Sanctuary for those who want to constructively criticize the US

See, and even though I can see your argument (after spelling it out more clearly), I still have issues with it...I guess part of it is lumping Visa'd internationals in with illegals. They are two very distinct groups. And after working in the Admission office of my alma mater for many years, I understand the implication of eliminating international student visas. My University had approximately 15% of our student body as international students. Intl's do not get ANY federal or state subsidies of their education, they have to pay full tuition price (even more than full tuition at a state school). They provide an enormous benefit both to the endowment/coffers of the universities of this country, and also the social education of the student population. During my time in college I became friends with students from Singapore, Thailand, India, Malaysia, China, Russia, Philippines, Japan, Norway, UK, Spain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Israel, etc. If we curtailed the admission of international students then the education of our college students would be hurt in a very qualitative manner.

 

That's a good point. I wasn't suggesting all visas be done away with - obviously, that wouldn't even begin to touch the problem of total illegals who have no genuine paperwork at all.

Those visas we feel are needed could be kept, but more carefully screened. Maybe more thoroughly documented.

Recently, my cousin went to renew her just-expired passport. They required current ID in addition to the expired passport. She doesn't drive and doesn't have a state ID. They wouldn't take her student ID. They did, however, take my mom's word that she's who she says she is. My mother signed nothing, showed no ID of her own - just said, "Yeah, sure."

We're getting Nazi-ish on documentation, but missing the whole point of tracking people!

 

There is no question that the tracking and handling of documentation by INS needs a major overhaul, I'm just not sure the eliminatin of visas is a good way to go about it.

And conversely, I am still torn on the issue of true illegals. I just don't know that there is a solution.

 

I didn't think I said we should get rid of all visas. I'm not that well-educated on all the varieties out there, so I wouldn't purport to know in detail how to fix this, and if it came across like I had a detailed plan, I certainly don't. What I meant to say was that I think some forms of non-citizen paperwork should probably be gotten rid of, and others need to be overhauled.

I'm basing this on, for one example, how easy it is for Canadians to get visas and live here without being citizens. They just waltz over and hang out, and never go home. How hard would it be for a terrorist to get into the US if he's a Canadian citizen?

 

That is quite true. I have a friend who's boyfriend is Canadian. He came down to visit her this summer and hasn't gone back yet.