Illegal Means Illegal
Sunday, November 04, 2007
In the Kingdom of Spitzer, the Constitution is ignored

To the Editor:

The Kingdom of Spitzer In a land once called New York state exists now the Kingdom of Spitzer. The king has decreed by executive order that illegal aliens in his kingdom will receive driver's licenses. "They have broken our laws by coming here illegally, but that matters not, they must be rewarded for this daring act. They need a way to get around as long as they are here."

A voice from the crowd cries out: "I offer a simple solution: Let them take the bus!"

"What about our Constitution, the law of our land, have we no say?"

"Silly piece of paper," the King replied. "I am the king and you have no say. Sir Sheldon Silver will ensure that I get my way."

So the King thinks his subjects blind, like the fairy tale of the emperor with no clothes; for we would only see what the king wants us to see.

But the legal subjects are not as blind as the king may believe. Can there be more to the king's plan? Once they have licenses, will the king enact a motor-voter act giving them the right to vote, too? Where will this madness stop?

Is there a happy ending to this tale? Sadly, no. Once our highest officials turn a blind eye to our laws and to the people they govern, then we become subjects of a kingdom instead of free citizens of our United States.

Our naked king should wrap himself in that "silly piece of paper" he has ignored and try reading it. For it is still the law of our land, and it gives us the right to vote him out!

Dave Bennett
Liverpool



Don't give legal benefits to those who break the law

To the Editor:

I have read and watched the debate concerning Gov. Spitzer's proposal to give licenses to "illegal" immigrants. What concerns me is not the license or the three-tiered system, though all who paid for a passport may have wasted their money to get into Canada. It is the "illegal" part of this foolish idea.

I will grant you there is the agricultural aspect, but having grown up on the dole, I would have been glad to pick apples. We did in fact go door-to-door selling aprons and pot holders our mother sewed, and shoveled snow.

Some of those on the dole are an unaccessed "human resource," if physically and mentally able.

That said, "illegal" immigrants are just that illegal. They are knowingly breaking our laws, just like the politicians who don't pay their parking tickets, those who hack computers, drug dealers, and let's not forget agricultural employers who exploit their employees' ignorance of labor laws.

So I implore those who are able to resist and stop the governor from allowing "criminal" immigrants to have the benefits of "legal" citizens of this state. Because in doing so, the governor is redefining what "illegal" means. Law professors will have to change what they teach, and textbooks will have to be changed, of course, and so on.

Timothy P. Smith
East Syracuse


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