Comments about ‘Alabama immigration fight recalls civil rights era’

Although I agree that this issue has elements of slavery, and that it may even be our "Irrepressible Conflict," this is far different than the civil rights movement. The slaves were brought here against their will, eventually given emancipation and later denied their civil rights. Women lacked many of those same rights (suffrage, employment opportunity, property rights...), seeing gradual remedies over the last century.
But illegal aliens lack the rights of citizens. Surely naturalization means something, and illegal aliens lack even the basic standing of lawful presence.
If a sovereign nation has the basic right to determine who may come here and how many, this editorial is pure nonsense and cheapens the very idea of civil rights.

To compare illegal immigration to slavery is absurd. The slaves were captured, brought here against their will, and forced to work for nothing. They were victims. Illegal immigrants come here voluntarily and for their own benefit and they break the law to do it. Furthermore, they continue to break the law in order to stay here. They are criminals.