Recently Senator Hillary Clinton asserted that the House immigration reform bill would “literally criminzlize the Good Samaritan and probably even Jesus himself.” Apparently after further reflection, she now thinks that bill would be even worse:
Speaking to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, she claimed her work on behalf of New York constituents would run afoul of the House bill setting penalties for anyone who knowingly assists or encourages illegal immigrants to remain here.
“I realize I would be a criminal, too. My staff would be criminal. We help people with all kinds of problems,” said Clinton, D-N.Y., prompting titters in the audience.
The thought of Sen. Clinton being involved in potentially criminal activity is of course not novel, but her referral to illegal immigrants as her “contituents” is something new. In a political context constituents are usually thought of as voters, as in this definition from a site at Princeton:
constituent (a member of a constituency; a citizen who is represented in a government by officials for whom he or she votes) “needs continued support by constituents to be re-elected”
I wonder, do most Senators and their staffs spend much time assisting illegal immigrants? I also wonder how many of these illegals vote.
Actually, it may not be illegal much longer for non-citizens to vote in New York City. Two years ago the New York Times noted:
At first glance, it may seem a long shot in an era of orange alerts and stepped-up border patrols. But quietly and carefully, elected officials, labor unions and community groups are starting to push the notion of allowing legal immigrants who are not United States citizens to vote in New York City elections.
This movement is gaining steam, reports the New York Post today.
A push to give Big Apple residents who aren’t citizens the right to vote kicks off today, with throngs of immigrants flocking to City Hall to back legislation giving them access to the ballot box
People besides the undocumented themselves are effected. Their documented family members, for example. This bill would criminalize having your undocumented cousin over for christmas dinner.
It will probably criminalize asking your senate office for help for your undocumented cousin too.
I hate to say it, but she will be president. The Republicans simply don’t know what to do with power and refuse to wield it to bring about essential reform. That will cost them everything and the Democrats, who do know what to do with power, will wield it with a vengeance.
the illegal immigrants push is destroying the concept of citizenship. the idea that anyone can come to a country and right away get all the benefits of citizens, at the same time considering themselves not of the country, but part of their own country, flying the flag of another country, openly despising the country they are in, proclaiming that they are going to “take over” and at the same time complaining about discrimination, all of it is a recipe for extreme right wing politics. And Before liberals put down the US, they should look at what other countries are like, the fierce loyalty that everyone has toward either their nation, their race, or their religion, feelings which are held far more intolerantly than equivalent sentiments in the US. Like all good things, tolerance is limited. Not only is there only so much that people can have, there is only so much of it that is good. We are expected to be tolerant to the point of self destructiveness. Americans are asked to give up all nationalist feeling, all pride in self and country, while at the same time we are told that others have the right not just to pride, but to intolerance and bigotry. Americans are critisized for being intolerant, while we are taught that that muslims for instance don’t have to tolerate other religions in their countries.
“A push to give Big Apple residents who aren’t citizens the right to vote kicks off today”
I’ve said it many times. The interests that Democrats have in immigration is essentially a way of widening their voter base.