MSNBC's Wagner: Referring to 'Illegal' Immigrants Is 'Coded' and 'Derogatory' Language
Referring to immigrants who are in the United States illegally as "illegals" is "derogatory" and "coded" language, even if it is true, MSNBC's newest daytime host Alex Wagner complained in a panel discussion on her noon Eastern program Now with Alex Wagner.
The remark came in the middle of a discussion about former Gov. Mitt Romney's chances of defeating President Obama next year should Romney be the nominee. Liberal panelist Alicia Menendez had groused about Republican primary candidates' "crazy anti-immigrant comments," prompting Wagner to interrupt, "Illegals, I think the repetitive reference to illegals."
"Well, they are illegal though," Newsmax's Jedediah Bila interjected. "Can I just say that? They're breaking the law," the lone conservative on the panel reminded viewers.
"But if we're talking about semiotics, and you're also looking to win the Hispanic population, you go out there, and, the term illegals, I think, is coded," Wagner insisted. "It's in a way derogatory, it may be factual, but I think he's going to have to pivot off of that kind of rhetoric and then say to Hispanic Americans I will represent you too."
In other words, yes, illegal immigration may be a real issue, but Wagner and the liberal media are going to do their darned best to conflate that concern with outright xenophobia in order to damage the Republicans' chances of taking the White House.
- Ken Shepherd's blog
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Comments
Okay, not "illegal immigrants"
Submitted by Russian55 on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 4:34pm.
Does that mean we call them "wetbacks" again?
---
Those who beat their swords into plowshares will end up plowing for those who kept their swords in the first place!
Damn, do we ever need a "Like" button
Submitted by Dave. on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 8:39pm.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
What part of "illegal
Submitted by Kenny Bunkport on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 11:57pm.
What part of "illegal immigrant" is coded? They're immigrants, and they did it illegally. How can it be less unambiguous?
Now "undocumented resident" strikes me as a coded word.
i Disagree Kenny
Submitted by Cappmann1962 on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 2:18pm.
They're not illegal IMMIGRANTS. They're illegal ALIENS. Let this Alex b!tc# put THAT into her secret decoder ring and see what comes out.
P.S. She's also against the Second Amendment. I guess our Constitution must also be some kind of code.
Capp, So right you are! You
Submitted by Kenny Bunkport on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 8:26pm.
Capp,
So right you are! You and the others have educated me on the meaning of "immigrant". And I had almost forgotten the more correct term "illegal alien". Just shows how endless repetition and selective exposure can eventually cloud even the most non-PC minds.
Double post.
Submitted by Kenny Bunkport on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 12:00am.
Double post.
Princess PC
Submitted by Galvanic on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 4:50pm.
WAGNER: "But if we're talking about semiotics, and you're also looking to win the Hispanic population, you go out there, and, the term illegals, I think, is coded. It's in a way derogatory, it may be factual, but I think he's going to have to pivot off of that kind of rhetoric and then say to Hispanic Americans I will represent you too."
Whenever a TV host uses the word pivot, the bullsh** flag goes up.
The word illegal is not "code" for anything; it means exactly what it says. Hispanic Americans know this. It is the MSM that uses leftist code to describe immigrants who are hear illegally. Words like undocumented worker imply that the immigrant is merely guy with a job who is merely missing a piece of paper.
Any TV host that uses the
Submitted by redfish on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 6:21pm.
Any TV host that uses the word semiotics when not discussing academic theory should set off some bullsh** flags also.
Alex Wagner seems unaware that a large number of the people in the Hispanic population do not agree with those who have chosen to come here illegally.
Terms like "undocumented worker" are also meant to suggest that its not the worker's fault that he's here illegally, that his lack of papers are just an accident of bureaucracy. I do have some sympathy for those who come here, and there are others to point the finger to, like businesses that hire them -- who I also have some sympathy for, since they're just trying to compete and make a living -- but its not altogether improper to be critical. Whenever the issue of "anchor babies" comes up, people always talk about the ethical obligations of our country to help them, but nobody talks about the ethical obligations of the mother for involving her child in a (legitimate) political dispute in the first place.
This is pathetic
Submitted by jon_torlin on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 4:37pm.
I wouldn't be able to put up with this level of stupidity for more than 30 seconds.
-Jon
OMG-once again, shes featured!
Submitted by NJRightWinger12 on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 4:38pm.
Hey, Alex the great lib-STFU! FOUR stories in THREE days? I cant take her anymore-shes Kim Kardashian of the politcal blogs-only with less brains, and obviously less looks!
No. It's code for: Law
Submitted by rbosque on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 4:39pm.
No. It's code for: Law breaker.
Wow, this chick has really made a name for herself
Submitted by lsudolemite on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 4:39pm.
She has real potential to knock off Contessa Brewer for the coveted MSNBC Queen of Stupid crown.
More like the new Mika B!
Submitted by NJRightWinger12 on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 6:39pm.
Only it took her MONTHS to attain her level of stupidity! This ones zooming up to the top of the charts!
Darn, I forgot about Mika
Submitted by lsudolemite on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 7:58pm.
The race for the crown is now too close to call.
Its getting close! Alex is hugging the rails!
Submitted by NJRightWinger12 on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 12:48pm.
BTW-from what hole in the ground does this fu^kin station find these libtard idiots? The LaBrea tar pits-no offense to inanimate fossil fuels, of course!
Queen of Stupid crown
Submitted by RESTLESS 1 on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 12:51pm.
Yeah right, like chrissie is giving that up anytime soon.
Megan McCain
Submitted by Free Stinker on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 8:36pm.
. . . and Megan McCain remains a close 3rd.
/// Sarah Palin Fan since July 11, 2007 /// خال
Ok
Submitted by texusmc on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 4:41pm.
I really don't even know how this woman does not fall down more because of her stupidity. Illegal is a code word? WTH? Illegal is a word meaning LAW BREAKER! plain and F#@%! simple!. And since when is bieng agains ILLEGAL Immigration against Immigration all together? Oh the curse words I want to use! Legal Immigration=Good. ILLEGAL Immigration=Bad. Understand? (and the following is not to be offensive to blonds who have brains) Deep down in your brain you are blond but when the air hits it, it turns brown!
gameplan
Submitted by nelman on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 4:59pm.
Tex,
It's all part of the grand liberal scheme....get as many people through the fence and onto the socialist plantation, then addict them to the crack cocaine of government subsidies and they will vote for you for life. The difference now is that the cockroaches in the dem party are no longer afraid of the light because they have absolute cover from the fourth estate....the media.
fourth estate....the media
Submitted by CarlosS on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 5:20pm.
More like a fifth column
Yes, Alex, it's "code"
Submitted by motherbelt on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 4:51pm.
It's "code" for people who have come to live in this country without complying with our immigration laws.
Would using the longer definition make it more palatable for you? Or is that just "code" for "illegal"?
Actually, even the term 'illegal immigrant' is inaccurate
Submitted by Callawyn on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 4:49pm.
The correct legal term is, "illegal alien'. Anything else is a euphemism.
The Left loves to redefine the terms of debate. They've got everyone using an incorrect term here already - illegal immigrant, and now they're trying to remove the 'illegal' part of it.
I have to respectfully
Submitted by Ken Shepherd on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 5:21pm.
I have to respectfully disagree. There's nothing illegal about them being alien to the country. We let all kinds of aliens in the country both to immigrate and to visit so long as they do so by the legal visa or green card process.
What is illegal is their act of immigration contrary to the law of the land, be it by a visa overstay or by border-jumping.
New term
Submitted by nelman on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 4:49pm.
Since the libs hate calling things by their real names how's this:
"law breaking trespassers and violators of our sovereign borders"?
Is that enough code to water down your feelings?
coded words = Newspeak
Submitted by kata on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 4:51pm.
The purpose of Newspeak was not only to provide a medium of expression for the world-view and mental habits proper to the devotees of IngSoc, but to make all other modes of thought impossible. It was intended that when Newspeak had been adopted once and for all and Oldspeak forgotten, a heretical thought -- that is, a thought diverging from the principles of IngSoc -- should be literally unthinkable, at least so far as thought is dependent on words - George Orwell
Orwell severely underestimated the stupidity of Big Brother
Submitted by lsudolemite on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 5:10pm.
Today, as in 1948, nobody is smart enough to create the perfect dystopia.
I believe he predicted
Submitted by kata on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 5:18pm.
that it could take as long as 2050 to firmly encode the language so as to actually form desired paths of thinking and weed out the undesirable ones. I think it was his hope, in writing 1984, that the general populace would recognize the danger before it was too late. The invention of the internet has helped a lot in cutting loose the ties of information that used to be so firmly held by a few people.
kata...
Submitted by crimsonspark on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 6:23pm.
Aren't you glad that Al Gore was the one Democrat who did something right when he invented the internet (*rolls eyes*). But seriously, the Republicans should just get a spine and just say what needs to be said. They're going to be called racists, haters, stupic, etc. anyway, so they might as well get the truth out there.
being as
Submitted by kata on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 8:04pm.
the internet will likely be one of the largest reasons for the collaspe of his AGW movement... well, I consider that excellent karma.
How sweet would that be
Submitted by crimsonspark on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 8:57pm.
assuming that Obama doesn't push through net neutrality. You know they're just itching to control the internet.
More code
Submitted by HockeyKid on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 4:52pm.
Here's another code word for you, Alex: "moron". It really means "what Alex Wagner sees in the mirror".
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Yet another brain dead
Submitted by Scuba Dude on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 5:11pm.
Yet another brain dead libturd polluting the airwaves via MessNBC.
Was she deprived of oxygen as a child?
You're right
Submitted by Djinn1975 on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 5:19pm.
you zaftig mouthpiece. It is coded language, allow me to clarify.
We're sick and tired of your parasitic voter/entitlement/criminal/welfare base and want them out until they come back LEGALLY and contribute just like the millions of LEGAL immigrants over our great nation's history, AND we want them to prove that they are here LEGALLY to participate in the privileges bestowed upon LEGAL citizens, i.e. employment and voting.
All throughout US Code
Submitted by ricklail on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 5:24pm.
All throughout US Code illiegal is used. I guess the libturds need to change the language in the law.
Well, this dope fits right in
Submitted by ant on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 5:44pm.
Well, this dope fits right in with the rest of the MSNBC brain trust. She was just talking about what a good idea it would be to get rid of "the right to bear arms" in this Country, because, to her logic, we already have "freedom of speech, and assembly". Guess it never occurred to her that those could easily be taken away by the tyrannical left without the 2nd amendment.
"Illegal" is derogatory? It's supposed to be, hon. I guess they're still upset their Newspeak idea from last year of calling them "displaced foreign travellers" didn't catch on. Then again, if it had, we'd be hearing this year that calling 'illegals' DFT's is racist.
Its MSNBC the Obama
Submitted by John21 on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 5:46pm.
Its MSNBC the Obama cheerleader, never expect intelligent statements from the braindead zombies.
A Star Is Born.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 5:53pm.
Maybe Alex could pick a more palatable synonym for illegal:
actionable, banned, black-market, bootleg, contraband, criminal, crooked, extralegal, felonious, forbidden, heavy*, hot*, illegitimate, illicit, interdicted, irregular, lawless, not approved, not legal, outlawed, outside the law, prohibited, proscribed, prosecutable, racket, shady, smuggled, sub rosa, taboo, unauthorized, unconstitutional, under the table, unlawful, unlicensed, unofficial, unwarrantable, unwarranted, verboten, violating, wildcat, wrongful.
When did this trollop come on
Submitted by Kenny Bunkport on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 5:57pm.
When did this trollop come on the scene? It seems like I saw her name for the first time just a week or so ago. Now she's like in NB every day. I'm already sick of seeing her liberal regurgitation. Talk about 0 to Annoying in 4.2 seconds.
So
Submitted by Tjexcite on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 6:08pm.
So, Drug Dealers are not doing a an illegal activity they are doing an unapproved transaction of unapproved medicine.
They are selling
Submitted by ahusser on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 6:25pm.
undocumented pharmaceuticals.
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
WHO IN THE HELL HIRED THIS
Submitted by helomech on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 6:33pm.
WHO IN THE HELL HIRED THIS DIPSH1T?
Well I can
Submitted by texusmc on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 2:02pm.
honestly say it WASN'T any of us!.
@HM which one did you work on? 46,53, Huey or Cobra?
me- did a few years (8) as a 46 bubble bender before retiring out.
Violating the Law-
Submitted by JIMMY1660 on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 6:46pm.
okay lets pretend-
murderer is a code word for what
rapist is a code word for what
pedophile is a code word for what
armed robber is a code word for what
these are folks who violated the law
NOTHING MORE
Illegals have violated the law.
Many immigrants have come to the USA-filed the paperwork and been welcomed.
The words are what they are-Illegal immigrant.
bring our troopers home and put them on the borders-north and south
Coded? Uhm, honey, is that what the voices are telling you?
Submitted by drsamherman on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 7:05pm.
One of the first tipoffs about a hallucinatory patient is a claim of "coded" language that only they can personally understand. Alex, honey, if you are seeing messages that no one else does, it's a type of hallucination that does not bode well on an overall assessment of your mental health or capacity.
Being a Latino who happens to have been BORN a citizen to other BORN citizens, it is striking that you would use such blatantly fallacious reasoning to say the word "illegal" is coded and derogatory. If immigrants have not gone through the legal process to visit, live or work here, they are here ILLEGALLY. If you don't understand that, Alex honey, then you need to go back to a junior high Civics course.
Plain English is a coded,
Submitted by celator on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 7:11pm.
Plain English is a coded, mysterious language for these wacky lefty political activists. They converse in "newspeak", doncha know? ;+}
Well then, Alex, how about Illegal Criminal Invaders?
Submitted by Dave. on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 8:44pm.
Yes, I realize that is redundant, but we are dealing with government-educated morons like you, after all.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Man alive
Submitted by LinTaylor on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 9:30pm.
This girl's really putting in some overtime to get her crazy frothing liberal creds, isn't she?
But really, she does illustrate the key problem in the debate over illegal immigration. Conservatives believe the key word is "illegal"; liberals believe it's "immigrant" and throw racism accusations at anyone who dares attempt to enforce the law and put these poor, mistreated criminals at risk of not being able to suck on the government teat.
(Frankly, I have a very low tolerance for illegal immigration thanks to my sister-in-law. She's Vietnamese, came over legally when she was a child, and became very successful. And she hates illegals even more than I do.)
HA! OT and working through lunch, it looks like.
Submitted by ant on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 10:57pm.
If there were ever a national movement to replace liberal journalists with illegal immigrants, their recognition of the term 'illegal' would be instantaneous.
Ant,There is already a term
Submitted by Kenny Bunkport on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 12:09am.
Ant,
There is already a term that liberal journalists recognize as meaning the same thing as illegal - internet blogger
Oh, for the love of...
Submitted by Kaleidoscopic God on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 10:21pm.
How on earth does MSNBC manage to find people so incredibly stupid???
MSNBC employees
Submitted by Agnostic on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 10:57am.
libereral education system
They are not immigrants
Submitted by Al Teal on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 1:09am.
"Immigrant" implies that the person belongs here. They don't. They are "illegal aliens." An unnaturalized foreign resident of a country is an 'alien.' If that alien is, by law, not allowed to be here. He is an 'illegal alien.'
If it offends you to be called illegal
Submitted by ohio granny on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 10:53am.
If someone is offended by being called illegal, then go back to where you came from. It makes no difference whether you are called an illegal immigrant or an illegal alien. If you are here illegally that makes you ILLEGAL. I don't care how offended you are. You have NO RIGHT to be offended by being called exactly what you are!!!!!!!!!!!
There is no such thing as an illegal immigrant.
Submitted by jeffinsac on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 10:47am.
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
There is no such thing as an illegal immigrant under the law and it is an oxymoron because immigrants are those who come to the country legally and follow the law. Under the law anyone in our country who is not a citizen is called an alien and there are both legal and illegal aliens. Those who are working here with a green card are what are called legal aliens and everyone else is an illegal alien, but for some reason the media refuses to use the proper terms and definitions under the law. Heck even NewsBusters is doing the same thing by debating leaving off the illegal part while ignoring the fact that they are aliens and not immigrants.
terminology
Submitted by texasborngranny on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 12:20pm.
Immigrant
An alien who has been granted the right by the USCIS to reside permanently in the United States and to work without restrictions in the United States. Also known as a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR).
Illegal Alien
An alien who has entered the United States illegally and is deportable if apprehended, or an alien who entered the United States legally but who has fallen "out of status" and is deportable.
There is no such thing as an "illegal immigrant".
Personally, I think since they broke the law by being in the US illegally, they are criminals and that people who enter a country illegally are invaders, sooooooo they are - Criminal Invaders.
so
Submitted by texusmc on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 2:07pm.
they (MSLSD Hosts) got a degree in "Liberal Arts" but can't sing well enough to get paid, can't dance enough to make any money, can't draw, paint or scuplt to draw a crowd for money, can't play a musical intrument well enough to have people buy their music, and obviously can't write well enough to be an well respected author. So you take those 5 little things that is know as the "Arts" away and what are you left with? that's right boys and girls, LIBERAL.
And to quote a fellow NB'r "Liberal is to the bone" , but it also affects the brain!
ANOTHER OBAMA TOADY
Submitted by greatj on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 3:40pm.
Wagner spent the last month being indoctrinated in the hate Republicans and Conservatives propaganda attacks.Wagner is another leftist toady bootlicking Obama sucker like the rest of the M.S.N.B.C.trash.
Liberal games make me ill.
Submitted by psiEnergos on Thu, 11/17/2011 - 7:17pm.
I swear the next one that plays games with words is going to get beat down SO hard with an unabridged Oxford dictionary! Coded? Yeah its code for anyone who believes your lying nonsense is an idiot.