Cut the politically correct language

The sooner liberals realize that illegal means, well, illegal, the whole amnesty situation would be easier to address. Unfortunately, liberals aren’t planning to make that realization anytime soon. The Diversity Committee of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) is looking to “inform and sensitize” the media about how “offensive” the term “illegal immigrant” is to Latinos…and liberals. That’s right, we’ve now entered such a politically correct world where we shouldn’t call something what it actually is.

This certainly isn’t news to the writer’s here at American Age who have been covering this labelling band of liberals; and yes, the politically correct language that some would love to initiate to make things seem different than what they are in reality.

SPJ claims that “this is not about being politically correct,” but about minimizing harm, when in actuality, this is about rebranding amnesty and illegal immigration, two terms that Americans do not have favorable views of because, again, they’re illegal.

Diversity Committee member Leo Laurence announced the campaign against ‘illegal immigrant’ and ‘illegal alien’ terminology in the latest issue of the organization’s magazine, Quill, writing that those who have not obtained citizenship but have entered the country without any prior approval should be called ‘undocumented workers’ or ‘undocumented immigrants.'”

With all due respect to Leo Laurence, “WHY” is the question we ask – why change anything? Our readers know that we have discussed the notion of liberals wanting to change “illegal” to “undocumented” for years; however, is this right? We have always maintained that if a person commits an illegal act – such as border jumping – or stealing, domestic violence, assault and battery, as well as murder then the acts they have committed are illegal. In some instances those accused are to appear before the courts. However, illegal immigrant is established by the U.S. Constitution which deems the act as illegal.

What we’re now seeing are liberals trying to use new terminology so their cause earns a more advantageous view in the public’s eye. SPJ is pushing for individuals, who enter the country illegally, thus breaking American laws, be called “undocumented workers.”

This process of wanting to change the name of anything – especially those issues that affect children, education, and learning – for the sake of desensitizing is the entire nature of political correctness vis-a-vie changing language. The argument of “…it is the jury who declares innocence or guilt…” has little or nothing whatsoever to do with illegal or undocumented. Bare we even state this fact, it is not up to judges in any court in the land to make the determination either; or, any arm of the federal government such has Homeland Security, Customs and Immigration Services, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Conservative commentator Michelle Malkin, Fox News contributor and best-selling author, says that SPJ’s nomenclature change of illegal immigrants proves they’re not an objective news source.

“I think they should drop the pretence that they are an objective news organization, especially because the euphemism that they favor is far more politically loaded than the one that they’re trying to replace. It’s a farce to call someone an ‘undocumented worker’ who is full of fake, fraudulent documents and that is usually the case with many of the suspected illegal immigrants that these stories refer to.”

One the other hand The Associated Press (AP), which leans to the Left, recommends using the term “illegal immigrant.”

“The AP Stylebook created its entry on ‘illegal immigrant’ in 2004, in response to renewed debate over border security and the enforcement of immigration laws after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Together, the terms describe a person who resides in a country unlawfully by residency or citizenship requirements. Alternatives like undocumented worker, illegal alien or illegal’s lack precision or may have negative connotations. Illegal immigrant, on the other hand, is accurate and neutral for news stories.”

Again our compliments and huge kudos go out to Judicial Watch for inspiration as well as to Justin Credible is a contributing editor for Habledash for his expert contributions to this unfortunate saga.