AM I A ROCKET SCIENTIST OR ARE THEY JUST MORONS? part 1

i went on the web to see if i could get a rather simple definition of illegal. here is what i found

illegal adj.
1. prohibited by law
2. prohibted by official rule

n.
an illegal alien

it seems like a pretty clear and simple defimition to me. if i perform an illegal act then i am doing something that is breaking the law.

you might ask what lead me to this query. the answer is quite simple; it was a statement i heard on the radio when the media was covering the "protests" in l. a. (you know the second capital of mexico). one of their extremely intelligent protestors made a statement which seemed at its' best, absurd. if i remember the statement correctly it was simply this, "i have friends that are illegal but they are not criminals." when i heard that i had to stop myself and go, "huh?" i wondered if i had a brain freeze or maybe i had heard the statement incorrectly. perhaps my car radio was malfunctioning. maybe there was some static at that precise moment when they were airing that comment. but, i had to keep driving and i wanted to keep listening so, i figured i could come back to that statement later.

well, i did come back to that statement later. i asked a friend if he had heard it and his response was yes. so eveidently there had been nothing wrong with my hearing, my brain or my car radio. well we both had a laugh about the statement and it's absurdity. but, i had to wonder what kind of person would make such a statement. after all, if i am an illegal alien then my very existence in the country makes me a criminal. at least i think it does. i confess that i do not understand all the subtle "nuances" (to use a kerry word) of the law. i am just a plain and simple school teacher that takes words at their face value and definition. i am not a rocket scientist.