VP Biden: "Undocumented aliens are already Americans"

March 28, 2014

Vice President Joe Biden
The White House
Washington, DC

Mr. Vice President:

You recently took a phrase out of Pres. Theodore Roosevelt's remarkable editorial, "True Americanism," "Americanism is not a question of birthplace or creed or a line of descent. It’s a question of principles, idealism and character…,” as if to imply that Pres. Roosevelt would have agreed with your position. 

With all due respect, you need to read Pres. Roosevelt's editorial in its entirety. Pres. Roosevelt also said, 

"The third sense in which the word “Americanism” may be employed is with reference to the Americanizing of the newcomers to our shores. We must Americanize them in every way, in speech, in political ideas and principles, and in their way of looking at the relations between Church and State. We welcome the German or the Irishman who becomes an American. We have no use for the German or Irishman who remains such. We do not wish German-Americans and Irish-Americans who figure as such in our social and political life; we want only Americans, and, provided they are such, we do not care whether they are of native or of Irish or of German ancestry. WE HAVE NO ROOM IN ANY HEALTHY AMERICAN COMMUNITY FOR A GERMAN-AMERICAN VOTE OR AN IRISH-AMERICAN VOTE, AND IT IS CONTEMPTIBLE DEMAGOGY TO PUT PLANKS INTO ANY PARTY PLATFORM WITH THE PURPOSE OF CATCHING SUCH A VOTE. We have no room for any people who do not act and vote simply as Americans, and as nothing else… 

BUT WHERE IMMIGRANTS, OR THE SONS OF IMMIGRANTS, DO NOT HEARTILY AND IN GOOD FAITH THROW IN THEIR LOT WITH US, BUT CLING TO THE SPEECH, THE CUSTOMS, THE WAYS OF LIFE, AND THE HABITS OF THOUGHT OF THE OLD WORLD WHICH THEY HAVE LEFT, THEY THEREBY HARM BOTH THEMSELVES AND US. IF THEY REMAIN ALIEN ELEMENTS, UNASSIMILATED, AND WITH INTERESTS SEPARATE FROM OURS, THEY ARE MERE OBSTRUCTIONS TO THE CURRENT OF OUR NATIONAL LIFE, AND, MOREOVER, CAN GET NO GOOD FROM IT THEMSELVES. In fact, though we ourselves also suffer from their perversity, it is they who really suffer most. It is an immense benefit to the European immigrant to change him into an American citizen. To bear the name of American is to bear the most honorable titles; and whoever does not so believe has no business to bear the name at all, and, if he comes from Europe, the sooner he goes back there the better. Besides, the man who does not become Americanized nevertheless fails to remain a European, and becomes nothing at all. The immigrant cannot possibly remain what he was, or continue to be a member of the Old-World society. If he tries to retain his old language, in a few generations it becomes a barbarous jargon; if he tries to retain his old customs and ways of life, in a few generations he becomes an uncouth boor. He has cut himself off from the Old World, and cannot retain his connection with it; and if he wishes ever to amount to anything he must throw himself heart and soul, and without reservation, into the new life to which he has come. IT IS URGENTLY NECESSARY TO CHECK AND REGULATE OUR IMMIGRATION, BY MUCH MORE DRASTIC LAWS THAN NOW EXIST; AND THIS SHOULD BE DONE... TO KEEP OUT LABORERS WHO TEND TO DEPRESS THE LABOR MARKET… 

From his own standpoint, IT IS BEYOND ALL QUESTION THE WISE THING FOR THE IMMIGRANT TO BECOME THOROUGHLY AMERICANIZED. MOREOVER, FROM OUR STANDPOINT, WE HAVE A RIGHT TO DEMAND IT. WE FREELY EXTEND THE HAND OF WELCOME AND OF GOOD-FELLOWSHIP TO EVERY MAN, NO MATTER WHAT HIS CREED OR BIRTHPLACE, WHO COMES HERE HONESTLY INTENT ON BECOMING A GOOD UNITED STATES CITIZEN LIKE THE REST OF US; BUT WE HAVE A RIGHT, AND IT IS OUR DUTY, TO DEMAND THAT HE SHALL INDEED BECOME SO and shall not confuse the issues with which we are struggling by introducing among us Old-World quarrels and prejudices. There are certain ideas which he must give up. For instance, he must learn that American life is incompatible with the existence of any form of anarchy, or of any secret society having murder for its aim, whether at home or abroad; and he must learn that we exact full religious toleration and the complete separation of Church and State. Moreover, he must not bring in his Old-World religious race and national antipathies, but must merge them into love for our common country, and must take pride in the things which we can all take pride in. HE MUST REVERE ONLY OUR FLAG; NOT ONLY MUST IT COME FIRST, BUT NO OTHER FLAG SHOULD EVEN COME SECOND... ," True Americanism, Theodore Roosevelt.

Pres. Roosevelt would NOT have agreed with your stance, or that of the administration.  In point of fact, his essay is a repudiation of this administration’s immigration policy.  His essay is based on 1) the premise that such individuals come to our country in accordance with our laws, and 2) that they fully integrate themselves into American society.  What you offer is a caricature of True Americanism.

Sincerely,

Open Letter To Senators Levin, Stabenow, re: S.744 Vote...

June 27, 2013

Senator Carl Levin
Senator Debbie Stabenow

Senators,

You still have 20 million unemployed CITIZENS to take care of before you even THINK about throwing the border open in yet another de-facto amnesty program.  I have objected to amnesties under ALL of the preceding administrations - Democrat and Republican - and I object to this one as well.

I am urging you to vote NO on S.744, the Schumer-Rubio Amnesty Bill.  Any attempt to throw our doors open to 12 million plus illegals is a slap in the face to the 20 million citizens - nearly 2 million of whom are YOUR CONSTITUENTS - who have been pushed out of the workforce in favor of illegals who will work for illegal wages with no benefits, as well as the 4 million immigrants who are patiently complying with our immigration laws.

Proponents of the bill claim it will bring unprecedented resources to border security.  They leave out, however, that the Corker-Hoeven Amendment to S. 744 also places sole authority for the deployment of security measures into the hands of Sec. Napolitano, who has already declared, “We are confident that the border is as secure as it has ever been…”   The following quote is directly from the Corker-Hoeven Amendment:

"...nothing in this subsection shall require the secretary to install fencing, or infrastructure that directly results from the installation of such fencing, in a particular location along the southern border, if the secretary determines that the use of placement of such resources is not the most appropriate means to achieve and maintain effective control over the southern border at such location." 

In addition, S.744 guarantees that illegal immigrants who are amnestied will be eligible to work, but will not be eligible for ObamaCare. Employers who would be required to pay as much as a $3,000 penalty for most employees who receive an ObamaCare healthcare “exchange” subsidy, WOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY THE PENALTY IF THEY HIRE AMNESTIED IMMIGRANTS. 

CONSEQUENTLY, EMPLOYERS WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT INCENTIVE TO HIRE OR RETAIN AMNESTIED IMMIGRANTS, RATHER THAN CURRENT CITIZENS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY ACHIEVED CITIZENSHIP VIA THE CURRENT NATURALIZATION PROCESS."

Your oath of office is to defend the US Constitution and uphold the laws of this land - ALL OF THEM, not to impose a new social order on us. 

Senator McCain - Enforce Our Immigration Laws...

June 24, 2013

Sen. John McCain

Senator,

There was a time when I supported you.  I was one of those who voted for you when you ran for the office of President.  But upon seeing what you have come to espouse in the years that have passed since then, you have lost my support.  You have defended the actions of a president and his administration that are, by all objective, CONSTITUTIONAL standards, indefensible.

And now you have joined the open borders crowd in complete disregard for your own Arizona constituents, and for the rest of us as well.  To make matters worse, you have evidently instructed your staff to ignore all incoming phone calls from constituents who have the temerity to question you and the rest of the so-called “Gang of Eight” oligarchs who have decided that you alone know what is best for this country with regard to enforcing our immigration laws and strengthening our borders.

We believe in enforcing our laws.  We have seen from previous amnesties what transpires.  We have over 20 MILLION CITIZENS who have been been pushed out of the workforce in favor of illegals who will work for illegal wages with no benefits; your first responsibility is to THOSE CITIZENS, not the 12 million plus illegals who CHOSE to live in the shadows.  You have no obligation to bring them out of the shadows - unless it is for the purpose of enforcing our immigration laws.  Your proposed “immigration reform” is a slap in the faces of the 4 million immigrants who are patiently complying with our immigration laws to become productive CITIZENS of this nation, and placing all power to strengthen our borders solely into the hands of Sec. Napolitano, who has already declared that our borders are sufficiently strong for the purposes of the administration, does nothing to strengthen the language of your proposed legislation.

Enough is enough.

Enforce our laws as your oath of office requires you to do - or step down to make room for someone who will.

A Constitutional Constructionist for National Sovereignty.

Open Letter to Senators Levin & Stabenow: Corker-Hoeven Amendment and S. 744, the Schumer-Rubio Amnesty Bill

June 24, 2013

Senator Carl Levin
Senator Debbie Stabenow

Senators,

You still have 20 million unemployed CITIZENS to take care of before you even THINK about throwing the border open in yet another de-facto amnesty program.  I have objected to amnesties under ALL of the preceding administrations - Democrat and Republican - and I object to this one as well.

I am urging you to vote NO on both the Corker-Hoeven Amnesty Amendment that is scheduled for a vote at 5:30 today, as well as S.744, the Schumer-Rubio Amnesty Bill, as a whole.  Any attempt to throw our doors open to 12 million plus illegals is a slap in the face to the 20 million citizens - nearly 2 million of whom are YOUR CONSTITUENTS - who have been pushed out of the workforce in favor of illegals who will work for illegal wages with no benefits, as well as the 4 million immigrants who are patiently complying with our immigration laws.

Your oath of office is to defend the US Constitution and uphold the laws of this land - ALL OF THEM, not to impose a new social order on us. 

Amnesty Rebuttal...

Any scheme that provides special pathways to citizenship to illegals or their children amounts to amnesty.

It is unethical - immoral - to provide the children of illegals with options not extended to the children of our own citizens.  We have been force-fed a steady stream of the argument that because the children of illegals had no say in their parents' decision, it is immoral to force the breakup of families, that we owe them their own special pathway to citizenship, free education through college, and preferential consideration in employment. 

And yet, the same people who make these arguments conveniently ignore the plight of the children of incarcerated citizens who live in single parent homes, with relatives, or in foster care because their parents engaged in illegal activities.  They also had no choice in the matter, and in many cases their parents engaged in illegal activity to try provide a better life for them (sound familiar?). No one argues the morality of breaking up these families, offers them free education through college, or preference in employment. This is just a consequence with which they must learn to live.

This is the double standard being forced on us. If it is just, albeit regrettable, that the children of our own citizens suffer as a consequence of the decisions of their parents, then it is likewise just that the children of illegals experience similar consequences.

In the end, it is our children who must live with the consequences of our decisions.