Is there a referendum I haven’t heard about?
For some reason the United Press International felt the need to write an article about how repealing the 14th Amendment would hurt military recruiting. The part they’re referring to is the first line;
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.
The UPI writes;
Conservative activists have been pushing to supersede the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which among other things guarantees citizenship to everyone born in the United States, whatever their parents’ status.
Margaret Stock, who practices law in Anchorage, Alaska, and is retired as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, said the number of potential recruits could drop by 8 percent to 10 percent, The Arizona Republic reported. Jeanne Batalova of the Migration Policy Institute told the newspaper she estimates 8.1 percent of active military members have at least one immigrant parent
As far as I know, it takes 2/3 of the House and 2/3 of the Senate and 3/5 of the States (in 50 separate referendums) to change the Constitution, and the process in this case hasn’t even begun yet, so why bother to write about a non-event when, if the process began today, is years in the future?
I guess UPI is finding today to be a slow news day…like I am.
Category: Media, Military issues
“Jeanne Batalova of the Migration Policy Institute told the newspaper she estimates 8.1 percent of active military members have at least one immigrant parent.”
Which would not be affected by any proposed change since having one immigrant parent is not the issue. It’s the anchor babies. Having 2 immigrant parents.
The last time I looked, the military wasn’t doing to badly on making goal, and someone needs to remind LTC(R) Stock that one doesn’t have to be a citizen to enlist. Some of my most moving memories of Iraq are the citizenship ceremonies.
3/4 of the states, actually. And no, this isn’t going to get out of committee, let alone Congress.
Bobo is right–LEGAL immigrants can enlist (albeit with restrictions such as not into jobs which require security clearances, etc.)
Then again, what the good Colonel seems to keep forgetting is the little fact that barely 1/3 of the 18-25 demographic is enlistment eligible in the first place, so reducing that by the 8-10 percent she claims (dubious at best, more like 1-2 percent MAX) isn’t as huge an impact on readiness as one might think.
Bobo,
I have a direct link to serving without being a citizen. My family has always been involved with student exchange programs, and hosting international students, etc.
One of those was a college student from Costa Rica. He was as close to me as a brother for four years. A few days after he graduated, he disappeared. My dad was worried sick about him, as he left no note, or anything. Just sold off all his stuff and vanished.
A few days later, Dad got a call from him sating he was fine and had enlisted in the Marines. Dad was dumbfounded (he had been a Navy Corspman with them in WWII). The kid explained that since this country had helped him with his college degree, and since my family had done so much for him, he felt obligated to find some way to repay everyone. He did that by enlisting.
Now, this was in 1965. Next thing, he’s in Vietnam and got wounded pretty badly. Took a round in his right arm that exited behind his shoulder. He spent over a year in reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation. A couple years back I spoke with his platoon sergeant who had literally dragged him to the dust off and got him onboard. He said that, despite the morphine, the kid kept asking if his citizenship papers were alright. He had them folded into a plastic bag in his shirt pocket. The papers were fine.
After he got out, we saw him every now and then. He put his degree to work and became an engineer with Boeing, got his citizenship and retired a few years ago. Solid man and citizen.
God Bless them all.
Since the military is the institution most trusted by Americans, every leftwing hobby-horse is to be re-packaged and sold as a national security issue, e.g. see the Wookie’s big push against childhood obesity.
This is the same sort of crap they pulled with the churches. The Left operates like any other virus, turning institutions that once stood against them into factories manufacturing new batches of Leftism.
But actually, John, a Constitutional amendment is not needed to change the anchor baby part.
The 14th was written specifically to apply to the slaves just freed by the Civil War, and never meant to apply to illegal immigrants. That part came about when an activist judge ‘interpreted’ the amendment back in the early 20th century.
All that is needed for the anchor baby issue to be overturned is a federal law that clarifies the intent of the 14th. It will be opposed in the courts, obviously, and end up in the Supreme Court.
And that is why this puff piece, John-liberals are nervous about how easy it might be to get rid of anchor babies (otherwise known as future Democrat voters).
And I fully support the idea that if both of your parents are in the country illegally, and you are born here, that you are NOT a US Citizen.
It’s no different than having evidence thrown out that was illegally obtained.
Agree with Dave Thul on the how-to: pass a law that redefines “in.”
As for harming recruiting: not with this economy it won’t!