Do Illegals Pose a Threat?

The Saudi Gazette made some changes to its format a few months ago, and now, on the top of page two of the paper every day is a section that asks for opinions. Every day three lucky individuals get chosen to have their responses printed. The question on June 4, 2006, was: “Do the illegals pose a threat to the Kingdom’s security?” All three of those responses should be posted here Take A Stand, if not today, then within the next day or so.

The gist of what was said, without actually directly quoting the three individuals, was that yes, illegals do pose a threat: they form criminal gangs whose activities cause panic and insecurity; the illegals are the ones that get involved in sorcery and criminal acts and steal money; that there are so many of them sleeping on the streets that the authorities don’t know where to start sending them back to [oh, yes, they do, too!]; female illegals [just the females? are you sure?] have actually given birth on the streets*; and finally, because these illegals are living on the streets with “personal facilities” not readily at their disposal they have created “smelly” areas.

Because the question was, “Do illegals pose a threat to the Kingdom’s security?” apparently I am missing something here. I cannot help but ask myself how the crimes these illegals commit are considered a threat? Musing, just for a minute or two, at the mere thought of a few illegals stealing money, getting involved in sorcery, having babies in the streets, and creating “smelly” areas just doesn’t make me tremble and shake in my stilettos. My idea of a threat is more along the lines of something that puts me in imminent danger, or some sort of perilous circumstance. Maybe it’s just me. Or, perhaps the question could or should have been posed differently…

*But of course there is a perfectly logical explanation for this - a topic that I will try to remember to address in the short term.