Euphemisms for “illegal”
abound in media coverage of the Minuteman Project
Apr 11, 2005
In reporting on the Minuteman Project, the nation’s newspaper headlines
show a remarkable commonality.
What do they all have in common? Not one of the headlines, had the guts
to print the words ‘illegal aliens' or use the adjective 'illegal'
in conjunction with their nouns!
It is a national disgrace that 99% of the media have deliberately obscured
the illegal alien issue by applying the tactic of omission. Why does the
media routinely and systematically apply euphemistic nouns such as 'immigrant'
or 'migrant,' or 'border crossers,' and then deliberately omit their status
of illegality? For what purpose or rationale does the media subvert by
omission, their coverage of the invasion of our country by a 'human tsunami'
of illegal aliens? Just how cleaver and underhanded are the media in their
subterfuge . . . let me count the ways:
- 1,000 activists to patrol Arizona border for migrants
- Volunteer patrols stir uneasiness on border Minuteman Project could
draw 1,000 for migrant watch.
- 'Minutemen' wage immigration battle at border
- Immigration: More than 20 area activists plan to watch border crossers.
Fears of violence arise
- Wanted : Border Hoppers. And Some excitement, Too.
- Hispanic legislators to monitor monitors: Lawmakers will keep tabs
on border project
- Tombstone at the eye of Minuteman storm
- Border watch group, human right activists arrive for monthlong patrol
- US vigilantes begin border stake-out
- Immigration Opponents To Patrol U.S. Border: Rights Groups Condemn
'Minuteman' Protest
- Private volunteers patrol a porous border
- Border watchers have eyes on Texas
- Tombstone gang guards US border
- Border volunteers descend on tourist town
- Armed Volunteers Plan to Patrol Border
What exactly is being implied by using terms like: "migrants"
or "border hoppers" or "border crossers" or a "migrant
watch" or "immigration opponents?" It seems a whole lot
like saying:
- a carjacker, is a "temporary owner?
- a house burglar, is an "uninvited house guest?"
- a thief, is someone who has "appropriated" your belongings?
- a pick-pocket who uses your credit cards, is an "undocumented
cardholder?"
- a bank robber, is someone making an "unofficial withdrawal?"
What all those euphemistic terms are missing, is the pertinent, descriptive
adjective "illegal" as in "illegal immigration opponents"
or "illegal migrants" or "illegal border hoppers/crossers!"
The wide-spread pervasive use of such euphemisms are deliberate! They
are subversive because they cover up a person’s illegal status.
The solution, why not use the official term of "illegal alien"
as set forth in the United States Code of immigration law! Some other
euphemisms, such as: undocumented migrants; immigrant workers; undocumented
immigrants; economic migrant; undocumented individual; undocumented residents,"
etc., ad nauseum are routinely substituted for 'illegal immigrants' or
'illegal migrants!' Most frequently the term 'undocumented' is used in
an obvious attempt to imply an immigrant or migrant is just some poor
hard working person that is only lacking some sort of paperwork (undocumented).
When in fact, the "undocumented" are illegal aliens breaking
our immigration laws, invading our country, and flaunting our sovereignty
with impunity. When you add the qualifying adjective "illegal"
to those euphemistic nouns, then they become factual and accurate. Isn't
that what media reporting is supposed to be about, facts and accuracy?
Notice anything else? Not one headline calls the Minutemen "patriots!"
These are volunteers who gave up their vacations and left the comfort
of 'hearth and home' to participate in a protest in the desert beneath
an unrelenting sun, exposed to wind blown sand, oppressive heat and camping
out . . . sans swimming pool. They may live thousands of miles away and
yet they feel compelled to come. They leave behind their personal obligations
to jobs and family. It takes money, perhaps needed for other things, to
travel!
These are true American patriots who are fighting to seal our southern
border to millions upon millions of illegal aliens, some of which are
gang members, drug runners, murderers and possible terrorists! For their
efforts, they are called "immigration opponents," (minus the
adjective "illegal"), "monitors," "border watchers,"
"activists," the "Tombstone gang," and "armed
volunteers!"
As it stands today, the American public is being shamelessly 'brainwashed'
by the media and others, concerning the 18-20 millions illegal aliens
that have invaded our country and continue to do so at a rate of 10,000
per day! By deliberately employing unspecified vagueness, and euphemistic
substitutions such as, "immigrant (unspecified)," or "migrant
(unspecified)" or "undocumented worker" they continually
insult and offend their knowledgeable audience!
Why do you suppose there is such wide-spread use of these euphemisms?
It appears to be a concerted effort by many to "put lipstick on a
pig" as Tom Tancredo has famously iterated. It is simple way to cover
up, disguise, and gloss over the massive illegal immigration invasion
that is balkanizing our country. Sadly, it is being propagated and proliferated
by the media, Hispanic groups, and politicians, including our president.
It is particularly galling and egregious when those euphemisms are followed
by the mantra: "After all we are a nation of immigrants aren't we?"
The response to that comment is: Legal immigrants YES . . . illegal immigrants,
NO!
Others who participate in the illegal alien "cover-up," are
the Hispanic and Latino groups like La Raza (The Race), LULAC, MALDEF,
MEChA, Aztlan, who pose as 'immigrant-rights activists.' They loudly condemn
any legislation denying "public benefits" to illegal aliens,
such as Arizona's Prop. 200; and, when anyone has the temerity to speak
out about the massive illegal immigration overwhelming America, they are
branded "anti-immigrant." Hispanic and Latino groups have repeatedly
called the Minutemen "anti-immigrant!" They never say anti-illegal
immigrant. The word illegal, is not in their vocabulary. They and their
'leaders' are deliberately obfuscating, duplicitous, hypocritical and
dishonest! The national media routinely assists them in their campaign
of disinformation. As such they both need to be admonished!
It is disingenuous for Hispanic and Latino groups to lobby in support
of illegal aliens by promoting it as "immigrant-rights." By
definition that term includes both legal and illegal immigrants! Their
dissembling is then perpetuated by the media! The media's 'permission
by omission' facilitates the Hispanic community, en masse, to remain unchallenged
in their support for massive illegal immigration. Since the vast majority
of the illegal aliens are Hispanic and Latino, their motives are without
doubt, the purist form of racism there is! What have we come to in America,
the land of laws, that we are expected to silently accept the duplicitous
hypocrisy of such racist groups and their complicit media.
We need to demand that our media stop being part of the cover-up. We need
to encourage them to use the proper legal term of "illegal alien"
or "illegal immigrant" or "illegal" (whatever noun
they choose) when they report in the future. When Hispanic and Latino
"activists" make the fallacious charges of racism, xenophobia
and label someone as "anti-immigrant," the follow-up question
needs to be: "is that anti-legal immigrant or anti-illegal immigrant?
"This simple 'accuracy check' will go a long way towards framing
the public conversation about this serious, important problem of massive
illegal immigration and its impact on our country.
Last updated April 19, 2005 |
