Tough stance on immigrationBy Andrew Garber
Seattle Times staff reporterYAKIMA — In an unexpected move, the state Republican Party on Saturday adopted a platform that states children of illegal immigrants should not be allowed to become United States citizens.
The platform, at least with respect to the children of illegal immigrants, goes further than measures currently under consideration in the Congress. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution recognizes citizenship for all persons born in the United States. ...
...State Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz said the GOP platform "is a punitive and inhumane response to the immigration issue America is confronting."
Pelz predicted it would be an "embarrassment" to Republican candidates. "Abraham Lincoln is turning over in his grave," Pelz said.
The state Republican Party's position on immigration goes in a different direction from a bill just passed by the U.S. Senate. That measure would let illegal immigrants who have been in the country five years or more to remain and eventually become legal permanent residents and citizens. But they'd have to pay fines and back taxes and learn English.
The Senate bill is considered by some as a bipartisan compromise to a House measure passed last year on a largely party-line vote. That bill had no provision to allow illegal immigrants to become citizens. It also made their illegal presence in the country a felony.
A recent poll by Seattle pollster Stuart Elway found that most Washington voters felt that illegal immigrants should be allowed to become citizens.
About 67 percent of Washington voters said immigrants who have lived here a number of years should be allowed to apply for legal status and eventually become citizens if they meet conditions such as paying a fine and back taxes. And 13 percent said illegal immigrants should be declared felons and not allowed to work. ...(full article)
Sunday, May 28, 2006
WA-GOP Doesn't Like The Constitution!
Posted by
CitizenSteve
at
4:54 AM
So it's official, the Washington State Republicans don't like 'brown' people or the Constitution. The headline says "Tough stance" but clearly the Republicans are openly racist and just plain inhumane.
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3 comments:
This makes sense if viewed from the far right. Assume that they don't want the parents to become citizens. Allowing the children to become citizens would split up the families, because the GOP would like to deport the parents. So, in an act of compassionate conservatism, they'd like to deport all of them - both the children and the parents.
Michael,
If the you and the WA-GOP had done your homework instead of applying snarky pre-teen logic, you'd know that "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" means 'if the laws apply to you' as opposed to someone who has 'diplomatic immunity'. The original intent of the 14th Amendment is well documented and this right-wing crappolla about it not applying to children who's parents entered the country illegally comes straight out of their asses.
Try reading this bit from FindLaw:
While clearly establishing a national rule on national citizenship and settling a controversy of long standing with regard to the derivation of national citizenship, the Fourteenth Amendment did not obliterate the distinction between national and state citizenship, but rather preserved it. 6 The Court has accorded the first sentence of Sec. 1 a construction in accordance with the congressional intentions, holding that a child born in the United States of Chinese parents who themselves were ineligible to be naturalized is nevertheless a citizen of the United States entitled to all the rights and privileges of citizenship. 7 Congress' intent in including the qualifying phrase ''and subject to the jurisdiction thereof,'' was apparently to exclude from the reach of the language children born of diplomatic representatives of a foreign state and children born of alien enemies in hostile occupation, both recognized exceptions to the common-law rule of acquired citizenship by birth, 8 as well as children of members of Indian tribes subject to tribal laws. http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment14/01.html#1
It amazes me that a Republican sympathizer would have the balls to trot out the Constitution in order to try to defend any of their positions, considering that the Republicans have gone so far out of their way to destroy any of the protections it offers the citizens of this country. Michael, you and you ilk only apply the Constitution when it suits your needs, while ignoring or attempting to destroy it, or place yourselves above it, when it doesn't. Why don't you try reading the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution? It reads: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." This is the amendment that makes Bush's wire-tapping of American citizens illegal. Bush has said in several speeches that when he became President, he took an oath to 'protect American citizens' from terrorists. That's a lie. The oath he took is found in the Constitution, and it reads: "Before he enter on the execution of his office, he shall take the following oath or affirmation:--'I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.'" That's from Section I, Article II of the Constitution. Finally, from Section IV, Article II: "The President, Vice President and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." This one's gotta be the most difficult for you to swallow because that's the part of the Constitution that will apply when the Democrats regain control of the House and Senate and go on to bring this entire administration in front of an impeachment hearing.
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