I am a US citizen residing in México as a permanent (Green Card) legal resident. As such I can purchase property, open bank accounts, posses a drivers license, work and enjoy all of the benefits of a Mexican citizen. The only restrictions are that I cannot vote and am prohibited from working in a cantina. I never could understand that last restriction. Among benefits are participation in the national health care program (voluntary), the availability of affordable excellent private medical services and government sponsored Senior Citizens discount programs (yeah, I am quite senior).
My wife is also a US citizen, but in her case, the Mexican constitution recognizes anyone who is born in México as a Mexican citizen, regardless of swearing allegiance to another country. In other words, she is a dual citizen in México’s view. This is also sometimes recognized in the US for some. Bob Hope comes to mind here.
Now, I look at the United States and see a country heading full speed to a massive train wreck in both a financial and cultural sense. An increasing number of thoughtful economists flatly state that the US has already passed the “tipping point” that will lead to a second economic downturn. In other words, a full depression. See “Welcome to the Second Great Depression” by Ben Shapiro, www.creators.com), 4 Aug 2010. The US is committed to a path exactly what happened after 1929 under both the Hoover and Roosevelt administrations. And that lasted 10 years and the only thing ending it was WW II.
But the Republicans have introduced a new dimension to the debate. Namely racism.
We have the sometime Republican Senator Lindsay Graham announcing that he wants to eliminate the 14th amendment birth right provision to the US constitution. He is joined in this effort by both of the Republican leaders in the congress and the constantly shifting Mc Cain. What pinheads! But let’s look at the history of this amendment:
The 14th amendment has been in force for almost 150 years. First conceived as a method to bring the children of ex slaves after the Civil War into the mainstream of the population, to avoid a permanent second class population. It has served the US well and has endured other immigration “waves” in this century and a half very well. That included Irish, German, Russian, Italian, Asian and other “waves”. Most of these waves were caused by political or economic conditions in the originating countries. And what these people wanted was the opportunity to better their chances for a good life and in some cases, simply to exist. Most of them were not “rocket scientists” but people who would work hard to integrate and advance in a country that would enable them to do so. And it was always the second or third generations that fully achieved that goal. Just what is happing now with the Hispanics.
But the pinheads Republicans see the Hispanics as a threat. Their voting record has traditionally been about 30% Republican and 70% Democrat. But they forget that in the second G. W. Bush election the Republican Hispanic vote was 40%. And it was the extra 10% Hispanic vote that gave Bush the edge in the very close election.
Talk about shooting yourself in the foot!
I should point out to the mentally challenged Sen. Graham that the survey he quoted that showed 8% of the births in the US as from illegal mothers also showed that over 85% of these births occurred with women who had been in the US for OVER one year. These mothers were not in the US to “drop their babies” (humans do not “drop” their babies). Most came to the US to be with their husbands.
I have this advice for any politician; if you want to get elected, try serving your voters. Don’t just try to eliminate your opposition, try representing them.
The US is into an increasingly divisive time. They see their government as completely disconnected from the population. And a historically low (11%) approval rating of the congress does not bode well for the country. The people’s faith in their governmental institutions is vital for the survival of any country.
And as a counter to the rising Republican xenophobia, consider this: The Mexican culture is a strongly Christian base with extremely high family values. In México, they are about 90% Roman Catholic. But those who have migrated have a large of percentage of conversions to other Christian faiths. In México, we call them “Christianos”, or Protestants. In addition, they have a very high work ethic and are very trainable. That’s why so many US employers keep hiring them, even if it is against the law.
The bottom line is that amending the constitution as a lengthy and rigorous process requiring super majority votes (66%) in congress and ratification from two thirds of the states. Historically, from over 1,000 proposed amendments to the constitution, only 27 have been approved. Sounds like more of a show to court the radical right wing.
As for me, I can’t see voting for xenophobes and I can’t imagine voting for the present bunch that is trying to destroy the US.
Whom to vote for?
In a future column will be some suggestions on how to clean up the Washington mess.
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Richard N. Baldwin T., a HispanicVista.com (www.hispanicvista.com) contributing columnist, lives in Tlalnepantla, Edo de México. E-mail at: [email protected]