cantwell voted to allow Social Security benefits to be earned by those who entered our country illegally. I say no way.
Said Jayapal:

"Calling somebody an illegal is fundamentally framing the conversation in a way that doesn't allow us to talk about the system that is broken. People aren't calling Rep. Foley an illegal, or Bush an illegal, or any people we think may have committed an illegal act or has committed an illegal act."
McGavick was unconcerned and called the press conference "just typical nonsense."

"The word illegal is accurate. And there are people from all around the world that fit that bill in this country."
The Seattle Times policy is to not use "illegals" as a noun. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists has said it is troubled by what it says is a growing trend in the media of using "illegals" to describe people who have entered the country illegally.

Using the word in this way is grammatically incorrect and crosses the line by criminalizing the person, not the action they are purported to have committed.

The NAHJ also opposes the use of the phrase "illegal aliens."

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists has said it is troubled by what it says is a growing trend in the media of using "illegals" to describe people who have entered the country illegally.

For as long as I can remember I've always heard illegals called illegal aliens. I've never heard the term (until recently) undocumented workers or undocumented immigrants.
If they get offended at this label, then get the hell out of our country and go back to your own country where you are LEGAL!
I'm sick and tired of trying to play "nicey nice" w/ these people. If you are here illegally, you ARE AN ILLEGAL ALIEN, AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, ILLEGAL WORKER.
This country needs to stop worrying about what the rest of the world thinks of us, and we need to stop worrying about who we offend and who we don't.
So if we have to play this game, here's a list of what offends me about illegals.
--I'm offended illegals get state services at the cost of the US taxpayer
--I'm offended you disrespect our laws and our people simply because you "think" you have a right to be here.
--I'm offended you won't learn the language and culture of my country
--I'm offended an illegal gets to pay less tuition than a citizen.
--I'm offended that illegals somehow manage to escape punishment from the law when they break them, and are allowed back into this country.

I'm sure I could come up w/ many more things about illegals that offend me, but I'm too upset now!

Same here Sippy!

Go back to where you came from and you won't have to worry about being illegal anymore.

If that offends them, F em.

Immigrants are not illegals so how is using the term illegals anti-immigrant?

These same groups do not like the term illegal aliens which is the official language in the federal laws on this matter.

W

Exactly, W.

Illegals can't stand the truth. Since illegal alien supporters cannot get past the FIRST hurdle (that illegals are criminals), they fall back on "racism".

It's NOT about race, it's about obeying the law!

It is not grammatically correct to use an adjective as a noun like that. That criticism is valid. They were only trying to be kind in the ads saying "illegals." They shouldn't have bothered and used the correct term

illegal alien invaders

And of course we should call bank robbers unauthorized withdrawers. Cause we wouldn't want to offend them. If it offends them too damn bad let them go back to where they came from!

Originally Posted by Cliffdid

And of course we should call bank robbers unauthorized withdrawers. Cause we wouldn't want to offend them. If it offends them too damn bad let them go back to where they came from!

Cliffdid, thanks for the laugh!!
Unauthorized Withdrawers,
I needed it after reading this article.

"illegals" is "racially charged language."

Where? Where was the race mentioned? If they can give us one example then we will accept it, but we all know they cannot as the term illega has nothing to do with race, it has to do with a persons legal status in this country! MORONS!