I’ve heard it said that there are only two types of people: those that get it and those that don’t.
Those that do get it don’t need it explained, so the saying goes, and those that don’t get it will never get it no matter how well you explain it to them.
The more I look at the political process in this country the more I fear this perception is correct. There are those in this country, Glenn Beck for one, who simply don’t get it when it comes to the Constitution. Christine O’Donnell is another one. Her entire platform seems to be “don’t masturbate.” Sorry, Christine. You’re seriously going to have to do better than that if you want to be taken seriously in this country. Maybe if you were a Witch, you’d garner the Pagan vote.
Nah. We like to masturbate too much. 😉
In any event, folks like Bill O’Riley, Glenn Beck, Christine O’Donnell, Sarah Palin, and Newt Gingrinch are in the Don’t Get It crowd. I don’t think they will ever get it when it comes to the Constitution and the point of the document and of the country. They are, collectively, stuck in the middle of the 18th Century. I’m surprised one of them hasn’t popped off that African-Americans would be happier if they went back into the field or some equally reprehensible thought.
You’re right, honey. You’re not a witch. You are ignorant of the Constitution, though:
Don’t really know what to add to this except, wow. Just, wow.
To review:
1st Amendment: 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.
Okay, it’s right there in the opening line of the First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. That means that there is NO STATE RELIGION. Not Christianity. Not Islam. Not Judaism. Nor any form of Paganism. Period. None.
Simply put for those who can’t understand: the United States of America is NOT IN ANY WAY A CHRISTIAN NATION. Get over it.
Moving on, since that is fairly clear.
14th Amendment: Section 1. 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. 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.
Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.
Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
If you were born here, congratulations, you are a citizen. If not, you have to apply for citizenship. The bold part of my text here pretty much cover it, don’t you think? That means all those kids that were born here from illegal aliens are, guess what? CITIZENS. You might not like it, but that’s just tough shit.
Since that’s pretty clear, let’s move on, shall we?
16th Amendment: The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.
They’re going to tax you and they have the legal right to do it. Shut up and pay your taxes.
Moving on, again.
17th Amendment: The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.
When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.
This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.
The people, citizens, elect senators and representatives. Period. That’s how it works in a Representative Democracy (also known as a Republic). Now, if we had an Athenian Democracy where everyone was a member of Congress, then there would be no point in electing Representatives or Senators. But that would take away from people’s reality TV time. Don’t want that, do we?
For those who need to review, (Glenn, Newt, Sarah, Christine, and Bill, y’all are reading this, right?) have a look at the full document. In fact, unless you read it recently, you probably want to read it again. Just to brush up on it.
The United States Constitution
I don’t think that Glenn, Sarah, Christine, Newt, or Bill get it.
The House of Goonery 
Ah. Finally something we don’t see eye to eye on. It was getting kinda boring there for a while. The whole immigration thing irritates me. People have come here legally for many generations, yet it’s okay for people who just happen to live “next door” to a better country to just come right on over and be here illegally? Why is that acceptable?I don’t buy the bullshit story that if we got rid of all illegals here that we’d have no one to work the menial jobs. Last time I looked citizenship doesn’t come with a diploma or anything else automatically qualifying you for a high paying job. If you live here and work here, you should be required to pay taxes like the rest of us. I have strong doubts that all illegals are paid using proper payroll; those employers who hire illegals aren’t exactly going to want the government to know what they’re doing so they pay under the table. But, for the sake of argument, let’s say that they are all paid in an aboveboard manner, with nothing fishy going on there. Most of the money doesn’t even stay here in the US. I’ve stood in line behind people at Walmart who are filling out forms for Western Union and MoneyGram, so I have seen that the money isn’t staying here. If it’s not staying here, what good is it to us?
I believe that illegal immigrants take advantage of our laws that allow children who are born here to be citizens upon birth. They come here knowing they won’t be sent home because someone needs to care for their infant and we certainly aren’t going to toss out a legal citizen. So they get everything for free. Perhaps I wouldn’t feel this way if our healthcare was free, but it’s not. I pay out of every friggin orifice in my body for heathcare every month and don’t want any of it paying for someone who doesn’t even belong here.
If you truly want to come here and make an honest living, why can’t you do it legally? If you cannot follow that law, why should I believe that you’re not ultimately here for criminal purposes?
I’m not against immigration altogether, like so many enjoy twisting what I’ve said around to mean. I have a friend here at work – in fact, she’s the only friend I’ve got to do stuff with – who is not a US citizen. She was born and raised in India, but she came to the US legally. Thousands of others have and still do. What makes illegals so special that they don’t have to be here legally?
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I’m not sure we don’t agree here. I never said I was against immigration or making those illegals that are here already pay their way. I was merely pointing out that those children who are born here, be they from illegals or not are, under the Constitution, legal citizens and are entitled to all benefits and responsibilities thereto.
My comments were more directed at certain elements within the Tea Party (Christine O’Donnell and her ilk) that think it’s a grand idea to pick and choose who’s a citizen by removing Section 1 of the 14th Amendment. Were that to happen, they could easily declare anyone they didn’t like, political foes, liberals, GLBT, persona non-grata and deport them from the country. Such a country would no longer be America, or at least, the America you and I were born into.
I’ve already expressed my thoughts on illegal immigration here, so I won’t rehash them again.
As to this: “I believe that illegal immigrants take advantage of our laws that allow children who are born here to be citizens upon birth. They come here knowing they won’t be sent home because someone needs to care for their infant and we certainly aren’t going to toss out a legal citizen. So they get everything for free. Perhaps I wouldn’t feel this way if our healthcare was free, but it’s not. I pay out of every friggin orifice in my body for heathcare every month and don’t want any of it paying for someone who doesn’t even belong here.”
We really only have two choices when it comes to children of illegal aliens born here: Allow them to stay while sending their parents home and put them in an overworked foster care system where they are raised knowing they are a burden on an already overtaxed system, or deporting them along with their parents.
Option two is, itself, unconstitutional, and, therefore, illegal. Option one is clearly not desirable, otherwise the foster care system would be overwhelmed even further.
Thus, we take the moral road and let the child stay with its mother. Which, of course, leads to the problem you describe. I agree the system is broken, and we need to fix it. The system I outlined in the link I provided, above, might be one solution to the issue.
And, for the record, I don’t like paying for other peoples stuff, either. But, if given a choice between withholding healthcare for an infant who can’t care for itself or paying for its care until it’s of age to take care of itself, I choose to pay for its care. To me, that’s the only morally correct choice.
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