The "migrant" bill

[James A. Landau]

Joel S. Berson wrote:

<q>
"Senate Leaders Agree to Revive Migrant Bill".

"Inside" headline, NYTimes, June 15, New England Final, A1.  (The
inside headline, on page A17, uses "immigration".)

While one sense of "migrate" -- "2. a. intr. Of persons, a tribe,
etc.: To move from one place of abode to another; esp. to leave one's
country to settle in another; to remove to another country, town,
college, etc." -- might allow this, it is less than exact.  For
example, the proposal does not (I trust!) limit the right of U.S.
citizens to leave their country.
</q>

No, the proposal offers amnesty to U.S. citizens who travel around.

When I saw the headline, I thought the headline writer was anthropomorphizing the bill by describing the bill itself as "migrant".  Considering the viccisitudes this bill has suffered in its attempt at "passage" through the Senate, one can easily imagine the bill (whatever one thinks of its merits) as having been shoved around by various Senators and Senate committees, pushed hither and yon, even forced to do laps around the Senate chamber, and hence qualifying as "migrant".  The headline writer, having never met a phor he didn't like, imagines the bill has collapsed of exhaustion in front of Senator Reid's desk, and several leaders of the majority and/or minority parties have decided to give the thing CPR to get it back on its feet so that they can have more fun with it.

    - James A. Landau

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