Immigration and "the Law"

So often those on the Right -- the conservatives who oppose leniency (or what I would more appropriately call compassion) towards "illegal" aliens -- appear to be so self-righteous because they stand with "the Law." To them all matters seem to hinge on the simple and clear fact that "they are here 'illegally;' they broke the law, and that's not right."

I am not writing to support lawlessness, and of course there are reasons for having laws, and we need to abide by them.

But there are also times when things aren't so black and white, or if we view them in simplistic terms, the outcome can be dangerous, or harmful. In retrospect, regretful. And always those situations are when "the Law" is so negatively impacting a minority group, whether ethinic, racial, or by sexual orientation.

What is "the Law?" "Shouldn't we always abide by 'the Law?'" Who came here "legally?"*Slavery *The Holocaust *The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II *Segregation... Just a hand ful of important chapters in history we cannot forget. And times when part of the problem was that everyone 'abided.'

Is "the Law" more important than, simply, Humanity? Is it better to be legally right, and not consider moral issues? ... Is following "the Law" more important than the Human suffering inflicted by going by the book, or "the Law?"

And just a comment about being 'legal' in this country: Invasion, conquering and committing genocide on nations of native people -- how 'legal' was the founding of this country? I don't think the people who were here first, felt any of that was "legal," so who are we (most of us) to say, "my family came here legally?"

—CT