All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to
the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of
the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any
law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of
the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life,
liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any
person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Will Latinos Continue Moving Democratic? By Roberto Lovato, Public Eye Will Latinos keep turning
away from the Right, furthering the momentum witnessed in
last year's massive marches and during the off-year
elections?
Don't Fall for Bush's Immigration Scam By Stephen Pizzo, News for Real Pizzo argues that liberals
are flummoxed by the issue of immigration and losing ground
by being overly politically correct. He says our focus
should be on common-sense regulations and enforcement.
The Rest of the Story: a Response to Stephen Pizzo By Joshua Holland, AlterNet What Pizzo misses is that
a comprehensive immigration debate should include the
effects of trade policies, reforming the World Bank, and
providing debt relief to poorer countries.
The
Price of Citizenship
Proposed fee increases for visas and citizenship papers would become
a means test for new Americans, slamming the door on many people who
desperately want to be part of this country and have much to
contribute.
"Once we begin enforcing the law, jobs for illegal immigrants
will disappear.
We must reform NAFTA. US companies who move jobs south must be
required
to comply with minimum standards for human rights and common
decency.
These added safeguards will make US firms reconsider the
efficacy of exporting
jobs and exploiting fragile economies in
third-world countries. This will persuade
responsible companies to focus on legitimate job creation in
America and make
living conditions across the Americas more prosperous, safe,
and productive.
We can and should demand civic-commitment and responsibility
from those firms
who do business in America. It is time to end corporate welfare
and the problems it creates."
George Bush and his "base," (the richest 1% in American plus various
transnational
conglomerates), have no vision for America beyond
their corporate bottom lines.
And if the law will not permit their
machinations, they change or suspend the law.
It is time for
accountability.
WHY BUSH NEEDS "ILLEGAL" IMMIGRANTS Keith
Gottschalk, Rabble
Undocumented immigration has been to Bush's advantage, stimulating
the economy & creating a distraction that covers other problems
http://www.alternet.org/rights/36695/
Illegal Immigrants Fighting Wildfires
Some say that firefighting may be too important to allow for a
crackdown on illegal workers.
"I don't
think it's in anybody's interest, including the Forest Service, to
enforce immigration — they're benefiting from it."
BLANCA ESCOBEDA
Human Rights
Unless and until working
people in the U.S. come to see workers of color in the global South
as their brothers and sisters in a common struggle for economic
justice and human dignity--and the owners of capital as their
implacable economic enemies--nothing will change, or at least, not
for the better.
Of Immigrants and "Real Amurkans"
CounterPunch - Petrolia,CA,USA
We are a nation filled mostly with "immigrants." Some of
our early
immigrants displaced and almost decimated native tribal
cultures.
But our subsequent legacy of providing safe harbor for
those
seeking
freedom and liberty is laudable and essential. When we surrender that
legacy to those who would close our borders, build walls, and make
felons of millions of our residents, we are forgetting who we are
and condemning millions to intolerable prisons of totalitarianism,
exploitation, and neglect.
One of the primary culprits in this saga is the wrong-headed and
counterproductive NAFTA initiative. This so-called "leveling of the
playing field" forced poor people with few resources and little
training to compete on a "level" field with the richest and most
powerful corporations on the planet. This destroyed rural economies
throughout central and south Americas,
exported jobs, and lowered
wages here at home. A lose-lose proposition. These disruptions opened the floodgates of immigration we are now experiencing.
Originally our nation had open immigration. Eventually, as our
open lands dwindled, various limits were imposed. Many feel the most
effective solution would be to open our borders instead of building
walls. When anyone can legally come to America and
examine our culture, this will raise all ships. Companies who hire illegal
immigrants
should be penalized so that their self-serving exploitation is not cost-
effective. When we enforce the law in America,
instead of building barricades to freedom, we will once again be respected and admired
for our courage, compassion, and foresight. (On Immigration
Law)
NAFTA needs reform. Our immigration quotas need examination. And
we must insist that American companies observe the law. As for the
extralegal immigrants who now reside in America, we
should provide a
process for them to come out of the closet and make their residency legitimate. They will have to pay some dues, but their "crime"
is less ignoble than the crimes committed by savvy CEO's who
intentionally exploited their helplessness. What we need is a remedy
which strikes a balance between justice
and compassion.
Once we begin enforcing the law, jobs for illegal immigrants will
disappear.
And we must reform NAFTA to demand that US companies who move
jobs south, comply with minimum standards for human rights and
common decency. These added safeguards and expenses, plus a
progressive tax on gross corporate profits, will make US
firms reconsider
the
efficacy of exporting jobs and exploiting fragile
economies in third-world
countries. This will persuade companies to
focus on legitimate job
creation in America and
will make living conditions across
the Americas
more
prosperous, safe, and productive. We can and should demand
civic commitment and responsibility from those firms who do business in
America. It is time to end corporate welfare and the problems it creates.
"The spread of evil is the symptom of a
vacuum. whenever evil wins, it is only by default: by the
moral failure of those who evade the fact that there can be
no compromise on basic principles."
Ayn Rand
Activism
Issues
