Posted on 05/20/2010 3:40:18 PM PDT by calif_reaganite
Response to President Calderon
House Chamber, Washington, D.C.
May 20, 2010
M. Speaker:
I rise to take strong exception to the speech of the President of Mexico while in this chamber today.
The Mexican government has made it very clear for many years that it holds American sovereignty in contempt and President Calderon’s behavior as a guest of the Congress confirms and underscores this attitude.
It is highly inappropriate for the President of Mexico to lecture Americans on American immigration policy, just as it would be for Americans to lecture Mexico on its laws.
It is obvious that President Calderon does not understand the nature of America or the purpose of our immigration law.
Unlike Mexico’s immigration law -- which is brutally exclusionary -- the purpose of America’s law is not to keep people out. It is to assure that as people come to the United States, they do so with the intention of becoming Americans and of raising their children as Americans.
Unlike Mexico, our nation embraces immigration and what makes that possible is assimilation.
A century ago President Teddy Roosevelt put it this way. He said:
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language ... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."
That is how we have built one great nation from the people of all the nations of the world.
The largest group of immigrants now comes from Mexico. A recent RAND discovered that during most of the 20th Century, while our immigration laws were actually enforced, assimilation worked and made possible the swift attainment of the American dream for millions of immigrants seeking to escape conditions in Mexico.
That is the broader meaning of our nation’s motto, “e pluribus unum” – from many people, one people, the American people.
But there is now an element in our political structure that seeks to undermine that concept of “E Pluribus Unum.” It seeks to hyphenate Americans, to develop linguistic divisions, to assign rights and preferences based on race and ethnicity, and to elevate devotion to foreign ideologies and traditions, while at the same time denigrating American culture, American values and American founding principles.
In order to do so, they know that they have to stop the process of assimilation. In order to do that, they must undermine our immigration laws.
It is an outrage that a foreign head of state would appear in this chamber and actively seek to do so. And it is a disgrace that he would be cheered on from the left wing of the White House and by many Democrats in this Congress.
Arizona has not adopted a new immigration law. All it has done is to enforce existing law that President Obama refuses to enforce. It is hardly a radical policy to suggest that if an officer on a routine traffic stop encounters a driver with no driver’s license, no passport, and who doesn’t speak English, that maybe that individual might be here illegally.
And to those who say we must reform our immigration laws – I reply that we don’t need to reform them – we need to enforce them. Just as every other government does. Just as Mexico does.
Above all, this is a debate of, by and for the American people. If President Calderon wishes to participate in that debate, I invite him to obey our immigration laws, apply for citizenship, do what 600,000 LEGAL immigrants to our nation are doing right now, learn our history and our customs, and become an American. And then he will have every right to participate in that debate.
Until then, I would politely invite him to have the courtesy while a guest of this Congress to abide by the fundamental rules of diplomacy between civilized nations not to meddle in each other’s domestic debates.
Why or why California's elected Arhuld instead of Tom I'll never know.
OH why...
Big ‘ole HELL YES!!!
Send him a thank you note.
I did. It’s heartening to see that someone in Congress has a pair and is not afraid to tell the rectal orifices where the dog died.
Aint my problem if you believe the horsecrap of the Lew Rockwell wing of the ‘conservative’ movement.
ping!
“And to those who say we must reform our immigration laws – I reply that we don’t need to reform them – we need to enforce them.”
That bears repeating.
It's interesting. Beck cites sources for his claims.
I see none from you...
Magnificent letter.
********************APPLAUSE*********************
Next time all the REPUBLICANS NEED TO WALK OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mr.McClintock,will you be our President?
someone with at least one jewel between his legs with a light on upstairs.
Can’t wait to see these scum to the door so we can kick them on the way out.
I agree
I came here form England, I left because England is crap, I lived up north and lived wqon here and thew south I live so much, infact after living in many countries this is by far the best place to live.
I became American , paid my fees, did my interviews , went back when I had to for me to renew my visas
I became a proud American
I had kids here I tell them how England used to be etc, I tell them how and when I did my years serving but I raise my kids American
They are taught to respect the laws, the rules and to give respect, to treat others how they want to be treated, I teach them yes sir and no mam
which I might add when we’re having to go north some get a kick out of it by kids saying that, guess they don’t say things liek that in NY city
In the end we are Americans and my kids know they are lucky to be born here and they know that they have to work for what they want
my oldest is 12, my youngest is 7 and my daughter is 9.All of them know America’s history, they know much more than half the adults here and every day they say their prayers thanking that they are here.
Well now....isn’t that something.
A Republican politician with a spine.
Maybe there is hope for this country.
Beyond outstanding. Simply a superb slapdown of that arrogant little nothing from Mexico, along with a well deserved bitch slap for Obambi.
BRAVO to Rep. Tom McClintock! After a very bad day, his speech MADE my day much better! Thank you, thank you.
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