Saturday, June 30, 2012

The Value of American Citizenship

The Supreme Court's mostly adverse decision on Arizona's immigration law was stark in the latitude it granted to the federal government to neglect enforcement of immigration and naturalization law.  As the case yielded discretion to the executive branch to discern when it is desirable to deport "illegal" immigrants (if there are such persons any longer), we have become less a nation of laws and more a nation of men. 
Failing to defend the rights and interests of the citizenry is an inappropriate dereliction of duty on the part of our Supreme Court.  Expecting persons to obey the legal process of immigration is not a byproduct of a lack of "empathy," but a matter of respect for the laws, culture, traditions, and government of the nation. 
A century ago, millions of immigrants flocked all over the world to America, the beacon of liberty, through such ports of entry as Ellis Island and San Francisco.  The diverse backgrounds of the immigrants, which represented all the historically quarrelsome nations of Europe, as well as far-fledged corners of the world from Africa to Asia, blended into American society, learned the language without complaint, and got to work without expecting a government handout.
The result?  America became stronger because of the contribution of immigrants to the society, culture, and economy.  Now, the Democrat Party is trying to turn immigrants into yet another victim group, whose grievances are to be harnessed for yet more economic and political control. 

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