DISQUS

Sphagnum · 3 years ago

Ok Docdave, why are you trying to convince us that illegal immigration is bad? That's obviuos, there are many negative consequesces. No one is seriously proposing we ignore the illegal problem, so what is your point exactly?

robert108 · 3 years ago

The argument has to be won, and it isn't yet. I must say that Morgellon's disease may be a hoax, but we just need to keep at it until the govt acts, and acts decisively.

nobrainer · 3 years ago

Certainly not my topic of expertise, but my first reaction is that if the vast, overwhelming majority of cases are carried by the "foreign born" -- or if increases are occurring primarily in the "foreign born" community, then why should I be so worried?

TC@LeatherPenguin · 3 years ago

You're right, nobrainer, since it's only a problem in the "foreign born" population, you have nothing to worry about... until you think who makes up the bulk of the kitchen staffs at your favorite restaraunts.

robert108 · 3 years ago

Yeah, we all know TB isn't contagious...

nobrainer · 3 years ago

As I said, this was "my first reaction."

I like to look for what the numbers don't say. From my cursory examination, they don't say a damn thing about how this has affected the health of American born... uh-er.. Americans. Are cases among American born Americans up, down, unchanged? If they're unchanged or down, then the influx of disease carrying "foreign born" persons wouldn't seem to matter much, would it? But I don't know, because Thomas doesn't mention it.

The CDC's Web page says TB was in decline in the United States, but that it increased between 1985 and 1992. Nearly 15,000 cases of TB were diagnosed last year, with California reporting the largest number of cases. Although the total number of TB cases has declined in recent years, the study says the drug-resistant cases "did not significantly change over the study period," causing concern among medical professionals.

Again, there's no mention in Thomas's article about just how many of those cases were of the drug-resistant variety. 1%? 5%? 50%? 99%?

I basically find it very hard to draw any significant conclusions from Thomas's article (other than that foreign born persons in America have a higher risk of carrying certain diseases.)

And if these things are so contagious and so prevalent, not only should we not allow non-medically approved immigration, we shouldn't let anyone of any stripe cross the border in any direction.

robert108 · 3 years ago

nobrainer: I agree with your last paragraph. As far as disease incidence is concerned, there is a time lapse in such things, and by the time the epidemic(if it happens) is upon us, the damage will be much greater than if we attend to it now. For me, it's just another reason for us to lock down the border, dry up the jobs and welfare, and deport the ones who ignore our laws.

Sphagnum · 3 years ago

For me, it's just another reason for us to lock down the border, dry up the jobs and welfare, and deport the ones who ignore our laws.

Woah, so you are completley anti-immigration? Close the border completely, to legals and illegals? That's a bit extreme and "anti-immigrant", hm?

WOOF · 3 years ago

lock down the border, dry up the jobs and welfare, and deport the ones who ignore our laws.

Should we quarantine all Americans who are overseas, or just sieze and disenfect their property?

We can all become latex glove Amish.

nobrainer · 3 years ago

From one of the linked articles:

The article studied 38,291 reported tuberculosis cases in California from 1994 to 2003. Of those, 407 were classified as drug-resistant and were found mostly in patients from Mexico or the Philippines, Dr. Granich said.

Further on:

And he said its presence does not warrant closing U.S. borders. "TB is a deadly airborne disease and a global public-health emergency. If we hope to accelerate progress and guard against resurgence of TB, we must employ innovative public-health strategies -- not border closings," Dr. Granich said.

Bat One · 3 years ago

I wonder how long it will take before some partisan southpaw starts howling that "Get your shots before you hire the Hispanic pool cleaning service" is racist and unfair? Especially since we know that only whites are racist.

WOOF · 3 years ago

You are howling Bat.

Bat One · 3 years ago

WOOF,

Considering the source, high praise indeed!

robert108 · 3 years ago

"Should we quarantine all Americans who are overseas, or just sieze and disenfect their property?"

I think we are talking about border hoppers here, not overseas people. More leftie change-the-subject distraction, I guess.

robert108 · 3 years ago

"And he said its presence does not warrant closing U.S. borders."

Not as a single factor, but added to all the rest, another compelling reason. The cost is the possibility of serious infection of our population. What is the claimed benefit, if any?

diane · 3 years ago

Hmmmm....seem to remember hearing something about the diseases we gave to Native Americans when 'we' first came over.

John · 3 years ago

I came to comment on the same thing, Diane. Just a quick one liner, since the parallels are becoming so obvious. But instead, I'll point out how the Indians made war with the Europeans once it became obvious that their nations were suffering from the invasion. If we were to learn from the Native American example, we'd probably still be speaking English 400 years from now.

TwoHotel9 · 3 years ago

Focusing on a single infectious disease is disingenuous. The point here is these people are living in situations with inadequate sanitation, non-exsistant medical care, and contaminated food and water. There is no medical screening, so whatever contagions they are carrying go unmonitored. They often live in overcrowded conditions once in this country. When they do begin to show signs of an illness and go to a clinic or emergency room, they do not honestly answer the pertinent questions that would allow their illness to be properly tracked to source. Their children are vacinated through school programs, though this is after they have been exposed during the time they are in the border crossing process. Long story short, legal immigrants are medically screened, illegals are not, close the border to illegals and begin screening those illegals we take into custody. Then backtrack and screen people they have been in close contact with. Exactly why is this a bad idea?

Prichard · 3 years ago

If you are interested in Morgellons Disease or experience Morgellons symptoms, I would like to invite you to participate in the Morgellons Disease Information Community and Message Board at morgellonsite.com