So They Want To Be Citizens
Illegal immigrants are now tying up our streets with protests demanding citizenship.
They want citizenship do they? Let's give it to them.
On our terms.
The French have had a few good ideas, and one them involved troublesome foreigners who wanted to be part of France. In the early 19th century they had an illegal immigration problem and they also had a shortage of soldiers because non-French were not allowed in the French army. In the end they killed two birds with one stone when they created a doable, but difficult path to French citizenship via the French Foreign Legion. Serve in the FFL for ten years and come out a French Citizen.
Maybe we should create an American Immigrants Legion where people who want to live here can enlist for say five years and if they serve honorably and are honorably discharged they will be automatically US Citizens. Of course the enlistment would include intensive training on the English Language, American Civics, the Constitution, US History, and an understanding of American values. And of course it would not be easy either.
Let's send the recruiters for the Immigrants Legion to the border.
Am I serious?
Ask me again in about 6 months.
They want citizenship do they? Let's give it to them.
On our terms.
The French have had a few good ideas, and one them involved troublesome foreigners who wanted to be part of France. In the early 19th century they had an illegal immigration problem and they also had a shortage of soldiers because non-French were not allowed in the French army. In the end they killed two birds with one stone when they created a doable, but difficult path to French citizenship via the French Foreign Legion. Serve in the FFL for ten years and come out a French Citizen.
Maybe we should create an American Immigrants Legion where people who want to live here can enlist for say five years and if they serve honorably and are honorably discharged they will be automatically US Citizens. Of course the enlistment would include intensive training on the English Language, American Civics, the Constitution, US History, and an understanding of American values. And of course it would not be easy either.
Let's send the recruiters for the Immigrants Legion to the border.
Am I serious?
Ask me again in about 6 months.
posted by shoprat at 4:22 PM
10 Comments:
That actually sounds like a good idea.
Being one of those legal immigrants who jumped through all the hoops, abided by all the rules, and paid major taxes for the last 10 years ... I have one major problem with your concept - having the taxpayer responsible for the education in the national language, in the history of this country, and in learning the roles and responsibilities of a citizen.
I think I prefer Neil Boortz' proposal about nailing the SOB's that hire them, rent rooms to them, and I'd go further and nail the financial institutions that make it so easy fo rthem to send money back "home." Make it more expensive to hire criminals (and I don't think many of the illegals here are NOT criminals ... after all, just being here is criminal, and staying here compounds the criminality.
If the USA needs immigrants that badly, there are literally millions who would love to legally immigrate but will never ever have the chance.
co-incidentally we posted about the same subject today! not a bad idea -- conscription service for citizenship.......
Certainly not a bad idea. I have always thought that a man willing to put his life on the line for our country deserves, at least,some consideration if he served honorably...
I also believe in the points made by Pete.
Don't you already have something like that? I seem to remember seeing on the news somewhere someone that had served a tour in Iraq, and was given his citizenship after. Not sure how it works, but here's a link of some of them becoming citizens.
http://tinyurl.com/yvetna
Pete Please keep in mind that I am being semi-tongue-in-cheek here. My grandparents came from Sweden @ 1900 and I do appreciate legal immigration. My main idea was instead of "catch and release" INS have a "Prison, Home or the Legion" INS.
ABF I think there is such an idea (I knew a couple of Filipinos who got citizenship via the service) but I don't know how it works.
heh, I always have a different view of immigration, seeing as how I had no choice in immigrating to Canada in 1953, or in immigrating to the US in 1998. The first due to the fact that I was a dependant child and didn't get a vote. The second due to the fact that my boss made me an offer I couldn't refuse. LOL.
Yes, currently service in the military is a fast track to citizenship. As is being married to a US citizen.
I am pro-immigration, SR ... but as a small c conservative, of course, that means LEGAL immigration. The problems in Europe with muslims, and the problem here with people (mostly) from south of the border (I very much dislike that hispanic label) is due to illegal wandering across the border. If they raised the limits, and allowed more legal immigration, I wouldn't have a problem. ... because legal immigrants have to pass that test that (used to) shows knowledge of their adopted country and English. It also shows they're law-abiding. The scofflaws who currently sneak across the border are not law abiding, are not trying to assimilate, and generally are more disposed to turn this country into that piece-of-crap place they left.
Pete
We are really not that far apart on immigration. I am just looking for effective ways to separate the wheat from the weeds.
I agree with Patrick. Sounds like it would work to me too. :)
Hey, Shoprat,
My grandparents also immigrated from Sweden @ 1902!
Small world...
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