If you can't win the debate, change the words

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth EditionCopyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
a·li·en (ā'lē-ən, āl'yən)
n.
1. An unnaturalized foreign resident of a country. Also called noncitizen.
2. A person from another and very different family, people, or place.
3. A person who is not included in a group; an outsider.
4. A creature from outer space: a story about an invasion of aliens.
5. Ecology An organism, especially a plant or animal, that occurs in or is naturalized in a region to which it is not native.

Bill would mandate nicer term for illegals

"I personally find the word 'alien' offensive when applied to individuals, especially to children," said Sen. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami. "An alien to me is someone from out of space."

She has introduced a bill providing that: "A state agency or official may not use the term 'illegal alien' in an official document of the state." There would be no penalty for using the words.
...
"There are students in our schools whose parents are trying to become citizens and we shouldn't label them," she said. "They are immigrants, through no fault of their own, not aliens."

So, just because she thinks there is only one meaning for the word alien, we can't call illegals that? What's next, substituting undocumented for illegal?

Wilson said the first word isn't as bad as the second."'Illegal,' I can live with, but I like 'undocumented' better," she said.


Here's an idea: Maybe instead of coming up with new laws legislating euphemisms for illegal aliens, we can enforce existing laws to mitigate the illegal alien problem.