Some choice nonsense from Senator Durbin:
Sen. Durbin on "chain migration":
"I said to the president, 'Do you realize how painful that term is to so many people? African-Americans believe that they migrated to America in chains. When you speak about [it], it hurts them personally. And he said, 'Oh, that's a good line.'"
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 12, 2018
This is not what “chain migration” means, and Durbin knows it. The term has been used for decades — by both sides — and never, ever to refer to chattel slavery. That the word “chain” can mean both “sequential” and “shackle” is neither here nor there. “Chain” is also used in “chainsaw” and “blockchain” and “supermarket chain” and so forth. The context is key. The context here is clear.
As with “alien” before it, this is nothing more and nothing less than an attempt to corrupt the language so as to make it more difficult to discuss ideas. And even then, it doesn’t make any sense. If “chain migration” is a reference to the slave trade, surely those who oppose it are correct, and those who support it are wrong? What nonsense our politicians talk these days.