Reply #88: I always thought the first step toward genocide was breakfast.

[lumberjack_jeff]

Momma always taught me to eat a hearty breakfast if I have a busy day planned.

The "first step" to anything bad is something benign or at least understandable. A desire for people to comply with the law is not "dehumanizing".

I wish there was a better term to describe what they are doing, too. "Illegal alien" is about as good as it gets, the adjective which describes a prohibited activity is "illegal" and "alien" is the noun which describes a visitor to a country in which (s)he is not a citizen. Thus, someone who sneaks into another country = illegal alien.

"Illegal immigrant" is a euphemism. To make their intentions seem more benign, it implies that their intent is to immigrate, and for many if not most, this is demonstrably false. It is completely silly to watch us wring our hands trying to find a less derogatory euphemisms to describe people who are engaged in illegal activity.