Before beginning this blog I considered myself well-informed on the issue of illegal information, and I believed my opinions were set in stone. I also assumed that I had an accurate view of Obama's view on immigration, when I fact I had a few details wrong. I knew I had a basic idea that I didn't like the border fence, but I wasn't really sure why.
First off, I must declare that I am now so much more informed on this issue than I was previously. I was unclear as to each president's views on immigration, and I just assumed that since Obama was a Democrat, he believed the same as I did. I now am confident and informed on the issue of illegal immigration and was proud when I casted an informed vote in this year's election.
I never fully realized how similar Barack Obama and John McCain's views were until I did the research. In nearly every aspect they are similar which caused me to rethink my candidate for one sad day. However, after doing more research I realized that Obama was still my candidate of choice. Every reader should know by now my position on the border fence, but they also understand that toward the beginning of the blog, I believed that Obama was against it. But, McCain and Obama are both in favor of the fence. This caused me to stop and think , "maybe I should research the independent party candidate?". So I began my research on Ralph Nader.
Nader believes in the basic human rights of all Americans and wants to raise the minimum wage to 8 dollars an hour, then raise it again to ten dollars an hour. Like Obama and McCain, Nader also wants to crack down on employer's who hire illegal immigrants, and certify a guest worker program. But unlike Obama and McCain, Nader believes in giving driver's licenses and all benefits to illegals. He also believes in enforcing a Canadian-type temporary permit system for immigrants. Nader definitely is taking a personal approach to this issue as his vice-presidential candidate, Matt Gonzalez, is an activist for immigration and is of Hispanic origin. However, casting a vote for an independent party candidate seems like a waste of a vote.
As for the border fence that I was against, I had no reasons as to why I opposed it. However, now I can firmly say I am against the border fence because it's an environmental, personal, and agricultural hazard.
I also could not comprehend the price that illegal immigration is costing us every year. The numbers are outrageous. But as much I believe in the good of our economy, I also believe in the welfare of every human being. Every person deserves "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and immigrants are no exceptions. The naturalization process is ridiculously long and tedious and it just discourages illegal immigrants to actually become documented. As I have stated before, what's the point of waiting 5 years to become a citizen when you can work illegally right now?
Class-wise I found this project to be very helpful in not only getting to know my classmates, but also discussing important topics with them. Commenting on each post also forced me in a way to learn even more about my topic and go beyond the realms of everyday thinking. The relaxed, no-pressure environment the internet provides allows for comment replies that are well thought out and constructed. Public speaking is hard for many people and, when put on the spot, an answer can be uninformed or short. By writing on the internet, an individual gets better information.
Towards the beginning of the project, with the first few posts, I found it extremely difficult to come up with a topic for each post. Therefore, the blog was slow to get started and I really didn't enjoy it initially. It was a chore to google possible topics and then research them. As the weeks progressed though, I found it easier to take a suggestion from someone's comment or delve deeper into a different aspect of immigration. I realized that these posts don't have to be specifically about immigration, they could be about the effects immigration has on society or the naturalization process. Once I got into this mindset I found the whole process easier.
This blog also allowed me to examine my preconceived notions on illegal immigration. Before starting this project I based most of opinion on my conservative parent's opinion, my job, and the place I lived. My parents are pretty strictly Republican and believe most of the things that go along with that. As I listened to them discuss illegal immigration and all the negative effects it has on society, I began to agree with them. I also worked at my town's grocery store and sold food to many Hispanic people. I found it difficult to converse with these people or tell them how much their order was if they didn't speak English. So then I began to think that illegal immigrants (although I can't assume all of the Hispanic customers are illegal) would benefit from learning English, and I still do. I grew up in a town that has quite a high percentage Hispanic population. Again, I can't assume that all Hispanics are illegal, but I began to relate Hispanics with illegals and always saw them in the bad part of town or being convicted of murders, so I also related illegals with crime. I didn't even realize how biased I was until I started doing this project. Although experience is good to shape an opinion, it can also alter the actual reality of an issue.
Other student's blog helped me to become informed on issues ranging from global warming and oil to healthcare, the economy, and the situation in Iran. More than likely, I would not have chosen to research these topics on my own, and the fact that I had to comment on the information I was reading helped me connect more the material.
In summary, my views have stayed relatively constant. I still believe that all illegal immigrants in our country now should become naturalized and learn English and I still believe in stronger security at the border (which doesn't include the border fence). The only true thing that has changed is that I now am considerably more informed on the topic.