Birthright Citizenship...
The recent elections showed nothing if not that Americans are generally dissatisfied with the state of the economy. Immediately after the elections, Marco Rubio, Senator Elect from Florida, said the following during his acceptance speech:
No such luck. What's first on the agenda? From McClatchy News:
You would think this is blatantly unconstitutional, considering the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to anyone born into the United States. Currently, most of Europe has citizenship laws similar to that which some Republicans are now pushing for--that only the children of current citizens are granted citizenship, and look at how well that's worked out.
You see, America is based upon a system wherein we assimilate people with differences, draw upon their strengths and help to build an ever greater union. By creating two classes of Americans (those whose parents are American and those who are not) we do nothing to help new arrivals assimilate and instead create an entire class of people who are denizens of the United States, but have no buy-in to the system. Remember the riots in the outskirts of Paris by the Arab under-class? Many of them grew up in France, but were not French citizens because their parents weren't both French. Look how well that worked.
This effort to undermine the fourteenth amendment would be less offensive if it were coupled with an actual plan of how to reform our immigration policy. However, there is nothing that is being forwarded to actually change the laws to make it easier for children of immigrants to become citizens.
SEN Reid has committed to bringing the DREAM Act to the floor as a stand alone bill during Lame Duck. This Bill would grant citizenship to children brought illegally to the US as children if they complete College or enlist in the military for a defined period of time. It will be interesting to see how supporters of repealing birthright citizenship vote on this ACT. If being an American is no longer a function of birth, nor of accomplishment (college) or dedication to the country (military service), then what is it a function of?
In all fairness, I should state this issue holds more than academic interest for me. My mother's parents were illegal immigrants. Were this law to pass, my mother would be illegal, and as such, I imagine, so would I. My father, while from the Philippines, came across legally. So what would we, as a country, be missing out on were we to make the children of illegal immigrants non-citizens? A Doctor, a Lawyer, a West Point graduate and decades of military service. And this, all within the first generation.
But hey, we're all just sitting around waiting for our dole of government cheese right?
we make a grave mistake if we believe that tonight these results are somehow an embrace of the Republican Party.So, you'd think Republicans would focus not on divisive social issues, but on the economy.
No such luck. What's first on the agenda? From McClatchy News:
As one of its first acts, the new Congress will consider denying citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants who are born in the United States.
You would think this is blatantly unconstitutional, considering the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to anyone born into the United States. Currently, most of Europe has citizenship laws similar to that which some Republicans are now pushing for--that only the children of current citizens are granted citizenship, and look at how well that's worked out.
You see, America is based upon a system wherein we assimilate people with differences, draw upon their strengths and help to build an ever greater union. By creating two classes of Americans (those whose parents are American and those who are not) we do nothing to help new arrivals assimilate and instead create an entire class of people who are denizens of the United States, but have no buy-in to the system. Remember the riots in the outskirts of Paris by the Arab under-class? Many of them grew up in France, but were not French citizens because their parents weren't both French. Look how well that worked.
This effort to undermine the fourteenth amendment would be less offensive if it were coupled with an actual plan of how to reform our immigration policy. However, there is nothing that is being forwarded to actually change the laws to make it easier for children of immigrants to become citizens.
SEN Reid has committed to bringing the DREAM Act to the floor as a stand alone bill during Lame Duck. This Bill would grant citizenship to children brought illegally to the US as children if they complete College or enlist in the military for a defined period of time. It will be interesting to see how supporters of repealing birthright citizenship vote on this ACT. If being an American is no longer a function of birth, nor of accomplishment (college) or dedication to the country (military service), then what is it a function of?
In all fairness, I should state this issue holds more than academic interest for me. My mother's parents were illegal immigrants. Were this law to pass, my mother would be illegal, and as such, I imagine, so would I. My father, while from the Philippines, came across legally. So what would we, as a country, be missing out on were we to make the children of illegal immigrants non-citizens? A Doctor, a Lawyer, a West Point graduate and decades of military service. And this, all within the first generation.
But hey, we're all just sitting around waiting for our dole of government cheese right?
posted by Adam at 9:53 AM
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