Dr. Fear, your insight has really helped me. I lived in San Diego before coming to live in Oregon. I actually lived where you could be hanging out and see the illegals running behind your house or through the neighbors back yard. Everyone just ignored it because it happened all the time.
I read a book called Tortilla Curtain by TC Boyle. It's a really sad story about a Mexican man who brings his wife to California. It's filled with one bad thing happening to them after another. (like to the point of ridiculous) The theme seems to be that they just want a better life. I don't remember why they don't try to go the legal route. Anyway, I think Boyle is trying to get people to see that even though something isn't legal it is still happening and the price these people pay are pretty high.
The other night I listened to one of Stak's show on Freethought Radio where he had a religious, right-wing guest in favor of strict border patrol even to the extent of building a fence. Staks seemed to favor letting people come and go as they pleased. I already stated how I feel about these imaginery lines but I totally see your point too. The reality though is that we have put these imaginary lines in place and deemed certain laws within the borders of these lines.
My dad said that when he lived in Georgia, he couldn't go anywhere without seeing a Mexican behind the counter. He said they are like cockroaches. (Yeah, he's a racist). I asked him if he knew of someone else that used to refer to another race as vermin. He didn't know but anyway I don't think he was really being racist in the point that you make about how our own kids can't even find jobs because they are being taken by illegals.
Sorry about the rambling. I guess I never can figure this one out and would love to hear some more sides on the issue.

it's not necessarily that kids can't find jobs, there are always jobs out there, it's just that the quality of the job market for them is kept at such a low level. like i said, i'm a contractor, and contracting in general is a really profitable market right now, but instead of teaching some kids a lifelong skill that they can make a decent living off of, a lot of employers will take the cheaper, easier route, hire mexicans who
work their asses off, but have a much lower standard as to how much money that work is worth. to them, 8 dollars is a lot of money.
because of this, they also tend to overwork themselves, which in my opinion leads to a lack of pride in workmanship, quantity over quality.
but this is true of the contractors who hire them, as well.
it's such a ganglionic system, it's really hard to place any blame on anyone, but the bottom line is if the immigrants weren't there to be exploited (because that's what it is, really), contractors wouldn't exploit them.
i suppose that's a bit like saying if there weren't so many damn kids around, pedophiles wouldn't molest them, though, isn't it?
ha ha, as for de Palma, a good friend of mine recently worked for a non-profit organization that ran after-school programs for inner-city kids. he taught film, and Brian de Palma was somewhat involved.
apparently he would call my friend's office all the time, and expect everybody to lay down a bed of roses for him. all you need to do is read the guy's filmography and you'll see why this is funny.
i went through some film school myself, and beyond scarface, his movies just paint him as a cheeseball, schlockmeister, and a real studio slut-whore. in my opinion of course (which is in no way humble )

Thirty dollars an hour to start? Damn! I'm in the wrong business.