War on American Citizenship

New York Post | 9/7/01 | Michelle Malkin

[firebrand]

I am the daughter of legal immigrants from the Philippines who proudly chose to become Americans. They stood in line, aced their citizenship tests, filed tons of paperwork and---speaking in English---swore allegiance to the United States.

The 206-year-old oath my parents took declares, in part:

"I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty . . . I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic . . . I will bear arms on behalf of the United States . . . I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."

For millions of naturalized Americans like my parents, the oath of allegiance is sacred. It is a solumn public commitment to embrace and defend American laws and institutions. The rights and responsibilities that accompany this covered status are earned privileges, not free entitlements.

That is why the widespread assault on American citizenship is a grave insult not only to native-born Americans, but also to families like mine who played by the rules to get here---and to stay.

Everywhere you turn, U.S. citizenship is being devalued:

o On the ball field, relatives of America's now-scandal-ridden Little League team from the Bronx waved Dominican Republic flags---not our Stars and Strips.

o The English-language requirement for naturalized Americans has been gutted, and many ethnic groups are lobbying to drop the oath of allegiance that new Americans have taken for more than two centuries.

o In Amherst, Mass., left-wing locals are once again pushing voting rights for non-U.S. citizens---a trend pioneered in my home county of Montgomery County, Md., where noncitizens in five communities are allowed to vote in local elections, and in Chicago and New York, where noncitizens can vote for school board.

o And on the international scene, Mexican President Vicente Fox challenged President Bush this week to approve a "bilateral migration policy." Translation: Allow illegal Mexican workers to jump ahead of the line while law-abiding immigrants from all other countries patiently wait their turn.

Although Bush has backed away from using the term "amnesty," it is clear that he is toying with the same craven politics of pandering to the illegal-alien lobby that the Clinton-Gore administration embraced.

In an election-year effort to manufacture new votes, Clinton-Gore launched a "Citizenship USA" campaign in 1996 to expedite naturalization for more than a million aliens. Nearly 200,000 never underwent required fingerprint checks. More than 80,000 had disqualifying criminal records.

The message this sends to families like mine is that we are chumps. Why should we bother to obey the law? Or Learn English? Why study U.S. history in order to earn the right to vote if liberal enclaves across the country are going to enfranchise noncitizens---who don't even have to be able to read their ballots in English, let alone name the three branches of government?

The movement to naturalize illegal aliens and the drive to give voting rights to legal permanent aliens have a shared target audience: Mexicans. Many have absolutely no intention of assimilating here, but will gladly take what kowtowing U.S. politicians give them.

President Bush, courting Latino leaders, says he simply wants to find a way to "legalize the hard work" of Mexicans who crossed our borders illegally. But illegal aliens from Mexico aren't the only immigrants who do hard work.

Exclusive amnesty for line-jumping Mexicans is a slap in the face to all other immigrants---from the Korean grocer and Ehtiopian restaurateur, to the Indian cab driver, British schoolteacher and Filipino nurse---who came through the front door, toil gladly, reject the free-ride mentality and follow the rule of law.

The founding fathers didn't envision the naturalization process as a means to boost the labor supply or the voting rolls. The ultimate end, the purpose, of granting American citizenship is to help create one people who share a common allegiance. It is a tragedy that we've now given the enemies of our constitutional republic the keys to flood our gates and trash our home.

malkin1@ix.netcom.com

[firebrand]

There's not a lot here that we haven't already discussed on FR, but it's nice to see it all wrapped up so neatly, and as the lead opinion column in the NYPost.

[TheDon]

Exclusive amnesty for line-jumping Mexicans is a slap in the face to all other immigrants

Michael Savage announced the Gallup Poll results that less than 10% of Americans support amnesty. That is an amazing amount of consensus.

[Bob Burnett]

An excellent article.

[firebrand]

Wish I could post the picture that goes with the column, a 102-year-old who just got her citizenship, holding an American flag.

[FreedomSurge]

"legalize the hard work"

I am sick of this immigrants work so hard crapola. The US is the hardest working country in the world - by far. Even surpasing the Japanese. I doubt that many immigrants work as hard as I do. If I make a mistake in my work allot of people can be affected its not as if the only consequence is a bruised tomato.

It would be interesting if on this post the lazy idlers who can't work for themselves could start their post out in the following way: "I am too lazy to belch for myself and I think we need to support illegal immigration because..."

[telos]

War on American Citizenship

Title just about says it all; they are fully mobilized, and moving on all fronts.

[oyez]

How many now come here looking for a better life vs. those looking for a government to take care of them. I've noticed that new Russians here have a liking for the Clinton-Gores.

[jpsb]

bump

[Marine Inspector]

Unfourtunately, The morjority of immigrants today come here for money and opportunity, not to become US Citzens.

Most people confuse their Nationality with the Heritage. Mexican-Amercian, German-American, Spanish-American, Russian-American.

Immigrants need to realize that by immigrating, they need to become an American. They can be proud of the heritage, but they must realize they are Americans, not Mexicans, Germans, Spaniards or Russians.

[healey22]

great article

[Dick Bachert]

Excellent post and mirrors MY sentiments precisely! THANKS!!

At the time of his approach to Red China, Richard Nixon (a REPUBLICAN for those of you from Rio Linda) was approached by an internationalist businessman who was literally salivating over the prospect of access to the BILLIONS of potential Chinese slave laborers and “customers” (although this rocket scientist had apparently not yet concluded that the Chinese people would be hard pressed to buy his stuff without MONEY!!!!).

This businessman was concerned that Nixon had been SAYING that he was cooling to the idea of an opening to Red China to quell the uprising within the then very much more America-First rank and file Republican Party.

As reported years later, Nixon told the businessman
“DON’T LISTEN TO WHAT WE SAY: WATCH WHAT WE DO!”</FONT COLOR=RED>

It is my strong memory of THAT event which prompts me to post this graphic!

AS YOU READ THIS, IT APPEARS THAT BUSH, DASCHLE AND OTHERS ARE WELL DOWN THE ROAD TO USING THIS PAGE FROM THE NIXON PLAYBOOK!

Look, America – the IDEA not the PLACE – can only continue to exist if we heed the advice of the founding fathers (paraphrased here in the current vernacular for residents of Rio Linda), to wit:
“The Founding Fathers have determined that failure to WATCH politicians – ALL POLITICIANS (even those you may worship!) – is dangerous to the security of this nation and to the freedoms we paid such a heavy price to TRY to leave you and your children.” “Government is not reason. Government is not eloquence. It is FORCE. And, like fire, it is a DANGEROUS SERVANT AND A FEARSOME MASTER.”

That from that notorious tinfoil hat wearing, radical wing-nut, George Washington.

[goldstategop]

Like Michelle Malkin I am a naturalized U.S citizen. My father and mother and I came here obeying this country's immigration law and then waited patiently to obtain the privilege that is U.S citizenship. Its a very unique reward to obtain when one considers that Americans very readily accept foreign nationals who come to the U.S legally and play by the rules and embrace their becoming U.S citizens without objection. America after is all is an immigrant country bound together not by blood but on the power of an enduring idea. There are some who want to take advantage of Americans natural generosity to change our country's contract with immigrants by extending to illegal aliens U.S citizenship through amnesty even though that's not right. This country shouldn't be in the business of rewarding those who break its laws. And that's why Malkin and I and millions of U.S citizens who were legal immigrants who worked hard and obeyed the rules to be lucky to obtain the privilege of U.S citizenship are grossly offended. U.S citizenship should mean something and apparently our political class engaged as it is in pandering to ethnic votes, could care less Americans don't want to have it drained of its meaning. Its high time to fight and take our country back from those who want to put our sovereignty, our borders, and yes the privilege that U.S citizenship represents for sale to any one who wants it on a whim.

[Joe Hadenuf]

BANG

[WarHawk42]

This article illustrates one of the problems with amnesty.  Those who play by the rules not only earn something of great value to them but they also appreciate what they have fought so hard for.  First amnesty rewards law breaking and then is a free gift for those same law breakers.  It has no value to them like the ones who earn it.  Things that come too easy have no value.

WarHawk42

[RaceBannon]

bump

[StarFan]

but it's nice to see it all wrapped up so neatly, and as the lead opinion column in the NYPost. It is indeed, and echoes my sentiments exactly. BTW I couldn't find the picture of the 102 year old woman but the visualization brought chills.

Two of my biggest pet peeves seem to be shared o On the ball field, relatives of America's now-scandal-ridden Little League team from the Bronx waved Dominican Republic flags---not our Stars and Strips.

o The English-language requirement for naturalized Americans has been gutted, and many ethnic groups are lobbying to drop the oath of allegiance that new Americans have taken for more than two centuries.

I understand there's a new movement underway to discontinue the singing of the National Anthem before sports games. One reason cited was the 'forced patriotism'. Seems to me that 'forced' may be the only option left to us.

[Dutchy]

Ditto's to your comments. The title of this column tells it all. We are truly in a war. A war against America as we know it. Abiding by the the rule of law, our values, our language, our culture, all under attack. Thankfully, we have FR as rally point to communicate, discuss, and mobilize to fight back...

[Lucky]

Great article, BTTT