The Colorado House of Representatives passed a bill this week to change the term illegal aliens to undocumented worker or foreign national in state laws. (Denver Post file)
Re: Should Colorado legislature strike illegal alien from state laws?, April 9 letters to the editor.
Politically correct language has no useful purpose other than to foster the speaker s misguided liberal agenda. The recent legislative proposal falls into that category. Illegal alien refers to those who are here illegally. Those here illegally should have no rights. They are guilty of violating our immigration laws. They are, legally speaking, similar to any other criminal, regardless of their motivation for being here. Why not remove thief from our lexicon for fear of hurting the feelings of the guy who robbed a jewelry store? His motivation was probably justified, the argument would be. Or gangbanger ? Let s be sensitive to the gang member s feelings after a drive-by shooting. Maybe misdirected member of a private social organization would be a far more PC term.
Chet Baffa, Broomfield
This letter was published in the April 12 edition.I agree with letter-writer Harry Puncec s comment about political correctness. The term is often used to denigrate the liberal agenda, when all we are trying to do is be polite and respect people, whether or not we agree with what they are doing. If a driver doesn t have a license, we don t say that person is an illegal driver — we say the person is an unlicensed driver. The term illegal alien is inflammatory, and meant to make us automatically think of that person in a negative and insulting manner. It s time to stop using it.
Kathy Derrick, Denver
This letter was published in the April 12 edition.
