The Library of Congress is drawing ire from conservatives for removing the terms "alien" and "illegal alien" from its materials and replacing it with "noncitizens." Rep. Diane Black (R-TN) has introduced the Stopping Partisan Policy at the Library of Congress Act to put an end to what she defines as a politically correct ploy.
“This needless policy change by the Library of Congress embodies so much of what taxpayers find enraging about Washington," Black said in a statement Thursday. "By trading common-sense language for sanitized political-speak, they are caving to the whims of left-wing special interests and attempting to mask the grave threat that illegal immigration poses to our economy, our national security, and our sovereignty. My constituents know that illegal immigration by any other name is still illegal, and we should identify it as such. That is why my bill directs the Library of Congress to continue using the term ‘illegal alien’ just as they were previously. Hopefully this bill will give Washington the push needed to stop thinking up the most politically correct ways to describe illegal immigration and start thinking about solutions to address it."
Even the somewhat tamer term "illegal immigration" has proven to be political suicide for Democrats in the 2016 election. When Univision's Jorge Ramos questioned Hillary Clinton about her prior use of the phrase, she promised it would never happen again.
It's more than just the title - it's the principle. Sanitized versions of "illegal immigrant" may sound more compassionate, but it ignores the fact that those immigrants broke our laws. Retaining the word "illegal" in the Library of Congress catalog would be a good reminder.
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