Cosecha: In No Position To Make Demands….

On the way home from work today I saw the sign: “We Demand Driver’s Licenses.”

The organization that placed the sign?  Cosecha.

Cosecha is an organization DEMANDING the rights of citizens and legal residents for illegals.  I’ll let their website speak for itself:

“Joe Biden is the new president of the United States.

“Our fight is only just beginning.

“For too long, undocumented immigrants have been denied basic dignity and respect in this country.

“We have lived with the daily fear of being separated from our loved ones or left to suffer die in detention centers. We have been criminalized by police and terrorized by ICE. We have been forced to live in the shadows, unable to return home, and exploited in the workplace, even as our essential labor allows this country to function.

“The truth is against immigrant communities have been a mainstay of bipartisan politics for decades. Now, Democrats have control over the White House, Senate, and the House of Representatives—just as they did in 2009 when Obama first took office, and soon deported millions of our loved ones and community members.

“We have learned from the failures of the past and Movimiento Cosecha is ready to fight against the current administration to win the protection, dignity, and respect we deserve. Sign up now to join us!”

No one has criminalized you; you did that to yourselves and your families when you entered the United States ILLEGALLY.  That choice results in terror.  Strangely enough, that is even Biblical: 

“Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same…”, Romans 13:1-3.

You live in the shadows and live with terror because you CHOOSE to; no one is FORCING you to do that.

Being exploited is a result of being here illegally.  As a citizen or legal resident, there are certain protections to reduce the likelihood of being exploited by employers, landlords, etc.  By choosing to remain here illegally, you CHOOSE to make targets of yourselves.

Now, I do not for one moment believe that anyone deserves to be terrorized or exploited.  Nonetheless, this is a result of choices you have made.

Further, I take issue with the basic premise that we OWE you certain benefits merely because you managed to infiltrate our country without being caught: driver’s licenses, free public education, free housing, and even free medical and food.  

Licenses and education are benefits provided to citizens and legal residents.  Moneys deducted from their pay or paid by them directly cover the costs associated with providing these benefits, so these aren’t “free” benefits despite what politicians would have us believe. 

Driver’s licenses help establish LEGAL RESIDENCY and are also associated in many states with voter registration - both benefits accorded to citizens and legal residents.  

“Free” medical and food are, with some exceptions, provided as a safety net to taxpaying citizens and legal residents; they are not truly “free,” they are provided by moneys collected from taxpayers.

I have lived in a couple of different countries.  In both instances, I entered legally.  I had a means of support in place.  I paid my own way and provided for my own needs.  I learned the languages and customs.  I didn’t DEMAND anything or expect preferential treatment.  I obeyed the laws.  I used public transportation for much of my travel.

If you want to live freely and enjoy the benefits afforded by this country, you need to do what hundreds of thousands of people desiring to become citizens do: apply for legal residency.  No, because you are here illegally it won’t be easy and it may be costly.  But if you want to live openly, freely, and without fear, stop making demands and start applying.

If not, despite what you say, no one is stopping you from going home.

Jay Sekulow, THIS Is How You Deal With Traitors….

I have posted this to Mr. Sekulow's Facebook walls several times asking him to respond.

To-date, my request for a response has gone unanswered.

Jay Sekulow, American Center for Law and Justice, has been running a campaign to take away the US citizenship of any citizen who leaves the country to fight on behalf of ISIS or any other terrorist organization. 

The stated mission of the ACLJ is to defend the Constitution.

With that in mind, the Constitution, Article 3 Section 3, says any person who fights on behalf of America's enemies is guilty of treason, and must be tried and sentenced to the punishment determined by Congress.

The WWII example of George Dasch shows us how this should be done.

Dasch was a naturalized citizen, born in Germany, who left the US with a group of other german americans to receive training from the Nazis and return to commit acts of terrorism and sabotage. He and his group were captured within days of re-entering the US, tried, and sentenced to death. Dasch and one other conspirator had their sentences commuted to prison because they cooperated with federal agents, after which they were deported to Germany and never allowed to return; the remainder of his team were executed by electric chair - just SEVEN WEEKS after returning to the US.

THAT, Mr. Sekulow, is how you deal with traitors.

I still await your response.

A Tale Of Two Exemptions….

An immigrant becoming a US citizen can now exempt him/herself from the obligation to serve in the US military/defend the US contained in the oath of citizenship:

"•May be eligible for modifications based on religious training and belief, or conscientious objection arising from a deeply held moral or ethical code.
•Is not required to belong to a specific church or religion, follow a particular theology or belief, or to have had religious training in order to qualify.
•May submit, but is not required to provide, an attestation from a religious or other type of organization, as well as other evidence to establish eligibility, (http://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-clarifies-eligibility-requirements-modifications-oath-allegiance)"

To get a religious exemption from Obamacare, on the other hand:

"How to claim an exemption for members of a religious sect opposed to accepting insurance benefits

If you’re a member of an approved religious sect or division opposed to accepting private or public insurance benefits, you qualify for a health coverage exemption.

This means you don’t have to pay the fee for any month you were a member of an approved religious sect or division.

What you need to know about this exemption

To claim this exemption you must be a member of a religious sect or division that:

Is recognized by the Social Security Administration as conscientiously opposed to accepting any insurance benefits, including Social Security and Medicare

Has been in existence since December 31, 1950

You’ll need to fill out a paper exemption application and mail it in to the Marketplace.

If you get this exemption, you won’t have to reapply for an exemption unless you turn 21 or leave your religious sect.

If you have one, send a copy of an approved IRS Form 4029 (“Application for Exemption from Social Security and Medicare Taxes and Waiver of Benefits”) with required signatures.

You can use one application to claim this exemption for anyone you’ll list on your same federal income tax return who qualifies.

Do this first

Download the religious sect exemption application (PDF) and exemption application instructions (PDF).

Ways to claim this exemption

Read the application and instructions for the exemption for members of recognized religious sects.

Be sure to include on your application everybody who’s on your tax return, even if they don’t need this exemption. If necessary, make copies of Step 2 (page 4) for each person. You need to list everyone who’ll be on your tax return so the IRS can match your information.

Complete, sign, and mail the application to the address shown on the form. When you sign the application, you agree that you’re signing under penalty of perjury. This means you’ve answered all questions correctly to the best of your knowledge and understand that you could face criminal penalties if you provide information that’s untrue.

You should get a written response from the Marketplace within 2 to 4 weeks. If your exemption is granted, the notice will include an Exemption Certificate Number (ECN) for each household member.

You’ll need the ECNs to claim the exemption on your 2015 tax return. Details will be available later in 2015. Keep the written response and ECNs in a safe place so you can find them when it’s time to file your 2015 taxes.

If you already have an ECN for membership in a religious sect opposed to insurance 

If you already have an Exemption Certificate Number from 2014 for membership in a religious sect, you can use the same ECN to complete Form 8965 of your 2015 federal tax return. You’ll need to provide that ECN on your Form 8965 every year when you file your federal taxes as long as your membership status doesn’t change.

You can also claim this exemption on your Form 8965 without an ECN. If you claim it that way, you’ll also need to claim it each year.

If you received an ECN from the Marketplace before you turned 21, you’ll need to complete a new exemption application with the Marketplace to get a new ECN when you turn 21.

If your exemption application isn’t approved

You must qualify for another exemption or pay the fee for the months of 2015 you aren’t covered. Learn more about the fee.

You can appeal the decision to deny your exemption. Learn how to appeal a Marketplace decision. (https://www.healthcare.gov/exemptions-tool/#/results/2015/details/religion)"

Anyone else see the problem here? 

Religious Exemption For New Citizens….

The Department of US Citizenship and Immigration Service has announced that they are revising the required verbiage of the oath of citizenship, allowing new citizens to exempt themselves from ever serving in the United States military.

Now, in order to receive a religious exemption from Obamacare, one's beliefs must line up EXACTLY with the historic teachings of a recognized denomination/sect; INDIVIDUAL convictions count for nothing.  

Yet a person wishing to become a citizen of the US:

"* May be eligible for modifications [to the oath of citizenship] based on religious training and belief, or conscientious objection arising from a deeply held moral or ethical code. 

* IS NOT REQUIRED TO BELONG TO A SPECIFIC CHURCH OR RELIGION, FOLLOW A PARTICULAR THEOLOGY OR BELIEF, OR TO HAVE HAD RELIGIOUS TRAINING IN ORDER TO QUALIFY," (emphasis added).

So a new citizen can exempt himself/herself from ever serving in the US military, but not from Obamacare, based solely on their personal beliefs.

US Citizenship Oath Changes 

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. 

Romeike Family Amnesty Resolution, Michigan House of Representatives....

The following resolution in support of the Romeike family was introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives today by Rep. Tom Hooker, along with 16 co-sponsors; it was sent to the Committee on Gov't Operations, or as Rep Hooker termed it, the place where bills go to die:

Rep. Hooker offered the following resolution:

House Resolution No. 159.

A resolution to call upon the U.S. Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Justice to cease and desist forthwith the prosecution of the Romeike family and to make permanent the grant of asylum in which they were initially vested.

Whereas, In our nation's past, we have celebrated immigrants who came to this country in order to escape the persecution that was brought against them. Furthermore, the United States Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Eric Holder, has stated that "...creating a pathway to earned citizenship for the eleven million unauthorized immigrants in this country...is a matter of civil and human rights"; and

Whereas, The Romeike family, which consists of Uwe, Hannelore, and their six children, have deeply held religious beliefs and convictions regarding how their children should be educated. Over the course of time the Romeikes came to believe that the state school system in Germany, which does not permit homeschooling as an alternative to the public school system, was educating their children in ways that were at odds with their beliefs. Upon making their decision to pull their children out of the state education system, they were heavily fined, their children were taken to school under police escort, and they faced litigation from the state; and

Whereas, The Romeike family immigrated to the United States in 2008 and in 2010 were granted initial asylum by immigration Judge Lawrence O. Burman. In 2012, the U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals overruled this decision and denied asylum. In 2013, the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the family's appeal; and

Whereas, Our society has held for the better part of the last two hundred and twenty-four years that, as expressed by Albert Gallatin, "[T]he whole Bill [of Rights] is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals...It establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority have the right to deprive them of"; and

Whereas, The ruling against the permanent grant of asylum to the Romeike family will have the effect of establishing a legal precedent of divesting certain parents of the fundamental right to direct the education of their children by choosing homeschooling, thus limiting their ability to practice their freedom of religion. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution, the supreme law of the land, explicitly states:  "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances;" and

Whereas, The youngest daughter of Uwe and Hannelore Romeike is entitled to all of the rights and protections afforded to all citizens of our country under the United States Constitution. She was born within the United States and is a United States citizen. Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment explicitly states:  "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and 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;" now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we call upon the U.S. Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Justice to cease and desist forthwith the prosecution of the Romeike family and to make permanent the grant of asylum in which they were initially vested; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Attorney General of the United States and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.

The Romeike Family Deportation Battle and Why it Matters to ALL OF US...

Why is the Romeike homeschooling deportation case important? In a word, PRECEDENT.

The foundation for the DOJ case is two-fold.

First, AG Holder argues that the Romeike family has no right to asylum because German law bans homeschooling for everyone, not just religious families. Since the law applies to everyone, he argues, no one can claim they are being persecuted on the basis of their religious beliefs.

Second, he argues that the Romeike family failed to prove that ALL RELIGIONS, or even their own religion, require homeschooling.

The underlying idea, then, is that there is no INDIVIDUAL right to freedom of religion in the US, only a GENERAL right to worship - and the interests of the state supersede the individual conscience. As such, AG Holder is using a relatively obscure case to establish a precedent that will effect ALL OF US.

This is contrary to our history. We have taught that the pilgrims came here to escape religious persecution; under the Holder doctrine, this teaching must be revised. Adherence to the state religion was mandatory for all citizens at the time the pilgrims came to the New World, so under the Holder doctrine, they had no legitimate claim to religious persecution since the law was binding on all and did not target any specific religious group.

Further, it is contrary to the understanding of the Founders, expressed so eloquently by Albert Gallatin, member of congress in the late 1700's and Treasure Secretary from 1801 - 1813: 

"The whole of the Bill [of Rights] is a declaration of the right of the people at large OR CONSIDERED AS INDIVIDUALS... It establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of."

If AG Holder is successful in having this family deported based on these arguments, he will establish a ruinous precedent regarding our individual liberties. Supporting this family's battle to retain their asylum is support for ALL of us.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-the-DOJs-Persecution-of-the-Romeike-Family/489996021048844

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.