Mullings An American Cyber Column By Rich Galen

US & Int'l Papers

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Illegal Immigrants and Illicit Profits

Monday May 1, 2006

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I have been puzzling over why I have approximately zero sympathy for a national boycott in support of illegal immigrants which is planned for today.

I am only a second-generation native-born American, so it is not as if I have some claim to citizenship because "my people" have been here since Christopher Columbus got lost and found America.

My grandparents came from Poland and Russia just about 100 years ago. Family lore has it that both sets came in through Ellis Island so I presume they followed whatever rules were in effect at the time, but it is only a presumption. My paternal grandfather's name was, I believe, Zukufski, which has never been my name, so there exists the possibility of skullduggery at some point in the process.

I see no comparison to plight of illegal immigrants in 2006 to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's.

(A) Africans didn't exactly sneak in, in fact they were captured, kidnapped, and brought here in chains.
(B) Most African-Americans can trace their lineage in the United States to the early part of the 1800's if not earlier so they can't exactly go back to their family neighborhood.
(C) Blacks were the victims of a Constitutionally-approved system of legal, societal, and cultural maltreatment up until only about 50 years ago.

Illegal immigrants have none of those attributes:

(A) They have, by definition, come to the United States willingly - they went to great lengths to sneak in.
(B) Most have been here in the range of a decade or less so they can return from whence they came and, one suspects, find things pretty much as they left them.
(C) If ATMs are any example (the first button you have to press tells the machine whether to proceed in English or Spanish), there are laws, rules, and customs which specifically attempt to make it easier - not more difficult - for illegal immigrants to function in the US.

A good deal consternation about how to deal with illegal immigrants who have children born in the US. A child born in the US is, under the concept of jus soli, a citizen of the US no matter the status of the child's parents.

Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand all changed their laws regarding jus soli citizenship by requiring that at least one parent be a citizen before citizenship is conferred upon the child.

In the US, the 14th Amendment confers citizenship on anyone born here, so that solution would require amending the Amendment.

It is not certain that the planned boycott will be effective in helping move legislation through Congress. It is absolutely certain that it will fuel the resolve of those - especially in the US House - who believe that all illegal immigration should be treated as a criminal matter.

According to the Associated Press, "immigrants [are] being urged boycott work, school and shopping. In Tucson, Ariz., an organizer urged 'no buying at all,' not even calls to Mexico."

Good slogan: No cell phones, no peace.

NEW TOPIC

I listened to the wailing over gas prices on yesterday's Sunday shows and I was waiting for someone - anyone - to point out that it is not just US oil companies which are enjoying enormous profits, but our allies in the Middle East as well.

How about demanding that Saudi Arabia or (dare we suggest) Dubai pick up a significantly higher portion of the tab for ridding the region of Saddam? How about Kuwait - which was invaded by Saddam - offering to lead the way?

I have another question: How is it that when the price of a gallon of crude in the North Sea rises by $1.50 overnight; the price at the pump goes up first thing in the morning?

The gasoline in the tank buried beneath the station didn't become more expensive, did it? Nor did the gas already in the trucks which deliver it to your retailer, nor did fuel in the tanks waiting to be loaded onto the trucks become more expensive.

Why do we accept the fact that retail dealers will raise the price at the pump based upon the price of crude � that day!

Want to make an impact on gas prices? Forget about not calling Mexico. Let's have a national day of not buying gasoline.

On a the Secret Decoder Ring page today: The text of the first clause of the 14th Amendment; a link to an interesting tribute to Tony Snow by Mullster Dr. Bill Hamilton; an unusual topic-relevant Mullfoto; and a Catchy Caption of the Day.

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