Carl, thanks for the answer, I can't sit here and let this go but understand my reply is not meant to slam anyone specifically.
The problem with immigration is not really a problem, the problem with people standing up and saying the right thing is. and the reason it is a problem is illustrated right here by the responses.
We have a serious invasion going on and what Rich has said is neither racist nor untrue and equally has to do with many different people from many different countries, not just Mexico. I honestly think that Rich used a Mexican female as a metafor for all who do this - I admit which really is not the best or proper thing to do. It does happen that there is such a thing called an anchor babies, there is also people using Mexico to get here by breaking our laws - not just Mexicans. I know for a fact that one of the biggest problems we do have is increasing the welfare rolls in all the states by people who have come here and had a kid to ensure that they can stay. This happens with all different ethnic groups of people, like here in the Dearborn area, it is people from the middle east - by the way love to get handicap permits.
The biggest issue with the Mexicans are not the people themselves but their government and how they are promoting breaking our laws by providing the means to get here. They, the Mexican people are for the most part very hard working, respectable people who I can not really blame coming here.
My grand parents gave a up everything to get here and never returned to their homes. They were escaping worst things than just poverty, Fascism and serfdom (slavery) - real issues of having to do with real basic human rights issues. To me they took the legal hard path to get here, just like thousands of others who followed them to this day. It was their hard work that build this country, it gave others the chance to come here and prosper.
What you should be offended by is the term racist and how it is used, the idea that it is alright to cheapen the sacrifices of those who came here and later fought for this country as part of the country and the ignorant ideas that we need to just open everything up.
In truth it will take more dialog like this to get people to think about the real differences between legal immigration and an invasion, that not all immigrants are invaders and not to bash Mexicans.
"I also was offended. Not because I am of Mexican descent, but because my simple question about the economic effect of the new trucking rules got used to voice a racist opinion."
Phil,
Never mind.... it is not worth replying to that.