Ray

Matt.. are citizens allowed concealed weapon permits in this area ...

Matthew Udall

Don't know. The only weapon I own is a 12-gage shotgun (used it as a young man to hunt pheasant and dove). Haven't shot it in years (and obviously I don't think I could carry it concealed :-).

I've never felt the need to carry a weapon, so I've not looked into it.

DCMark

Not in California without a difficult to obtain permit.

Ray

Amazing different attitudes in States .. Here its more of the sheriff can't be everywhere ..protect yourself ...
My Walther and I go everywhere together ...same with the wife ..

DCMark

Way off topic but where are you, perhaps Texas or Virginia? Virginia passed a law about a decade ago requiring the sheriff to issue a CWP unless the applicant had a criminal record or mental hospital stays. Got mine in the first month. Carried by Beretta .40 cal one time, then let the permit lapse. Too scary for me. Now in DC its not an issue as all handguns are banned.

Corrected the spelling! lol I knew that.

Ray

Florida ...Baretta was the TV series.. Beretta is the gun...
see my photo gallery for current stock.

Hypertweeky

I don't think is necessary to carry one either, we have the coppers for that!!
Besides my neighbors are very nice and quiet..

Rete

Guess the OT has truly gone OT ;-)

Still would like people to give their opinions of one or two of the proposed bills. I would like to learn what others who have gone through or are going through immigration processing feel.

Rete

Hypertweeky

Opps my bad!, Sorry to hi-jack your thread!

Steffi

To add even more to the OTness...

Hey! I used to live in Harrow! I went to school at Uni of Westminster so I lived at the campus over there. The next two years after that I lived more towards Wembley (off Preston Road). So "hello" (ex-)neighbor.

jemavalon

Well, if I have to choose between the two bills: I would definetely support Cornyn/Kyl bill rather than McCain/Kennedy. And here is why:

There are tons of hardworking people in poor countries that would like to come to the US, work here, provide better opportunities for their kids, etc. Some of them, say group A, who did not have legal ways of doing it and who knew that is was against the law just to cross the border or overstay a visa, decided not to do it. Some of their countrymen, say group B, also did not have any legal ways to immigrate, but they decided to break the law and come to US to live/work illegally. I think that any law like McCain/Kennedy that would provide group B an advantage over group A is unfair. Cornyn/Kyl bill, on the other hand, requires that people in group B apply for mandatory departure and leave the US. Then, people in both groups A and B can apply for working visas to US and they sort of start from the same point. There will still be some advantage for people in group B because of their connections in the US, but at least not as many as under McCain/Kennedy.

Also, Cornyn/Kyl bill seems to provide more money and focus on law enforcement (border patrol, ensuring employers compliance etc.), and provision that their countries partially need to pay for helthcare of these workers. Also, the 400K work visa limit under McCain/Kennedy is a joke, IMHO, compared to the estimated 10 million undocumented aliens in this country.

Both bills lack one big thing: budget or plan for USCIS, DOL and Dept. of State actually to process all the paperwork connected to whatever status/visa process they propose so that there is no impact on other USCIS, DOL and Dept. of State responsibilities. In 2000/2001, after passing the 245(i) exception, processing of a number of applications by USCIS slowed down significantly because then INS trying to accomodate all the applicants who had to apply before the deadline... I just hope it won't happen in this case (silly me).

Anyway, this is my personal opinion and I know that a lot of people will probably disagree...

Julia

nettlebed

How long ago was that? I lived in Dollis Hill for 6 months when I moved back from Uni, and then Stanmore for 12 years.

jeffreyhy

Rete,

Never thought I'd be saying this about any bill sponsored by Ted Kennedy, but after a first, quick, look through I'm initially inclined to favor S.1033 Kennedy/McCain.

I think that undocumented aliens are far more likely to sign on with the program of S.1033. I think that the mandatory departure provision of S.1438 would be a very significant, probably fatal, disincentive to participate in the program.

I think that there are other provisions in S.1438 that might also be onerous to an undocumented alien to the extent that when everything is added up the program won't achieve its objectives due to lack of voluntary participation.

I prefer the more general provisions of S.1033 describing in conceptual terms what is to be established for what purpose, without prescribing details that may or may not turn out to be appropriate for achieving the desired end.

I dislike the degree of detail in S.1438 specifiying, for example, how many new investgators for this department, how many new case workers of types A and B and C for that department, etc. without saying what these numbers are expected to accomplish.

Regards, JEff

Steffi

That was from 2000 to 2003. Good times, good times.

AGUILA

The answer to your questions is that they do not have that kind of many to attempt a legal way to enter the United States. The smugglers borrow that money that would cover their fees and then once the alien enters the US and starts working beings paying back the smugglers.

Also, unless a new law has been passed (which I am not aware of) an alien can't possibly come to live in the US legally unless has a capital of $1 million dollares.

Some illegal aliens are able to send $500 a month home because they live in depicable conditions. As you said, some liven an apartment with 10 other roomates each paying $100 bucks a month in rent and only by doing that is that they can afford sending so much home.

Rete, in case you didn't realize it yet you and the rest of all of us citizens and legal residents alike benefit from these illegal immigrants. How? Simply, every time you buy fruits in your supermarket, everytime you call a construction contractor to build a house or to repair one, everytime you go to a restaurant, everytime you take a yellow cabbie in nyc and elsewhere, everytime some needs to get their garden fixed, everytime you need a painter, a housecleaner/keeper, a babysitter, etc. I am not taking about their services they provide anyone can do them for sure, but how else will work for the money they do, without paid holidays, and many times although contributing to ssa they won't get anything at their retirment, without health/dental insurance plans, and 401ks, without unemployment insurance, on most of the times being exploited by their employers?

By the way, a quick concept on geography, I am an American too and so the mexicans, hondurans, colombians, and all north, central and south americans are. We are all Americans because we all live in the Americas continent. I still wonder when US citizens will stop using wrongly that concept.

Your way of thinking is completely wrong. If you grab a history book you will find the truth. Yours as well as many other us citizens by born ancestors came to the US motivated by the same reasons Mexican, Ecuadorians, etc come today. Because they are starving in their countries. That is what brought here the italians, the irish, the polish and all of the others citizens that came here in the first waves of immigrants. The ancestors also came here illegaly but back then no such rules existed, have you ever thought about that?

How would you define "american society" I can define it, and probably the most expert sociologist would not be able to define it either. Because the United States is composes by many sub-cultures Rete. Many, from all over the world. You are pinpointing hispanics particularly, but the same holds true for italians, greek, russians, polish, etc. They all mantain their own heritage and their cultural roots and there is nothing wrong with that. In my opinion, it would be wrong to do it otherwise by forgetting who you are and where you come from. It would be traison to themselves.

"Americans" are the less indiciated to talk about forcing. Because the US has always forced other countrys to do what is best in the interest of US corporations and other powerful people that run this country. Why is the US forcing 'democracy' in Iraq and Afganhistan, to cite current events? Why can the only country that has used weapons of mass destruction (Iroshima and Nagasaki) invade another country with the excuse that they possess weapons of mass destruction when Israel is known to have many weapons of mass destruction and it is the only country that has publicly recognized it and it is the only country known to posses such weapons in the Middle East?

It is only in the sole benefit of native "americans" that schools must teach Spanish. If you already forgot, Puerto Rico, a commonwealth of the United States, first language is Spanish.

Again, illegal aliens have given so much to this country, they will always do. Cheaper manufacturing, services, etc. If someone is afraid of walking in your so-called miniature cities of immigrants, their fear can only be based on their biases and their predjuices against immigrants. Do you know that "America" is the country that has the biggest number of serial killers? and guest what, they are not illegal immigrants.

That is the only way to go to solve this problem otherwise it will go on forever.