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Can we train some of those recent, illegal immigrants as sailors?

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The road to citizenship lies through the military in a war.

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There are lots of folks who gained citizenship by enlisting in peacetime. Guy down the street was born in Antigua; after eight years in the USMC, we let him in; permanently.

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My Company had guys from Korea, Philippines, Domenica and even one from Germany, There was one Japanese who worked in S-2.

USMC as well.

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my platoon had guys from.....Detroit! really, fer true!

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Worked out great for the Romans.

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For the first few hundred years - yes, it did. The minimum 25 years of service as an auxilia did wonders for ingraining Roman principles into a provincial. An excellent scholar on Roman citizenship is Professor Lavan in the school of Classics at University of St. Andrews. Taking Juan Valdez from the coffee plantations of Columbia and putting him in the US Army motor pool for 4-and-out might not have the same result.

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Like the ones who beat up the policeman in NYC?

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All crimes are the fault of immigrants. No native born USAer ever did a crime.

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If you are here illegally you've already broken the law.

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Feb 20, 2024Edited
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Why have a border at all then? Just come on in, Free cell phone, lodging, healthcare and a bus or plane trip to anywhere you like. Make sure you show up for court in ten years,

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False. But the odds that any given crime was committed by an illegal immigrant are pretty high.

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Train as??? .... do we even have a suitable training pipeline anymore (speaking of the merchant marine)?

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Is the Merchant Marine Academy in Kingspoint on Long Island even still open??

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It is still open and still a backstop for young people who didn't get into Annapolis.

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I was thinking of the people who fill the jobs who are not graduates of the merchant marine academies.

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Sorta. Compulsory periodic training for existing mariners has created a few dozen training schools across the US. However, the training 'pipeline' is to go through a diversion program at tge Seafarer's union school to avoid jail and learn how not to stab each other... or if you have no criminal records simply get seaman's papers and a TWIC card and get a job. Entry level guys get on the job training. For Officers it's 4 years of pretending to be in a college that is pretending to be in the military... or working your way up through experience, which takes a lot longer.

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"simply get seaman's papers "

It wasn't simple when I tried. Of course, that was a few decades ago. I am sure things have gotten better with the increased demand for merchant seamen.

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