Nextdoor Banned me for This...
So, a week or so ago I had posted a video on Nextdoor which was clearly from Philadelphia, PA. In no way was I trying to suggest it was local. But it was a video of problems really going on in this country. A problem I see and interact with, in person, almost daily. But luckily here in the Buffalo, NY area it isn't quite as extreme. But it very much still exists. The drug and addiction issue is a huge problem, and it is very sad to see so many loved ones lost to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfizDpb0pH0
The post gathered a few comments, one of which was talking about illegal aliens. I wasn't following the post at all, as I was away from the computer much of the weekend, but I did get a grasp of what was being said from the email notifications of replies. I shall show you some of the replies which were applicable:
Personally, I am a LEGAL Immigrant to this country. Technically, I was indeed called an Alien. So I believe I do have some first hand insight that I can share here. 'Alien' is/was the official term on the paperwork. I went through the proper immigration process, and while daunting at first, it really wasn't that difficult of a process. I am now a full American Citizen after many years of living here.
"Undocumented Persons" is sugar coating. Changing a name just to make it sound more PC isn't a solution to a problem, nor does it erase any criminal intentions or actions that were/are being done. Illegally immigrating across a border is a federal crime in it's self, so why stop with breaking just one federal law, since they already did that when they entered.
Undocumented or Illegal Aliens, as they are officially called, are a concern as they are a drain on our resources and many have reasons as to why they are undocumented. i.e. a criminal past, or no transferrable skills with which to bring into the US workforce.
As an immigrant myself, I do feel very strongly that undocumented immigrants should be round up and deported, and should also be stopped before they illegally cross the border in the first place. Go thru the process legally - then all will be fine, and they will be welcomed. At least then the IRS can also look into them as fellow tax paying Americans and Residents. Why should we get all the fun?
The immigration process is a way to ensure that the people coming into the country know, and respect our laws and can abide by them. Without laws and order, life becomes just a little less cozy and comfy. Maybe some people haven't directly experienced violence or crime. But if things like this keep up, I am sure that it will become more and more common.
Suggesting that someone who thinks like I do, needs to educate themselves about proper nouns and political correctness, is not a fix to any problem. The problem isn't how things are portrayed, but indeed the problem is the issue itself. It is easy to deflect and suggest that the problem is how people view the issue - and it is also easy to blame them for those viewpoints, and then ban them on a website for having an opposing viewpoint. But that won't stop the issue, and won't solve the problem. But it will make some people feel better, and thus the 'virtue signaling' will be enough to satisfy some people's need to feel like they have accomplished something good for the day.
But that wasn't the issue I was even attempting to bring light to. Tho after being banned for not even being involved in that discussion, I feel like I wish to share my feelings on that little topic that my post brought to light. What I actually posted which I was banned for, was legitimate and informative and very much something that people need to be aware of that is going on. It had nothing to do with immigrants.
I always see people saying "well, what are we supposed to do about it" or "do you have any better ideas on how to solve this?". But when conversations take place and people who have actually dealt with the issues first hand speak up, they are often shut down because people don't like the answers they give. And this, is indeed how we get to this problem. When one side is unwilling to hear what the other side is saying, and instead they choose to silence them - that censorship and blind ignorance is what causes these problems in society.
Nextdoor, like many other websites, really aren't here to help or solve anything. If you want to help your neighbor, get out in the world, off of the computer and away from toxic social media sites, and actually do something helpful in the real world. If you really want to, go ahead and sponsor an immigrant to come and live with you and help (and pay for) them to immigrate. At least that will be a step in the right direction.