Kerry op-ed on the Republican attack on the 14th amendment

[karynnj]

It was stunning to see a senior senator declare, “I’m not sure exactly what the drafters of the 14th Amendment had in mind, but I doubt it was that somebody could fly in from Brazil and have a child and fly back home with that child, and that child is forever an American citizen.”

Stunning, first, because in a year when we lost Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), guardian of the Senate’s history and defender of the Constitution, some senators need reminding that the 14th Amendment was born of a determination to end forever any question, any effort to enshrine in our laws a kind of second-class citizenship.

The amendment’s authors purposely chose an objective standard of citizenship, one not subject to politics: birth.

<snip>

There is no epidemic of people “flying in” just to have their children born as U.S. citizens — and every senator knows it. Just as they know it takes more than two decades for a child born in America to sponsor anyone for immigration — which means no back door for undocumented parents to become citizens on the sly

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/40981.html#ixzz0wPJf8R4y

Kerry really hits the Republicans for playing politics on this.

[ProSense]

1. This is awesome,

an exceptionally well-written op-ed that nails the GOP's dangerous rheotoric.

The idea of repealing the 14th Amendment is just the latest example of how small our politics has become. This is so bad as to be laughable, were its implications not so grave. In America, we do not practice or believe in communal punishment. There are about 4 million kids legally in the United States but born to undocumented parents.

To deny them citizenship would create a generation of stateless children. We cannot force their parents’ countries to embrace them, nor should we reject them. They have done nothing wrong. They are born innocent.

If we repeal the amendment, how would we enforce our new citizenship standard? Would we station federal immigration agents in delivery rooms? Will every birth trigger an immigration investigation into the parents’ status? Do we want to amend the U.S. Constitution, the greatest document of liberty and freedom, so we can start deporting newborns?

[karynnj]

2. Those paragraphs really hit how heartless the Republicans are

Not to mention, I bet not all of them can prove that all their ancesters came in legally.

[MBS]

3. Excellent! thanks n/t

[beachmom]

4. Excellent column.

I remain forever puzzled by the Right's "crusade" against illegal immigration (which ends up affecting legal immigrants as well). Less immigrants are coming here now because there are less jobs. Florida is now going to introduce a draconian law. The kicker is the concept that if you are stopped for a traffic violation and you don't have your papers WITH YOU (maybe they are in a file at home), you are immediately thrown in jail for 20 days. WTF??? That would affect green card holders, who usually aren't going to haul around all their papers, and really anyone foreign born with an accent who does not have their passport with them at all times. I mean REALLY? They demand that basically everyone travel WITHIN the United States with a passport? That is beyond nuts. Or .... if they insist that Hispanics must do this, than I think the tea party set should be walking around with their passports or IMMEDIATELY be thrown into jail. Give them a taste of their own medicine. Oh? They don't have a passport. Well tough luck.

[wisteria]

5. I am glad the Senator is call out the Repubs on this political tactic.

It is just wrong to stir up people with lies and hatred just for political gain. The Repubs have no scruples at all.