Value Matters
When I was on the board of Computer Measurement Group (CMG), I was charged with trying to increase membership. The first thing I did was examine what value paying the membership fee offered to people. We had chipped away at the value by opening up our portal of past papers to everyone and giving them a free journal, Measure IT. The only real benefit was a good discount on the annual conference, which many were no longer attending. When you ask people to pay for something, or to follow rules and do some work, the result has to be worth something to you.
The Left and Illegal Immigration
The Left likes to claim that the Right hates immigrants. The only way that works is when you conflate legal with illegal. People on the right want legal immigrants who bring value to our country. Look at Silicon Valley. Many founders came from other places, but they did it legally, following our rules. All speak English. They respect our laws. And, in most cases, they have assimilated into the vast stewpot of diverse ingredients we call American culture.
What the Right hates is illegal immigration, where anyone can cross our border and immediately benefit from our largesse, gaining more than our legal immigrants and even our veterans receive. These people refuse to learn English, most refuse to work, some commit crimes and none appear to come here to work hard and become American. And why should they? They get more than citizens by simply crossing the border and demanding things. Some people have suggested renouncing their US citizenship, seeing how good illegals have it.
And yet, the Left is giving them everything, now including firing citizens from jobs to give those jobs to illegals. Where does it stop?
The Rights and Responsibilities of US Citizens
(from the US Immigration website)
U.S. Citizen rights
Freedom to express yourself.
Freedom to worship as you wish.
Right to a prompt, fair trial by jury.
Right to vote in elections for public officials.
Right to apply for federal employment requiring U.S. citizenship.
Right to run for elected office.
Freedom to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
U.S. Citizen responsibilities
Support and defend the Constitution.
Stay informed of the issues affecting your community.
Participate in the democratic process.
Respect and obey federal, state, and local laws.
Respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others.
Participate in your local community.
Pay income and other taxes honestly, and on time, to federal, state, and local authorities.
Serve on a jury when called upon.
Defend the country if the need should arise.
Note that these “rights” do not include a right to food, shelter, transportation or medical care. Or jobs. We’ve got an increasing population of millions being bequeathed our tax money, our jobs and yes, even our voting rights. Courts have given them the rights of citizens in court. An illegal has been appointed to a CA election commission; why? They are not citizens, and are, by their own doing, already criminals by having crossed our borders without permission.
Citizens are expected to cleave to the responsibilities listed so that they can get the rights listed. Non-citizens should not have these rights at all. I also believe that unless one parent is a US citizen (not a legal or illegal immigrant), citizenship should not be granted to the children.
The value of citizenship has diminished greatly, due to the policies of the left-wing government. They merely want votes, and hey, it’s not their money they are lavishing on these people. This is vote-buying at its most blatant.
Even if you feel sympathy for these people because they come from horrible countries, you have to see we cannot afford this invasion. It is too costly, opens our borders to criminals and terrorists and basically abolishes the value of our citizenship. If we stop giving illegals anything when they come across, it’s likely most will stop coming and many will leave. No money, no food, no transportation and no jobs. And especially, no birth right citizenship. We can be smarter and do better for those who have a right by way of being a US citizen.