Biden wants to remove this controversial word from US laws

[William769]

(CNN)It's just one small part of the sweeping immigration overhaul President Biden is pushing.

But the symbolic significance is huge.

Biden's proposed bill, if passed, would remove the word "alien" from US immigration laws, replacing it with the term "noncitizen."

It's a deliberate step intended to recognize America as "a nation of immigrants," according to a summary of the bill released by the new administration.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/21/politics/alien-biden-immigration-law/index.html

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. The word noncitizen is a much better, much more appropriate word!

Alien is a snarl word, a divisive, angry and discriminatory one.

Noncitizen is a word for today, a word that says you might not be a citizen now, but there is a path that will lead you to being one.

It's more welcoming!

[William769]

3. Well said CaliforniaPeggy.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Thank you so much, my dear William769! ♥

[DBoon]

56. "alien" make it seem that non citizens came from outer space

[Sanity Claws]

73. Yes, let's reserve the word Alien for space visitors.

[Cirque du So-What]

2. Now, if we could get RWers to stop saying 'illegals'

that would be great.

[William769]

7. ...

[Mopar151]

39. Time to shift the definition!

"Illegal employers" hire undocumented non-citizens.

[Cirque du So-What]

49. I've used that before

Pinheads walk away muttering about screwing with the 'job creators.'

[Laha]

66. That's such an amazing display of cognitive dissonance.

Do they want people to have jobs or not? You can't interfere with the 'job creators' but,

"Dey took our jeeeeeerrrbs!"

[DBoon]

57. Easy

We just start referring to every gun as an illegal firearm

If it is not registered it must be illegal, right? Just like with people.

[oldsoftie]

68. Well, you dont HAVE to register them now, so you're not breaking any laws.

So far

[fescuerescue]

5. Can that be done via order?

Or does the laws containing that word require house and senate passage?

[William769]

10. I don't know the answer to that, but I trust President Biden does.

[flibbitygiblets]

38. President Biden!

[polmaven]

53. Sounds GREAT, doesn't it??

[EarnestPutz]

22. I'm guessing that he means amending numerous lines of the U.S. Code and I figure that.....

.....will require passage of a separate law, not just an executive order. But D.U. will work out the correct answer.

[HUAJIAO]

27. LOLOL

Maybe DU should be an official advisor to the President..

[drmeow]

46. When Congress passes a law and President signs it

the responsible agency often has to issue a final rule - the specifics about how the law is implemented. The agencies can change those rules without a new law. I'm also guessing that a minor word change like this would not require a comment period, either.

[EarnestPutz]

48. I knew that DU would bring this into focus. Now I remember that "Congress makes the laws and.....

.....government agencies makes the regulations necessary to implement the laws".

[rickyhall]

6. No longer confused with ET's, good.

[William769]

9. LOL

[burrowowl]

37. My little sister worried about that when she was little!

She used to say I don't see any aliens (had visions of the Roswell aliens.).

[roamer65]

8. I agree 150 pct.

[soothsayer]

11. How long until conspiracists construe this to mean aliens are coming

And we need “alien” to differentiate them from humans.

[ProfessorGAC]

32. Could Get Weirder

Some CT folks will conclude that getting rid of the word alien is proof ETs are here, and the government answers to them.
Just wait! I'm certain that as this language change becomes better known that CT will pop up!

[Mr. Ected]

12. Can we at least agree to call the folks "Aliens"

That Trump's Space Force rounded up around the galaxy?

[Midnight Writer]

13. This is a matter of legal precision. Alien has many meanings. Noncitizen is clear and concise.

[William769]

14. ...

[getagrip_already]

15. our visitors from outside the atmosphere will be pleased........

The gop, not so much.

[William769]

17. I can live with that.

[ananda]

16. Good idea!

And I never ever want to hear another human being
referred to as "illegal" either!

[William769]

18. Amen to that!

[brer cat]

20. +++ nt

[Jay25]

26. I agree, always knew it was another word used to stoke division.

[musette_sf]

19. This would be wonderful.

I am first-generation, and it used to freak me out when I was a little kid, when we would get mail addressed to "ALIEN" at our house. I thought my Dad was a Martian

[James48]

21. Huh?

[Jay25]

23. Sounds good to me.

[JesterCS]

24. It's so when the govt

Finally tells us there are real aliens they won't be confused 🤣

[CaptainTruth]

25. As a green card holder my wife is a "lawful permanent resident."

She is also a noncitizen, for a while longer.

She could have applied for citizenship last year but she didn't want Trump's signature on her certificate.

Now she's looking forward to having Biden's signature.

[OMGWTF]

28. "Alien" makes immigrants sound like they're not human.

[Butterflylady]

36. That's exactly what the former administration

Meant. They wanted immigrants to be looked down upon as non human. In realty the immigrants were more human they were.

[EarnestPutz]

45. It also ties them to the "Alien and Sedition Acts" which were legal frameworks for....

....deporting foreigners as a means of suppressing domestic protest.

https://www.ushistory.org/us/19e.asp

[treestar]

50. Or from another planet

[jmowreader]

29. Another word we need to remove from US laws isn't quite as controversial

The word is "shall."

The reason is simple: Sovereign citizens claim the word 'shall' and the word 'will' mean two different things. Their theory is, because laws say 'shall' and not 'will' it is optional as to whether you obey them.

If it is possible to write a little bill that says 'replace the word "shall" with the word "will" anywhere it appears in US Code,' it needs to be done.

[Wounded Bear]

30. Interesting. A bit of very Luntz-like word smithing...

to affect public opinion.

I like it.

[OnlinePoker]

31. Keep the aliens in space where they belong. n/t

[iluvtennis]

33. Good!! Using alien is bad enough...but the rethugs always use the adjective illegal with it.

Love that Biden will use noncitzen. That goes right with his edict that everyone be treated with respect and decency.

[mwooldri]

34. Sting is gonna have to rewrite his song...

... Englishman in New York. The chorus goes "I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien... I'm an Englishman in New York"

[BarbD]

35. Words matter. n/t

[PatrickforO]

40. Very good proposal! I'm liking the Biden administration more every day.

Finally, is all I have to say.

Finally!!!

[marble falls]

41. Also, it's not a term used for nonhumans like alien is.

[Dukkha]

42. "political corect speech police!"

Is what people who don't understand how the law or syntax works would say.

[George II]

43. I remember when I was very young my mother (Canadian) had to register every year...

She had to fill out an "alien registration card" and submit it to the USPS by a certain date, otherwise she was subject to a short jail sentence. This even though she was brought to the US when she was only about five years old.

We used to tease her about being an "alien", which back then was used mostly in science fiction movies or comics. Eventually she became a citizen when I was 16 or 17, and that went away. A month or two later she received a really nice personal letter from our Senator, welcoming her as an American.

It was signed by Robert F. Kennedy!

[ShazzieB]

61. I hope she saved thst puppy!

What a cool piece of memorabilia that would be!

[George II]

67. Yes indeed, we have it. This was before computers and word processing - hand typed:

[EndlessWire]

44. I'll tell you what I want

I want all the fascist nomenclature that George Bush brought in to be dropped and changed back. Words like "homeland." It makes me cringe. It's too much like "fatherland" and we didn't need it. It doesn't make us one iota more patriotic. "Motherland." "homeland," "fatherland"...bah! It's crap.

Also, take "In G-d We Trust" off of everything. I want total separation of church and state.

[Mopar151]

54. The pre-1956 Pledge of allegiance!

And all the other "new traditions" of the Red Scare!

[KewlKat]

47. Great idea

[hadEnuf]

51. I wonder if he would consider replacing the word Republican with 2 words:

"Fascist Asshole".

[bdamomma]

52. Not related

but "Democrat" Party should not be uttered, we should be called by the proper title the "Democratic Party".

[halfulglas]

55. Should also prohibit use of illegal as a noun.

Illegal is an adjective to refer to a thing or an act. When I hear the term illegal or illegals these days it sounds like an epithet or swear word. It isn't meant to refer to a human being.

[turtleblossom]

58. What if some real space aliens decide they wanted come here?

How would they handle that?

[sandensea]

60. And what about the ones already here!

[Demovictory9]

59. noncitizen would include many groups, green card, tourists, undocumented

we would be a country of citizens and noncitizens. which is truthful

[Rice4VP]

63. I felt offended by that word when I first came here and I was just 8

[ShazzieB]

64. I love this idea!

Mr. Spock approves as well.

[Hekate]

65. KnR. Love this guy. nt

[Maxheader]

69. like!

And I like joes moves of late. And an occasional mention how

some of his actions will fix some of the shit left behind by

the yellow haired traitor... ..

[msfiddlestix]

70. Outstanding

Biden has already gone way above anything I had hoped. Everyday that passes, I'm far more gratified than I had ever hoped to see in any Democratic President. Surprised with his boldness, and glory be, gratified. And it's all the things that seem simple, obvious, transparent and honest. My gosh, instead of fearing what's next, I'm gleeful and look forward to what's next.

[Renew Deal]

71. This is one of those cases where it makes sense politically and is easier to understand.

[eppur_se_muova]

72. Years ago, an acquaintance of mine went to purchase a movie ticket ...

The cashier in the booth, apparently trying to speed things up, just uttered the name of the best-selling ticket at the time, posed as a question:

"Alien ?" she asked.

"Yes !" he replied, "So am I !"

[BobTheSubgenius]

74. I like it.

I think it's far more important that some actionable words are included in the new or revised statutes, but appellations matter, as well.

[calimary]

75. GOOD. Words AND wordings matter.