"HeyBub" wrote in message
m...


Most illegal aliens are handled in the civil courts system.

I repeat, since when are illegal aliens not committing a crime?

Four years ago, I think, two teen-agers broke into a boat shed in Maine
during the night. Their plan was to steal radios from some of the boats.
Part way through their escapade they noticed the security cameras.

So they did something, they were not rounded up for being teenagers
(although I'm not necessarily against that).

Your observation is spot-on. Since the early '60s, the Supreme Court has
knocked down almost all laws of "status." That is, it is no longer a crime
to "be" something (drug addict, prostitute, vagrant, etc.), you must DO
something. However, in 1942, laws regarding status were not uncommon.

As I said, legal or not it was still wrong just as legal slavery was wrong.

However, all this does not mitigate the fact that you got exercised over
people being locked up without being judged guilty of a crime. I was
simply making the point that people CAN be locked up where no crime is
involved.

You are still missing the point, people locked up without committing a crime
are still being confined for a good reason, e.g. a deranged person who is a
danger to himself or others, and due process will be involved.

Flash: The Americans of Japanese descent living in Hawaii were not locked
up (or at least not many).

Ironic considering that the only case I know of where a Japanese-American
actually aided the enemy took place in the Hawaiian Islands.

I agree with you - there was certainly something wrong regarding the
treatment of the Japanese. But I still say how I or anybody else would
"feel" about ANY situation is irrelevant. Not only are "feelings"
irrelevant, they should NEVER be the touchstone regarding whether justice
is being served.

In trying to represent my case as focusing on how injustices make people
feel you are being somewhat disingenuous.

Secondly: There was no "injustice" in locking up the Japanese - at least
not in the legal sense. The president's executive order (# 9066) was
issued in February 1942. It remained on the books for over 30 years until
it was rescinded by President Ford in 1966. Executive Order 9066 was never
challenged in court.

Again, slavery was once legal--that did not make it right.