Amnesty Let Us Be Migrant Rhetorical Analysis

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Rhetorical Analysis of John Kavanaugh “Amnesty Let us Be Vigilant and Charitable”

In contemporary times, illegal immigration has been one of the most controversial issues talked about in news outlets. Since the late 1800’s, it has influenced our political, social, and economic beliefs and laws. Our country’s biggest challenge regarding illegal immigration is there are approximately “12 to 14 million undocumented aliens” (Kavanaugh 1) living in the United States, but the government has not decided whether we should deport or give amnesty to these individuals. For a variety of reasons, some people believe that we should send them back to their native country, and then come back legally to go through the process of becoming a naturalized citizen. …show more content…

Kavanaugh grabs the attention of the people who may disagree with him by stating “some of the resentment is understandable. There are householders, especially on the border, who have had their land and yards trashed. Residents of some towns feel flooded with immigrants they cannot engage or manage. A few businesspersons who have refused to hire undocumented or cheaper labor have lost sales and customers. Some, no doubt, are drunks and dealers; many are incarcerated for other crimes other than their immigrant status” (Kavanaugh 1, 2). Kavanaugh conveys that he does comprehend why anti-immigrant groups and politicians feel hatred towards aliens due to the problems the minority caused. However, he defends illegals by saying “but this does not explain the seething hostility that can be read in some nativist opinion columns and popular books or heard on radio talk shows:‘they are criminals, felons; and that’s that.’” (Kavanaugh 2). Kavanaugh’s interpretation is he does not want anti-immigrant groups, citizens, and politicians to make generalizations or stereotype illegal persons. He emphasizes that not all of them are criminals and there should not be any stigma associated with