Bush welcomes new citizens

The Daily Progress, Charlottesville, Va. ^ | 2008-07-04 | Rachana Dixit & Brian McNeill

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Mary Patricia McFadyen, a native of Scotland, stepped up to the microphone just moments after being sworn in as an American citizen and thanked her friends and neighbors.

But, she added, President Bush was also a powerful influence in her decision.

“Mr. President, I’d like to thank you for inspiring me to complete this process,” she said. “Without you, this day may have never come.”

For new citizens like McFadyen, it seemed especially fitting that the president honored 72 new citizens and reflected on Thomas Jefferson’s legacy during the 46th annual Independence Day and Naturalization Ceremony at Monticello.

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Hataw Saadi Taha, who fled the northern region of Iraq 11 years ago, said she wanted to become an American citizen because the United States was the first country that accepted her after leaving the rule of Saddam Hussein.

“I am very proud of my new country,” Taha said. “Especially on the Fourth of July.”

Taha told Bush that she wants to see an end to the violence in her homeland.

“Mr. President, I need peace to my country.”

Taha said she disliked the protesters who tried to disrupt Bush’s speech at the ceremony.

“Everybody can have their own speech,” she said. “But I didn’t like it at all, especially for today.”

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More positive coverage of today’s naturalization ceremony at Monticello.

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72 immigrants from 30 countries line up in front of Monticello to take their oath of citizenship July 4, 2008. (The Daily Progress / Megan Lovett)

[TLI]

the president honored 72 new citizens and reflected on Thomas Jefferson’s legacy during the 46th annual Independence Day

Meanwhile, another 7,000 - 8,000 foreign nationals illegally crossed the mexican border this past 24 hours...

[johnthebaptistmoore]

Still, it’s very hypocritical for President Bush (and John McCain and Barack Obama) to praise legal immigrants when he also practices favoritism towards illegal immigrants through the ongoing promotion of amnesty programs for illegal immigrants throughout the U.S.!

[woofie]

no it isnt

[DoughtyOne]

Isn’t that the truth. Bush is has so soiled himself on the issue of immigration, it’s an insult to have him preside over any ceremony associate with it.

As someone else stated, Bush has shown favoritism to illegals over the rights of those who go through the process. That is absolutely shameful.

New citizens, here’s a guy who will not adhere to the oath he swore when becoming President. Now, run along and be good little citizens. Just don’t do as he does...

[johnthebaptistmoore]

It truly frustrates me that only a few years ago and before, both the Republicans and Democrats in large enough numbers in Congress as well as many politicians at the state level would never even talk about the idea of legally granting any kind of amnesty for illegal immigrants. There was always some politicians here and there in the past who were interested in amnesty for illegal immigrants, including Ted Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, and some legislation in the past was approved (a serious mistake that we are all truly still seeing and feeling the effects from today). But, it was not at the political calibur that it is today. The same political pattern is also happening with all present politicians who now choose to believe in the sham called man-made global warming.

[mouse1]

I remember the good old days when my grandparents had their citizenship papers framed. They viewed that document as one of their greatest achievements. The only word to describe the current immigration fiasco - Criminal!

[Gator113]

To you immigrants that bothered to love my country and learn my country...welcome, yes, welcome my country. AND if your love is true, Welcome to YOUR country.

Now......... respect her, love her, cherish her, fight for her and help us save her.

To all immigrants and citizens that lack that love of my country, you are my enemy and I despise you.

[DoughtyOne]

It truly frustrates me that only a few years ago and before, both the Republicans and Democrats in large enough numbers in Congress as well as many politicians at the state level would never even talk about the idea of legally granting any kind of amnesty for illegal immigrants. There was always some politicians here and there in the past who were interested in amnesty for illegal immigrants, including Ted Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, and some legislation in the past was approved (a serious mistake that we are all truly still seeing and feeling the effects from today). But, it was not at the political calibur that it is today. The same political pattern is also happening with all present politicians who now choose to believe in the sham called man-made global warming.

It saddens me to see comments like this, by well meaning Conservatives.  I personally think it's shameful to mention Ronald Reagan in conjunction with what is taking place today.  I can understand why some folks do, but I still think it is ill advised.

When Ronald Reagan was contemplating the illegal immigration situation, it was thought there were 1.5 million illegal immigrants inside our nation.  Even that paultry number bothered him.  He was motivated to try to take action to end illegal immigration.  He signed on to a plan that would legalize 1.5 million illegal immigrants, that included new federal laws that would have ended illegal immigration, if only they would have been enforced.

As we all know, that 1.5 grew to about 3.5 million when all was said and done.  I did not support Reagan doing what he did.  That being said, if employer sanctions, deportations, border enforcement and the whole package had been implemented, we wouldn't be facing the invasion and insurrection we are today.

Where did this all go wrong?  It is undeniable that granting amnestly would encourage others to try to game the system.  If those people had run into stringent enforcement, letter of the law employer sanctions, refusals to let our system be gamed, the urge to merge would have been blunted.  What did we get?

We got George Herbert Walker Bush turning his back on enforcement.  We got Bill Clinton turning his back on the issue.  We got George Bush turning his back on the problem.  We also got George Bush telegraphing that he wanted to legalize through some method all the illegal immigrants.  And then came the flood.  Now some of us look back on Ronald Reagn and blame him.

What happens when there is strident enforcement of laws concerning illegal immigrants?  In the last year we have seen some municipalities and even states knuckle down on illegal immigrants.  And when they did, the illegal immigrants sought greener pastures.

The evidence is in.  When enforcement is tried, it works.  The illegal alien vacates with their family.  Now is it Ronald Reagan's fault that enforcement is seldom tried?  Is it his fault that he tried to clean up the system, did, and nobody pushed enforcement?  I don't think so.  It is proven that the laws he signed into being, would have worked if only they would have been tried.

Today we have between 20 and 35 million illegal immiagrants.  If we do not, the only reason would be that we have been legalizing them under the table as fast as we could, while new illegal immigrants kept walking across our borders.

That is not Ronald Reagan's fault.  Mentioning him in the same sentence as Ted Kennedy is an incredible insult.  It was the Ted Kenndy wanna-bes who refused to enforce our laws concerning illegal immigrants, that were at fault.  It was not teh fault of Ronald Reagan who gave us the cure, but couldn't force future Presdients to administer it.