Illegal aliens are breaking the law


Your Voice
Letters to the Editor

Published: August 21, 2008

Thumbs down to the Hickory Daily Record. In Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down on Saturday, you gave a thumbs down to the state community college system for not allowing illegal aliens to attend our colleges. I guess the HDR would also like to see the illegal alien arrested on the front page of Tuesday's edition, for selling forged documents, to also be granted a college education.

What does the Hickory Daily Record (and others) not understand about the term illegal? Illegal is defined as "not according to or authorized by law or not sanctioned by official rules.

Also on Tuesday's front page was an article on N.C. Rep. Ray Warren who basically says let's make all illegals, legal. This is the typical liberal way thinking.

The term citizenship was not defined in the Constitution of 1787, although it was mentioned. However; in 1868 the definition was entered by way of the Fourteenth Amendment which states "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

The amendment does not say any persons born or naturalized in the U.S. are automatically citizens. The term "subject to the jurisdiction" means that individuals must be abiding within the law to become a citizen. Illegal immigrants are not abiding by the laws or rules of this country therefore do not fall into the definition of citizen.

There is no so-called birthright citizenship. I don't understand how those who openly break American law are allowed derive benefits or government services through their defiance, or we as a nation should allow such a thing.

Louis A. Barrett
Conover, NC
http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/content/2 ... s-opinion/