The Issue: The removal of the term “illegal immigrant” from the Associated Press stylebook.
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I thank Jonah Goldberg for exposing this politically correct and dangerous foolishness regarding 21st-century semantics in our society (“When ‘Illegal’ Is Just Accurate,” PostOpinion, April 6).
Eliminating accurate labels will surely hinder “thinking clearly and making distinctions,” as Goldberg sensibly puts it.
It inspired me to create some re-labeling of my own. Rather than “illegal immigrants,” we can simply call them “coddled trespassers,” and their enablers — the politicians on both sides who have broken their constitutional oath to protect us by leaving the border wide open and letting visa overstayers become permanent Americans — will be called “immoral and corrupt criminal defendants.”
I think those labels would definitely help people think more clearly and make the proper distinctions about the main players in this issue. Herb Eichen
Bayside
The Associated Press has issued new guidance for its writers with respect to labeling people.
Political correctness has replaced in-your-face accuracy, something most readers respect.
This is just more liberal folderol designed to obfuscate inconvenient facts.Paul Bloustein
Cincinnati
As an immigrant who invested all the necessary years and went through all the required phases of the citizenship process — from a work visa to a green card to ultimate nationalization — I find the politicizing of the immigration issue distasteful and regrettable.
To now have the Associates Press further belittle what it takes to become a nationalized American through its politically correct avoidance of the nomenclature “illegal immigrant” is disrespectful.
Anyone who skirted the law to get here is illegal, period.
As sympathetic as I am toward the plight of illegal immigrants currently in the United States, the fact remains that they broke the law to enter this country and must face whatever consequences result from that or else fulfill whatever requirements are necessary to make themselves legal residents.
Marcio Moreira
Chatham, NJ
Someone who illegally enters the country is what most folks I know think of as an “illegal immigrant.” That illegal act is a crime under federal law and carries criminal sanctions.
People at the AP should go back and read George Orwell’s “1984.” “Newspeak” is the handmaiden of political correctness.William Cullen
Brooklyn
If we call immigrants who came to America via a legal process “legal immigrants,” then it is grammatically consistent to call those who came here via an illegal process “illegal immigrants.” It’s parallel construction.
Furthermore, the term “illegal immigrants” does not stigmatize all immigrants.
By definition, it only stigmatizes those who came here illegally. I am a legal immigrant, and I am neither stigmatized nor offended.
When will we stop changing proper English terminology to appease the politically correct?
Illegal immigrants become “undocumented people.” The “war on terror” becomes an “overseas contingency operation.” The murder of unborn babies is “pro-choice.” Jails are “correctional facilities” and on and on. Enough already. Elio Valenti
Brooklyn
The AP has embraced a new policy against labeling people.
I guess this means that “right-wing extremist,” “Republican obstructionist,” “the greedy rich” and “the pay-your-fair-share 1 percent” will no longer be used.
Steve Heitner
Port Jefferson Station.