FNC Follows Up on Journalists’ Group Push to Change ‘Illegal’ to ‘Undocumented’
On Dec. 14, 2010, the Culture and Media Institute reported that the Society for Professional Journalists (SPJ)’s Diversity Committee announced a year-long campaign to “educate journalists about the hurtfulness of phrases like ‘illegal immigrant,’ which is the term currently preferred by the influential AP Stylebook.”
After the Daily Caller picked up the story, the Fox News Channel followed suit. On Jan. 3, “Fox & Friends’” host Steve Doocy interviewed Leo Laurence, a member of SPJ’s Diversity Committee, who couched the society’s advocacy as a constitutional issue.
(Video below the fold)
Furthermore, Laurence asserted that, “It's a very conservative issue because we're following our constitution.”
Since the Constitution doesn’t require torturing language to score a political point, Doocy was rightly skeptical. “So you're saying until the [illegal immigrant] has been through the system, adjudicated, you simply cannot say that?”
“That's correct,” answered Laurence, and smugly gave out his personal phone number and e-mail on the air for “anybody [that] wonders about that.”
As CMI pointed out last month, in advocating for language that contorts and obscures the illegal status of the immigrants in question, the Society for Professional Journalists is abandoning journalism and taking a side in a political issue. It is also insulting American media consumers’ intelligence. A drunk driver is a drunk driver, even if he hasn’t been caught by the police and declared guilty by a judge.
It seems the SPJ itself realizes, if belatedly, the absurdity of Laurence’s assertion. His original article now sports the following note right at the top:
CLARIFICATION: The following article is an opinion piece and does not reflect the views of SPJ, its membership or its Diversity Committee. The committee itself has taken no official initiative on the use of the phrase "illegal immigrant."
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Comments
The argument is fundamentally false
Submitted by Galvanic on Mon, 01/03/2011 - 5:47pm.
If I am 19 years old but have used a false identification document to purchase liquor, I have committed an illegal act. I don't have to be convicted by a court to have broken the law.
If I have entered the United States by means other than those proscribed by US law, I have done so illegally, regardless of an immigration hearing. If ICE decides not to deport me, that's doesn't mean I'm here legally; it merely means that they aren't deporting me.
Or to put it another way, if residence in the United States is certified by documents -- i.e. birth certificate, green papers, valid visa, etc. -- and an individual has none of those documents (in other words, undocumented), then that individual is here illegally.
Undocumented and illegal are synonomous with regard to US residence.
How about ' alleged illegal
Submitted by Barack_must_go..... on Mon, 01/03/2011 - 5:51pm.
How about ' alleged illegal alien ' or ' potentially illegal islamic terrorist ', or better yet, ' allegedly illegal potential voter for the hard up, at the possible cost of innocent American lives, morally depraved democrat party '?
Barack_Must_Go.....
Actually
Submitted by texusmc on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 4:02pm.
it would be 'potentially undocumented islamic radicalist' yeah thats the ticket!
the only ones illegal nowadays are Citizens.
I have to assume Leo Laurence
Submitted by ant on Mon, 01/03/2011 - 6:01pm.
I have to assume Leo Laurence has the brain power of a broiled fish until a judge tells me otherwise. No offense to broiled fish intended.
How about "Persecuted border
Submitted by DWoSD on Mon, 01/03/2011 - 6:05pm.
How about "Persecuted border ignorers"? Or "One world advocates"? Or "Curious Explorers"? Or "Future democrat voters"? Or "U.N. inspectors"? Or "Ambassodors from Mexico"?......
They did ACTUALLY try
Submitted by ant on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 8:08am.
They did ACTUALLY try "Displaced Foreign Traveler" but it didn't catch on. For a profession so accustomed to the perverse twisting of words and phrases I am surprised they let that one go.
I should mention I happened
Submitted by ant on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 8:19am.
I should mention I happened upon some literature accidentally left behind by a teacher's association a few months ago that referred to illegals as "bi-national". Libs are pretty used to using the prefix "bi-" when demanding extra and exclusionary rights by now, so it's only natural. The literature, by the way, was mostly about teachers organizations working more closely with Mexico and other Southern nations in education of "bi-national" students, though I'm guessing the US is the only place with a large percentage of these students. It's really strange considering, I would think these teachers groups would be more concerned with teaching struggling students with American citizenship since it is probably where most of their money comes from. One World Order, anyone?
He's being dishonest
Submitted by MissMinPhx on Mon, 01/03/2011 - 6:50pm.
I'm sure that Mr. Laurance knows full well that the vast majority of illegal immigrants never face a judge. when illegal immigrants are apprehended by Border Patrol near the Mexican border, their fingerprints are run through a database and if it is discovered that they are here without proper authorization, they are simply put on a bus back to Mexico unless they are wanted for some other crime or have been apprehended several times before. A judge never enters the process to determine that they are illegal --- the Border Patrol's computer system does that for law enforcement. It's sly and dishonest, but this is not an arguement over the word "illegal", essentially, Laurence is saying that all apprehended illegals should have their day before a judge before being sent home. I
Arrogant helpfulness
Submitted by KC Mulville on Mon, 01/03/2011 - 7:25pm.
So you're not an illegal immigrant until you've been caught? But then, why catch them if they aren't illegal yet? If you're only guilty of the crime when you've been convicted, then no police officer has any right to seek your arrest ... since you're not guilty at the time of arrest. That's the logic!
Once again, a group of self-appointed "experts" has decided that they need to teach us right from wrong ... thanks for the help ...
I Watched Him
Submitted by Reggie on Mon, 01/03/2011 - 7:40pm.
And you are not dead until a doctor declares it - if you die lost in the woods, and your body is never discovered, you can live forever. This guy is an idiot. I love it when these liberal nuts "quote" the US Constitution.
I called him
Submitted by RightieUntilDeath on Mon, 01/03/2011 - 8:40pm.
I called Leo about a half hour ago, I was surprised he answered. In the end of our conversation, he called me names and hung up on me. I guess he should take his medications BEFORE giving interviews to the national media.undocumented pharmcist
Submitted by dmaley1714 on Mon, 01/03/2011 - 11:15pm.
he is not a drug dealer until he has a trial and a judge declares him guilty then he is declared a drug dealer. In a related story a judge has just ruled Leo is a horse's ass.
A Fair Exchange
Submitted by Theosebes Goodfellow on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 1:11am.
Okay, I'm more than willing to call them "undocumented" if we can all agree to call them "foreign nationals" and not "immigrants". To presume that they are immigrating here is as ludicrous as calling them "illegal" before we process them through an INS hearing on their way to deportation. They are only "illegal" as we deport them, but no one can argue they entered as "foreign nationals".
—Robert Wilensky
They are not immigrants
Submitted by slp on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 3:43am.
They are not immigrants. They are here illegally and have no right to be here or to immigrate here.
They are illegal aliens.
Amen, illegal aliens.
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 6:03am.
Amen, illegal aliens.
ditto, the correct term (not the PC term)
Submitted by texasborngranny on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 1:58pm.
ditto, the correct term (not the PC term) is Illegal Alien.
Being the old rebel that I am, the term I prefer to use is Criminal Invader.
But That's Just Me...
I like it!
Submitted by texusmc on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 4:04pm.
Criminal Invader!!! With ya on that one Miss TBG
The UNDIVERSITY Committee
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 10:30am.
How many CONSERVATIVES are on the SPJ Diversity Committee?
And given that all surveys and polls indicate that 90% of all news rooms are populated by liberals, leftists and Democrat party supporters, what is the SPJ Diversity Committee doing to encourage diversity of political thought in recruitment and college applications?
Or are they a solely race based industry?
And what about Christians?
Again, polls suggest uniformly that 80%+ of Americans self-identify as Christian. Again, what is the SPJ Diversity Committee doing to ensure US news rooms look like America?
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
lol
Submitted by amyshulk on Wed, 01/05/2011 - 6:16am.
The word police, they get inside of your head...
Ronald Reagan
Resident Alien
Submitted by Lindamae on Wed, 01/05/2011 - 6:53pm.
My grandmother never became a citizen but was here legally. Each year she filled out her residednt alien card. A person here leagally either has a green card or has guest worker status. Anyone here without those 2 reasons is here illegally. The I-9 states the documentation needed to give proof of citizenship or record of elegibility. Anyone without it is here illegally. Therefore - it is meet and right to call them illegal aliens.
Oh, well. If you want, we should emulate Mexico. They fobid illegals to enter their country and when they are caught, get rid of them immediately. Then they have the nerve to criticize us for doing the same. (Arizonia) They even make it hard for Americans to go across the Mexican border. One needs proof of car insurance from Mexico! Plus, one must get a visa to join one's wife in a 3 week visit to her family - according to one of my Citizenship students from Mexico.