Posted on 01/24/2002 7:18:39 PM PST by ATOMIC_PUNK
WHAT WE OWE OUR COUNTRY
New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is demanding that American taxpayers compensate families of illegal immigrants who died during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and that we protect alien family members from deportation if they seek awards from the federal victims' fund.
"Our country owes these victims and their families the compensation and caring that we've already demonstrated with the outpouring of help and compassion," Mrs. Clinton said this week. "Everybody should get something."
Yup, that sums up Hillaryism: It's all about what American citizens owe the perpetually aggrieved. It's all about getting, and never about giving back. It's all about Me, Me, Me.
As a child of immigrant parents who came here legally from the Philippines and eagerly chose to become Americans, I'm appalled at the insatiable sense of entitlement that these illegal aliens and their champions in Congress are demonstrating. The loss of life on Sept. 11 was devastating for everyone. I am as saddened by the death of hard-working illegal aliens who died at the World Trade Center as I am by the deaths of their American co-workers.
But why do we Americans -- native-born or naturalized -- "owe" the illegal alien family members of Sept. 11 victims anything?
There, I said it. More naturalized Americans and their families should do the same. We first- and second-generation Americans owe it to our homeland to put the oath of U.S. citizenship into action -- to "absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty" and to "support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic."
It may be lost on Sen. Clinton, but there's a difference between legal and illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants who jumped the line to get here don't pay income taxes. They don't register with the Selective Service. They don't respect our rule of law. They soak up the benefits of American citizenship without bearing the costs. Providing them with unbounded entitlements undercuts the social contract the rest of us have made with our homeland. It weakens our common culture. And in the long run, as we saw with the Sept. 11 terrorists who exploited apathy toward immigration enforcement, it undermines our national security.
Alas, the Hillaryist approach to illegal immigration seems to be creeping back into the White House. Barely four months after the terrorist attacks, our borders remain uncontrolled. Hundreds of thousands of aliens ordered deported remain at large. Every day brings a new tale of document fraud, bribery, and security leaks from within the Immigration and Naturalization Services. So why is the Bush administration again flirting with the idea of granting mass amnesty to millions of illegal Mexicans?
Secretary of State Colin Powell told Mexico's foreign minister last week that he and Bush are determined "to get back to this very important issue of regularizing the movement of Mexicans back and forth." "We haven't given up," Powell said, calling the terrorist attacks "a diversion, a detour" from the administration's priorities.
With all due respect to Secretary of State Powell, "regularizing" illegal Mexicans is not high on the post-Sept. 11 wish list of most American citizens. Not when "homeland security" is still just an empty slogan. Not when untold numbers of Mexican criminals who were naturalized improperly under Clinton-Gore's corrupt Citizenship USA program remain on the loose. Yet, Mexican officials are demanding the amnesty by this September, and Powell's rather undiplomatic and insensitive pandering is giving them hope.
Let me just say what Sen. Clinton and Secretary Powell will not: What our country deserves from everyone who enjoys its fruits and freedoms is a little more gratitude -- and a lot less greed.
To find out more about Michelle Malkin and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. Michelle Malkin's e-mail address is malkin1(at symbol)ix.netcom.com.
Sorry to say, I just can't find it in me to feel as bad for the death of criminals in this country illegally as I do for my fellow Americans.
Call me what you will. But that's how I feel.
And please remember to donate heavily to the Hillery for Senator re-election campaign.
It's all about getting, and never about giving back. It's all about Me, Me, Me.
Typical liberalism. This is right on "the money."
But why do we Americans -- native-born or naturalized -- "owe" the illegal alien family members of Sept. 11 victims anything?
That's one heck of a good question. How about Hillary handing over a few million of HER dollars if she's so concerned about these people? Let her use some of HER money for once. After all, her and Bill feel the only way to insure peace in the world is to "share the wealth."
So, Bill and Hillary, are you going to empty your bank accounts to help these poor people you CARE so much about?
That's vintage Clinton. It's like tuning the radio and picking up a transmission from the past.
Oops. I should have been a little more clear. Thanks, RBA.
BOTH the Klintons are pure evil and were born in the pits of hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kick them both out of America since the liberal majority here in the USA are going to let them get away with all their crimes of treason, corruption you name it. Send them to RED China with their other American haters there.
OK I feel an itsy bitsy better now. LOL
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