An accident of birth
I have taken a hiatus from writing for weblogs, but I feel compelled to add this small tidbit to the supposed “debate” over immigration into the United States:
For those of you/us who were among those fortunate enough to be born inside the United States, whether to parents who were citizens or aliens, legal or illegal, it is important to keep in mind that our very own status as citizens is entirely due to an accident of birth.
We were born inside the boundaries of the US, therefore we are citizens.
Few, if any, other nations have that generous a definition.
To put it in plain words, the vast majority are citizens through no actions of their own but purely through an accident of birth, where they happened to be born or who their parents were, but definitely NOT through their own efforts.
Ponder that for a moment.
Then think about the origins of the expressed outrage from some quarters when protests in other nations are held where the participants chant, “Death to America!”
Next, think about who is raising a hue and cry about immigrants, both legal and illegal, in the US who protested and chanted “We love the USA!”
Then consider how many are raging against both the former AND the latter.
Finally…
…think for yourself, and come to your own conclusions.
—
Update: A run-on sentence was edited for clarity.
11 Responses to “An accident of birth”
Here’s another way to think about it. Where do you stand on Bush’s choices to decide for himself when laws are Constitutional and, hence, when he will follow them? The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board, which agrees with you on immigration, offered a great statement that I think applies equally well to both of these topics:
If one believes in those sentences when applied to Bush and his choice to not follow laws passed by Congress or when applied to any other circumstance, one should also believe in those sentences when applied to people who choose to not follow our laws when entering (or staying in) this country illegally.
No one is above the law. All of us without exception must obey the law. Isn’t part of placing no one above the law and demanding that all of us without exception obey the law demanding that those who broke the law are punished for doing so? A fine that amounts to less than some pay in legal fees to obtain the right to come here legally doesn’t seem like much of a punishment. In fact, the right to gain citizenship when some who come here legally will never have such an opportunity seems like a reward for breaking the law. Add those two things to the simple right to stay here while those who are trying to come here legally continue to wait to enter the country and it seems very clear that we are rewarding these people for breaking our laws, far from the fundamental notion that no one is above the law.
I admit, I was very lucky in being born in this country. My wife and everyone in her family was very unlucky in being born in other countries, three of them being born in a refugee camp. They still took the time and spent a lot of money, which her parents had to work hours any of us would cringe at doing jobs most of us could not imagine, for over a decade and a half so they could adhere to these laws that nobody, not even the President of the United States, is above. Are we now going to punish my wife’s family for obeying our laws while rewarding millions of people for breaking our laws?
No one is above the law. All of us without exception must obey the law. Well, maybe 11 million exceptions but who’s counting?
Jack,
2 things.
1. I don’t think my birth, or that of my siblings was an accident. In fact I am pretty sure my parents intended for us to be born. So I’m not sure I follow your “accidental birth” theory. True, I personally didn’t do much if anything to be born aside from growing inside my mother for 9 months. But my folks fully intended for me to be born, from seeing the doctors to going to the hospital when necessary.
2. The portion of the post after Ponder that for a moment I don’t quite follow. You appear to have a run-on sentence there, that I just can’t wrap my head around. If you have a chance, a clearer explanation would help.
Aside from that it’s nice to see you back on tmv, even in a limited capacity.
Ryan, you write:
I am not trying to say that those here illegally should not be subject to the law. However, to address your point, almost everyone I know who drives also exceeds the speed limit. They are breaking the law routinely, yet are only punished when caught, and then only with a fine. Speed kills, it is well known that lower speeds reduce the death rates on highways, so arguably many lives could be saved if we better enforced the speeding laws and increased the level of the offense to be a felony. Should we do so?
As the law is currently written AND enforced, crossing the border without documentation is not a criminal offense, it is a civil offense roughly on the same level as a speeding ticket.
My point is that many of the people who complain about protests in other nations where there are chants of “Death to the USA!” are the same people complaining about immigrants, both legal and illegal, in the US who protested and chanted “We love the USA!” It appears that according to them everything that foreigners do is wrong, even when they are saying they love America.
Do you not see the irony?
Jim, an “accident of birth” is not an “accidental birth.” I am referring to the fact that we do not choose who our parents are or where we are born. We are citizens of whatever country through no effort of our own. Yet, those who are complaining about the immigrant situation here often don’t seem to recognize that they are here not through their own efforts but through factors they had nothing to do with. Should we condemn those who make the effort to improve their lives just because they are “not from ’round here”?
I’ll try to clear up the run-on sentence. I wrote this post a bit too late at night!
Thanks for the encouragement!
The issue is the money I pay. Pure and simple.
It is my accident of birth that requires that I pay higher state &federal income and property taxes and insurance rates to fund those whose accident of birth gains them free education, health care, and allows them to not have to pay for the required auto insurance.
I taught in a 85% “undocumented student” classroom and after-school parent english &math classes. It is an unbelievable drain on school districts and teachers. The parents are not literate in Spanish and several told me they dropped out of second grade because third grade cost money in their region of Mexico. Many sign with an X and are not supportive of homework.
Students and their parents go to the FREE county clinic for everything: shots, births, operations, etc. Yes there must be compassion, but there must also be financial responsibility to pay state and federal income taxes (not must a portion of social security taxes).
Try having your car significantly damaged by an uninsured car and watch YOUR rates skyrocket.
Please address the ENTIRE issue.
So what are you saying? They should be given a “slap on the wrist” that actually looks more like a pat in the back and a congratulations for doing better by breaking the law than those who are following the law do?
First, I think comparing illegal immigration to speeding is a little extreme but, in terms of the law, they are offenses at the state level so I’ll play along.
If I’m caught speeding, I get a ticket. It’s happened once to me in over a decade of driving. This spring, illegal immigrants have been flaunting their being here illegally. The officials know where and, in some cases, who they are and they don’t do a thing about it. I got punished more for going a little over the speed limit than people who were on the news declaring that they are breaking our laws and doing so right in front of law enforcement officials did. Yes, I think enforcement and punishment of illegal immigration should be at least as strong as enforcement of speeding. Currently, it is not. “Guest worker” and “earned citizenship” programs would tilt the pendulum even further in that direction.
Another thing about this comparison, though. What do I get out of speeding? Typically, I get to wait a little longer at the next red light. If I gain anything out of it, it’s getting home a minute or two earlier. A triple digit fine far outweighs that benefit so it is truly a punishment. What do illegal immigrants get out of coming here illegally? They get to start a better life for themselves years, even decades, earlier than those who go through the proper legal channels. If current proposals are passed, they get to actually pay LESS, fines included, than others have paid to come here legally AND they get a chance at citizenship, something some legal immigrants NEVER get a chance at. The benefits of breaking the law far outweigh the penalties. Heck, the financial benefit of breaking the law itself outweighs the penalty, which makes the penalty more of a congratulations for finding a way around the expense of obeying our laws. I know two people who each told me they spent over $10k in legal and other fees to come here legally and they have to go through a lottery in order to stay and are not eligible for citizenship. Now, they find out they could have come here illegally, paid a $2k fine, and earned their citizenship? They are the ones who feel like they are being penalized for obeying our laws.
At the very least, we should not be treating people who break our laws better than those who follow our laws. Current proposals treat those who break our laws much better than those who follow our laws. How does that mesh with no one is above the law? How does it mesh with all of us without exception must obey the law?
To MyPOV: The “free healthcare” and “free education” is a crock, and not much of an argument. Why? Because it’s not true:
…more…
…more…
…and finally…
Don’t quote crap you can’t back up. People are beyond right-wing scare tactics, I would hope…
how can we expect people to go through all the difficulties of coming here legally, if we allow people to come in illegally.
How can we control the numnbers, in order to maintain social cohesion and balance the interests of all classes, if we dont have control over how many come in?
It may well be desirable to legalize the status of some of the illegals already here. And I certainly have nothing against them shouting “i love america”
But I think the govt should look to the opinions of citizens on this. And i dont think opposing illegal immigration makes one a racist, as some have implied.
Wait a minute, this math doesn’t make any sense.
Are they stating that illegal immigrants add $50B a year to the Social Security fund? That implies that all 12 million are working at a rate of $33,000+ per year. Allowing for fewer numbers working, the average rate of pay goes up. I thought they were supposed to be doing jobs no one wanted. This must be worded badly.
Over what period of time? Yearly, lifetime, what? And do they mean in aggregate or by family?
Without more background, these numbers are meaningless.
In the midst of this debate, I have heard few people railing against legal immigrants.
Also, the rhetoric seems to have changed somewhat, but you can still find a healthy contingent that do not raise their voices in love for America. I think that what gets under the skin is the demanding nature of the various marches, which basically says, “We’re here, we’re staying. Get used to it,” while constructing enclaves.
Nice to see you around, Jack.
And I’ve heard nearly every illegal immigration supporter lump illegal immigrants and legal immigrants together, which is not at all fair to legal immigrants who have been victimized by illegal immigrants.
There is another aspect to this argument: Illegal immigrants are a source of unfair competition for American jobs. It is a myth that they only do jobs “that Americans won’t do”. They work in construction,landscaping, as electricians, as meat-cutters, etc. They work for less, and employers do not have to pay benefits. If you want to see a decimation of the working and middle classes in this country, adopt the guest worker plan. Corporate America supports this as a means to an end: an endless supply of cheap labor. This explains the administration’s departure from conservative doctrine, and the split in the Repub. party.
In my opinion, the humanitarian thing to do is to foster development and growth in Mexico, where workers are making $2 an hour, despite a wealth of resources. If Mexicans make more in their own country, they won’t want to come here, and burden the social welfare system.