define un-american

[Anonymous]

Being a railfan is not unAmerican except in the wee minds of the agents of the Federal Bureau of Ineptitude, most railroad cops and even a few regular police officers. Agents of the FBI (also known as "frequently bumbled investigations" would like a totalitarian state so they could control everyone. Railfanning is the extreme example of American freedom - hence the FBI can not understand it and therefore would like to eliminate it.
--Keep American free -- railfan!!!
Signed,
BN fan

[Anonymous]

I'll tell you what is Un-American is those idiots in Washington who preach free trade as opposed to fair trade for example, last year South Korea sent 500,000 cars here while allowing only 2,800 American into there.
Now this stupid and expensive war they have got us into. We had Sadaam contained with the southern and northern no-fly zones, anything we didn't like there, we bombed the heck out of it.
Maybe we wouldn't be taxed so high if the government weren't sending out these big checks to foreign addresses.
But somebody had it right, if we the American don't give a hoot and completely vote to turn over the government every 10 to 12 years, then we have noone to blame but ourselves.
Pop

[edblysard]

Gig em...

[Anonymous]

Very well said, Ed. --Ralph an Italian-Irish-Dutch-Engli***exas American and proud of it. (and by god- an Aggie, too)

[edblysard]

Hi Guys,
Yes, they do pay taxes. No, they dont pay federal income taxes if they are here on a work visa, (green card) but any US funds they send out of the country are taxed, and they have to pay a exchange fee if they convert it to their nations currency. And there is a limit to how much they can send. But they can be required to pay a state income tax, depending on which state they reside in. As for "owning" the store, if you research the tax records, you will find that the store is owned by a american company, usually a DBA, like Mom and Pop Enterprises doing business as Stop "N" Rob stores, or a group of people under a DBA, who own several stores. The hire these people for dirt wages as "managers", and work them 12 to 16 hours a day under the threat of having their green card pulled. If, by some chance, the store is owned by the immigrant, you can bet he is a US citizen. Federal law prohibits a non citizen from owning a establishment that sells liquor and tobacco. And keep in mind the store collects and pays sales taxes, permit and licenseing fees, beer and liquor licenses, tobacco license and sales permit fees, along with the DBA fee. Not to mention property and school taxes. With all that in mind, it may be that a cousin, uncle or some relative who is a citizen may actually own the place, and let their relative run it, and make the money, or it may be that a local bank owns the place under a DBA, and leases it to the immigrant, which is perfectly legal. So "all the money" dosnt go overseas, most of it stays right there, in your community. I can tell you this because I have run several auto parts business, and am currently using a DBA for a small business I have, as a sideline to my railroad job. Plus, my neighbor across the street is a immigrant, a muslim, and a new US citizen. He worked for one of these groups, made up of several american business partners and their bank, and was required to put in on the average of 12 hours per day, no days off, for several years, before finding a real job. He sent around $100.00 per month back home to his parents, and it took years before they saved enough to come here with his wife. They have no desire to return home, and support the American Constitution with more fevor and patriotism than I see in a lot of "native' born americans. That may be because they have lived where the rights we take for granted every day, like this forum, dont exsist, and people are shot for even mentioning them. And face it, unless your a american indian, or eskimo, your kin came over on a boat too, and your people are from somewhere else. My grandfather was a German Jewish immigrant, who had about ten words of english, yet here I am, two generations away from the "old" country, and I cant speak a word of German or Yiddish, due in part to my grandfathers insistance that we were Americans, not Germans, and his refusal to teach us the language.I am not now, nor will I ever refer to myself as a German American, nor do I like the terms African American, or Polish American, or Irish american or any -American. In my opinion, the hyphenating of your country of origin lessens the American part. We are all immigrants, at some point, but, as grandaddy put it, your an American first.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[Anonymous]

So true Dude!

[Anonymous]

You have to ask someone who knows the tax laws why and when. I remember reading something about it years ago but don't recall the details. However just about everyone I know has heard the same story. I just keep hearing it over and over. One story that was told to me recently, by someone who worked with an engineer from India at Ford Motor, saying the guy would brag about not having to pay income tax.
My theory is there was a time when cheap labor was hard to find and no one wanted low paying manual labor jobs. I think the intent was to attract foreign workers or help these people get established here in the USA. The I.R.S. didn't exist at the time when immigrants of the late 19th and early 20th centuries came here. So it was probably argued by law makers (most likely they or their parents immigrated to America)that it would be unfair to tax immigrants untill they became established as U.S. citizens. We know those early immigrants had no intention of returning to the old world. But now, many of the Arabs I know have duel citizenship. Even their children speak of the old world as "their country". They don't think of themselves as Americans. The people who used to live across the street from me a few years ago, flew the Lebanese flag. Their kids would beat up the Iraqi kids (1991 war refugees) next door to me! They hated each other. I feel like I'm living in the Middle East.

[cabforward]

o.k., you're right, it's very familiar, but right.. what next, a r.r. fan march on washington? we know our govt. agencies and elected politcians are corrupt, what else is new? the u.s. electorate is not known for dropping its remote to fight bad laws and corrupt lawmakers.. we allow these so-called representatives a statute which automatically gives them raises, unless they vote against it..

it's gigo, garbage in, garbage out.. we allow these thieves an opportunity to steal our money, hand out special favors to corporate friends, and we are surprised when they do it..
how long would a child stand next to a cookie jar before he sneaks his hand in? this is human nature.. if we are vigilant in the spending of our tax funds, we will see very little corruption.. if we drop our vigilance, we can expect the 'hand in the cookie jar'.. on top of which, we keep filling the jar with more cookies!!

[Anonymous]

I don't have the answer as to WHY...... but I have seen the same thing. Makes me sick. And, I have to ask, "where are MY tax dollars going"? I certainly don't see any benifit on my end......
I suppose that tax loophole was created decades ago to encourage immigrants to come here. Well, SOMEBODY has been asleep at the switch for a while, because that's exactly what we DON'T need anymore. Our jobs are being exported to cheaper labor markets daily. We are getting to the point where we can't even hold even. Soon there will be just two classes here, the rich crooked stock market abusers, and the newly arrived immigrants manning the conveniece stores, and gas stations where the prices will force the one time proud blue collar man onto a bicycle. Tax break for him? FORGET IT!!!!! The new age of slavery is upon us...

[Anonymous]

Why don't they have to pay income tax for seven years??

[Anonymous]

I live in Dearborn Michigan which has the largest Arab population in the USA. We don't have a single hobby shop but we have more party stores and gas stations than anywhere in the world.
Who I think is un-american is law makers that made it legal for foreigners to come into this country and NOT pay income taxes for seven years. I see it all the time. E.G.: Ali has a party store or gas station for seven years, all the while sending U.S. dollars to family in Lebanon or wherever, and not pay any income tax. Just before seven years pass, his cousin Habib comes into the U.S to take ownership of the store and Ali goes back home. Habib pays no income tax and sends money back to his cousin Ali and the cycle continues.

[cabforward]

the definition is: an initial comment made which uses the term(s) including, but not limited to: usa, the president, our flag, bill of rights, constitution, freedom, motherhood, apple pie, wwii, family values, pledge of allegiance, god [judeo-christian], the national anthem and any politician you voted for..

which comment is followed by someone saying, 'oh yeah? well, that's stupid!' the one who said 'stupid' is un-american..

[ironhorseman]

no, being a railfan is NOT un-amercian. i don't know what word to use instead, but first we must DEFINE what un-american is. to me, un-american means burning of the stars and stripes. i love railroads and i love my country and i would never ever burn our flag even if i had a loaded gun to my head. this country was built on railroads. if you say being a railfan is un-american then you'd HAVE to say being a christian is un-Godly. see my point?

signed,
ironhorseman