Comments on: A Conservative Crack-Up On Immigration http://belowthebeltway.com/2006/07/06/a-conservative-crack-up-on-immigration/ I believe in the free speech that liberals used to believe in, the economic freedom that conservatives used to believe in, and the personal freedom that America used to believe in. Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:51:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: David http://belowthebeltway.com/2006/07/06/a-conservative-crack-up-on-immigration/comment-page-1/#comment-808 David Fri, 07 Jul 2006 00:31:36 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/2006/07/06/a-conservative-crack-up-on-immigration/#comment-808 Wow. It never ceases to amaze me that so many people who loudly talk about being "pro-family" wouldn't give a second thought to ripping apart these particular families. I guess all it takes is the ability to dehumanize people. It's been done before, after all. Even more astounding is the talk of the children themselves as "anchor babies," as if their parents don't really love them and only had them to use as some sort of political leverage tool. It's the same vicious smear that gets leveled at gay and lesbian parents, as a matter of fact. This is not a simple problem. It didn't develop overnight and isn't going to be solved by a simple-minded wish that people would just disappear. Thank you for being a sensible voice. Wow. It never ceases to amaze me that so many people who loudly talk about being “pro-family” wouldn’t give a second thought to ripping apart these particular families. I guess all it takes is the ability to dehumanize people. It’s been done before, after all.

Even more astounding is the talk of the children themselves as “anchor babies,” as if their parents don’t really love them and only had them to use as some sort of political leverage tool. It’s the same vicious smear that gets leveled at gay and lesbian parents, as a matter of fact.

This is not a simple problem. It didn’t develop overnight and isn’t going to be solved by a simple-minded wish that people would just disappear. Thank you for being a sensible voice.

]]> By: Doug Mataconis http://belowthebeltway.com/2006/07/06/a-conservative-crack-up-on-immigration/comment-page-1/#comment-804 Doug Mataconis Thu, 06 Jul 2006 20:26:40 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/2006/07/06/a-conservative-crack-up-on-immigration/#comment-804 The children may be the responsibility of the parents, but as full American citizens under the 14th Amendment they have all of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. They, quite simply, cannot be deported without a hearing and, since they are citizens and here legally, any hearing would result in a victory for the child. I agree that one should be prudent exercising freedom of speech, and I think that Malkin should have exercised some prudence before telling someone as intelligent as Bill Buckley to shut up just because she disagrees with him. The children may be the responsibility of the parents, but as full American citizens under the 14th Amendment they have all of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. They, quite simply, cannot be deported without a hearing and, since they are citizens and here legally, any hearing would result in a victory for the child.

I agree that one should be prudent exercising freedom of speech, and I think that Malkin should have exercised some prudence before telling someone as intelligent as Bill Buckley to shut up just because she disagrees with him.

]]> By: CR UVa http://belowthebeltway.com/2006/07/06/a-conservative-crack-up-on-immigration/comment-page-1/#comment-803 CR UVa Thu, 06 Jul 2006 19:40:11 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/2006/07/06/a-conservative-crack-up-on-immigration/#comment-803 The children are still under the responsibility of those parents. I think that it can be justified that the children are deported with their parents because their parents had the children illegally in this country. However, upon their 18th birthday, those children would have the legal right to return to this country if they wished. But I agree that a mass deportation would be very hard to pull (who cares if the rest of the world likes it, they don't seem to like us anyway). It would be costly, time consuming, and potentially could take away resources that are currently being used to prevent illegals from entering this country in the first place. And I might point out that just because we have the freedom of speech, doesn't mean that it is always prudent to use it. The children are still under the responsibility of those parents. I think that it can be justified that the children are deported with their parents because their parents had the children illegally in this country. However, upon their 18th birthday, those children would have the legal right to return to this country if they wished.

But I agree that a mass deportation would be very hard to pull (who cares if the rest of the world likes it, they don’t seem to like us anyway). It would be costly, time consuming, and potentially could take away resources that are currently being used to prevent illegals from entering this country in the first place.

And I might point out that just because we have the freedom of speech, doesn’t mean that it is always prudent to use it.

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