Thread: Don’t give citizenship to illegals

http://www.examiner.com/a-496088~Melani ... egals.html

Melanie Scarborough: Don’t give citizenship to illegals
Melanie Scarborough, The Examiner
Jan 8, 2007 12:00 AM (11 hrs ago)


WASHINGTON - Suppose that after George W. Bush moved into the White House, intruders broke into his Texas home. His house was more luxurious than theirs, so they decided to move in.


When Bush returns in ’09, the trespassers argue they are entitled to stay. After all, they’ve been there eight years and haven’t hurt anything — they’ve even taken care of the place — and it’s the only home their children know.

Bush insists that is all irrelevant; they have no right to be in his house. He calls the police, who side with the intruders but offer the Bushes a solution: Put the poachers’ names on the deed to the house; then their presence won’t constitute trespass. The cops explain that unlawful entry is considered a legitimate path to “earned ownership.”

Sure, that sounds absurd; but that is the logic behind offering illegal immigrants “earned citizenship.” Under a proposal Congress soon will reconsider, individuals in this country illegally who have been here the longest — i.e., those who have demonstrated the most protracted contempt for our nation’s laws — would be rewarded with citizenship. Could anything be more ridiculous?

Even the phrase “earned citizenship” is offensive because acquiring something valuable by breaking the law isn’t earning; it’s taking. If a thief steals a car and is later caught, can he claim earned ownership because he took care of the car while it was in his possession and committed no traffic violations?

Democrats, of course, support “earned citizenship” because it rewards anti-social behavior. The White House supports the plan because it sees political traction in the unconscionable implication that to oppose illegal immigration is to be anti-Hispanic — an insult to all law-abiding people.

The problem with illegal immigrants isn’t the color of their skin. Certainly it is understandable that poor people want to come to a rich country, and the United States is the most welcoming nation on Earth. But illegal immigrants are people who couldn’t be bothered to go through the process lawfully.

Clearly, they are willing to engage in criminal activity if that’s what it takes to get what they want. These are not the sort of people who would be assets to a nation governed by the rule of law.

The argument for tolerating illegal immigrants is that they do the grunt work Americans won’t. But if they are made citizens, they no longer will be relegated to the underground economy.

What’s to stop them from going to work in a government office or taking one of those jobs in homeland security advertised endlessly on daytime TV?

It’s scary enough that our government wants to make cops out of people who find Jerry Springer entertaining. But it would be no less dangerous to fill government jobs with people who believe the ends justify the means.

Consider that since the Sept. 11 attacks, employees in such agencies as the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Homeland Security have been caught selling falsified documents.

If Americans who “earned” their citizenship by relying on phony credentials suddenly have access to jobs where they can supply them to others, why would they have any compunction against doing so?

It is simply naïve to think that individuals with a demonstrated disregard for our laws could be trusted to dispense such things as benefits and justice.

The Republicans deserved to lose control of Congress. They refused to curb government spending; they rubber-stamped Bush’s Iraq policy; they enabled his breathtaking corruption of traditional American freedom.

But the Democrats will do their own brand of damage if they can’t allow common sense to dictate immigration reform. It is irrational to reward people who do not respect the laws of this country by giving them citizenship — allowing them to vote, live off the dole, or work in government jobs where they can enable other illegal activity.

Congress and the White House will be looking for an issue on which they can work together; both sides are eager to demonstrate how nobly bipartisan they are.

But joining forces to push through “earned citizenship” would achieve nothing except giving millions of criminals rights they can abuse. A victory for illegal immigrants would be a defeat for the rule of law. Call it “earned adversity.”

“earned citizenship”

how in hell? One may earn or achieve 'favor' or preferential treatment with regard to obtaining legal status but this is preposterous!

Entitlement mentality propagated by political prostitutes.