While the word “alien” is still used by the federal government and a wide variety of legal material to describe someone who is neither born nor naturalized in a country, California Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 432 this week to ban the use of the term. The bill was introduced by State Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) not only remove the term from all government documents but also removed the state’s preference for hiring U.S. citizens on public works projects during periods of unemployment.
The bill passed the Senate unanimously. Mendoza insisted that the term is “offensive” and “is now commonly considered a derogatory term for a foreign-born person and has very negative connotations.” The only person to vote against the bill was Assemblyman Matthew Harper (R-Huntington Beach) who insisted that “[t]he negative connotations come from the fact that people are breaking the law. Changing the word won’t change the fact that folks are here illegally.”
What do you think?
The problem is that thanks to Hollywood, the word “alien” conjures up the image of a horrifying monster dripping acidic saliva. It is easy enough to use language that does not immediately make someone think of a monster from space with nefarious intentions. Although I normally don’t like Political Correctness, I support this law.
Also, where does Matthew Harper come from? What’s his record abiding by the law? We should ask questions of people in power, not of people without any. Not EVER done here, though.
I think if we are to use that term, then apply it uniformly. I believe Turley is Italian, therefore, to the Native Americans of this country, you are technically an alien… Then it’s fine. But I know how the Neoliberal Anglo-American state works…. It’s only applied to concentrate power and separate the people.
I know JT is upset though… I can just hear: this is OUR country… I teach at George Washington University for darns sake not Simon Bolivar University!
Tinear: We who live in Ca. DO CARE, but we unfortunately “ARE held hostage by this Loony Democrat Control over this once beautiful State, that is turning into a Hell Hole.” Many are leaving, which will erode the state’s coffers, as the illegals they are taking in, ARE Overwhelming ALL our systems in Place. We, have been held hostage as I said, by those who KEEP CONTROL OF CA. – DEMOthugs, who ARE ruining this state completely.
I wish Beldar would chime in here on the nature of a true alien. The sponsor has a Spanish sounding name. In many parts of his state they would call him a FrigginMexican. That is one word. And sometimes the word Friggin is a bit harsher.
Mister Trump: Build Up That Wall!
While Governor Moonbeam NOW, wants to play AGAINST the freedom of speech, he is wrong to think that we are NOT going to call these “Illegal Alien Invaders also Criminals who broke OUR Laws, as he tries to erode our Constitutional Rights Guaranteed us, “UNDER FREEDOM OF SPEECH”
Thanks to Obama’s “Illegal Alien Invasion of America” he’s made our Republic into “America’s Dumping Ground” – But, he will NOT take away our Constitutional Rights, Bill of Rights, as he and the rest of the “Liberal Loons in D. C., Sacramento and Northern California want to play like Obama-stifle FREE SPEECH.”
Radical Liberals are ALL Alike, they do whatever they want(in a minority) and the Rest of American Tax Payers must Foot the Bill. Obama has done nothing but ERODE our Rights as American Citizens, as he is banking on these Illegals voting Democrat(out of their devotion) being thankful to him, AND thus, the Demo Thugs KEEP Control and remain in power.
This is “Political Kabuki Theater” and Obama’s wanting to bring this Republic down to her knees, in his quest for it’s DEMISE….ALL DELIBERATELY. Moonbeam should worry MORE about the drought situation in California, by building ‘desalinization plants with our vast ocean’ INSTEAD of “His Bullet Train to Nowhere”
as he holds us “Political Hostages by his inane ideas, like MOST RADICALS HAVE.”
Well many of us Californians do care and speak with our votes. We’re just severely outnumbered in this state. With a super majority of democrats in the CA legislature, they pretty much do whatever crazy thing they want. The scary thing is, as CA goes, so goes the nation. We can all only hope this isn’t true.
Banning words is ridiculous and is superficial. It is the same as banning the words “climate change” or “global warming”.
@Ash: CA isn’t interested in keeping illegals out. That’s the point. The state has moved to eliminate virtually every distinction between its legal and illegal residents. How they think this will boost their economy, lower their taxes, improve their educational system or lower their crime rate is beyond me, but obviously they don’t care.
@Isaac: There are no “indigenous” people’s in the Western Hemisphere. That is just another P.C. term coined during the 1960s or 70s. The “First Nations”, AKA American Indians, or Native Americans or Indigenous Peoples originated in Mongolia and migrated across the ice bridge between Siberia and what is now Alaska. DNA has unequivocally established their ancestral roots in Asia.
California doesn’t seem to mind being perceived as the land of nutty people and politicians. But it is ultimately up to the voters of that state to elect those who share their views. I think the language change is just P.C. nonsense, but I am particularly surprised about the vote to eliminate the preference for citizens in state employment. I would have thought that citizenship would be a requirement for working in any government job. But….if California voters don’t care enough to reject these politicians then that is their choice.
Reminds me of the two states, Wisconsin and Florida that banned the use of the word “Climate Change”.
I find the elimination of the hiring preference even more egregious.
How can California expect to keep the undocumented out when the gov’t itself is eager to hire them?
I wonder what they would do with the phrase: All alien lives matter.
With the size and importance of the Hispanic vote in California, this fits. The word alien carries with it connotations that are basically negative. From an invader from another planet/country to some one who is not native, all but the indigenous of the Western Hemisphere are essentially aliens or the offspring of aliens. There are those that came over on the Mayflower and those that came over on the Memphis. There are those that snuck across the border from Canada or Mexico and then became citizens and those that went or are going through the system. Immigrant, perhaps resident, illegal or legal, temporary or permanents should be the term(s) used. There are/were a lot of labels for people that are no longer politically correct. Negro is not a derogatory noun but acquired a derogatory bent and has been phased out, except of course by other Negroes. Black is still OK depending on the company you keep. Most Negroes from the 60’s and 70’s still prefer Black as it is beautiful.
Regarding citizenship and job preference, if a person is a legally documented immigrant and can do the job, they should not be pushed aside by someone who is merely a citizen. Legal is legal and capable is capable. The criteria for obtaining a position should be capability focused and not nepotistic in any way. This should not be too hard to understand for those that realize that a company or country is only as strong as its performance.
They do not call him Governor Moonbeam for nothing.
Much ado, much ado…it will only open up other channels of anti-PC that the state cannot shut down. Can you imagine how the DA will describe the next murderer of a US citizen by an undocumented…what exactly? Name your euphemism. Believe me, the anti-PC culture is strong enough and disgusted enough to quickly demonstrate how ridiculous and self-defeating such measures are.
A person can be an alien and be here legally, so the guy who voted against the bill is stupid. I would have voted against the bill since it is silly and smacks of PC. I am more concerned that aliens can get government jobs on an equal basis as US citizens in time of unemployment. That defeats the whole idea of citizenship and providing relief to our own .
I take note of PC language. In the past 3-5 years liberals have worked diligently changing the term “illegal alien” to “undocumented.” THEY HAVE DOCUMENTS! THEY ARE FRAUDULENT!! How about using the term “Fraudulently Documented?” And, instead of Cecil the Lion, how about something on Marilyn Pharis, raped and bludgeoned to death by an ILLEGAL ALIEN. It is an abomination, this debate is going on in the same state Marilyn Pharis was killed just a few days ago.
I have great respect for the Hispanic culture. My son is Hispanic. I have worked too many cases involving illegal alien criminals to have respect for that segment. The Hispanic people, the vast majority being hard working, law abiding, religious, family people, need to step up and speak out against the illegal alien criminals that besmirch them.
SH………