The Stranger
I am impressed with the central message of the faith communities in our area in speaking out for compassion and reflective fairness on the issues of immigration and the rights of aliens in this country. Compassionate care for the “stranger amongst us” is central to biblical teachings of the prophets and the parables of Jesus. The success of Christianity, primarily through the teachings of St. Paul, was assured by his consistent direction to move beyond parochial thought to see the universal vision, ever outward, through the categorizations by nationality, ethnicity, color, servitude, and gender.
Similarly, the American Constitution, true to the Enlightenment thought which birthed our founding charter, speaks in universal terms. The story of human rights in the twentieth century, from the greatest case of that century, Brown v. the Board of Education, to today, has moved from race and color, to ethnicity, to gender and sexuality, to alienage, moving ever outward, toward the vision of a common humanity. The Fourteenth Amendment speaks of “persons,” not only citizens, in providing for equal protection of the law, privileges and immunities, and due process of law.
The strength of human rights in any nation may best be judged by our treatment of the most vulnerable group, the alien by whatever categorization we choose for the “other,” “the stranger.” And we all, at one or another time in the human story, get our chance to be that stranger, the alien in our midst.
Ed Firmage
Samuel D. Thurman Professor of Law, Emeritus
University of Uah college of Law
March 2nd, 2008 at 7:15 pm
So well spoken Professor, thank you!
March 2nd, 2008 at 7:45 pm
To have equal protection under law, you must not have broken it, it helps to be here legally.
At the very least can we sift out the criminals amongst the illegal aliens that commit a simple felony when crossing our borders without the benefit of customs? Never mind working illegally and the employers that commit the greater felony. How about illegal aliens with criminal records, do we have to open our wallets for these “persons”?
Please explain to me why we as a People must tolerate the fact that 30% of the people sitting in Federal prison are illegal aliens?
As for the admonitions of your church, thank god this is not a theocracy, and is meant to be a nation ruled by laws, not men. Or priests.
Gee Ed, I need a tissue now, after that tear jerker.
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:19 am
pop:
Did you ever see Vic Morrow’s excellent performance in The Twilight Zone movie where he is a disgusting racist who doesn’t get a promotion at work and blames the minorities for all his problems while drinking with friends who are embarrassed by his loud mouth in the bar. He then walks out and enters a parallel universe where he is pursued as if he is a Jew in Germany by the Nazi’s.
I don’t remember the movie doing too well, but I loved that segment because it showed what it would be like to be the alien in a very hostile environment. Just try to put yourself on the other side for once and stop trying to foment hate and fear. We live in dangerous times and we need to unite, not divide, if we are to defeat the powerful.
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:36 am
No one is doing that Larry. These illegal aliens came here as a choice, some of them paying big money to be smuggled in. I see how they live, and have lived amongst them in the Vail valley. Some are good people, though felons, as are a myriad of drunk drivers, and others convicted of lesser crimes that are not illegal aliens. I refer to Americans. These are lesser than violating federal immigration law, which makes the person a federal felon.
For the record Larry, I deal with the problem by turning in their employers. This is highly effective.
Excuse me for saying you sound like a judgemental ignoramus Larry. This is nothing new. I have been in a foreign country legally, living there and have suffered the same vagaries. This process of being legal cost me thousands, and on the flip side when I was living with my Canadian spouse in the US, it cost us money too. That is reality.
What you are dreaming on is the fantasy. Keep “Zoning” out.
All Americans want is the law respected and enforced. It really a simple matter, all shall be equal before the Law. Or do you disagree with such sentiments? What are legal immigrants to consider the Laws in general when they follow them and anyone illegal gets a free ride. No matter your muddleheaded thinking this is the reality. It screws up wages, and erodes belief in immigrants and natives that the Laws apply to everyone equally.
Discussing this with true believers like yourself Larry, is worth it, and good practise. Soon enough Utah will pass it’s own laws at the State level. If you wish to put your money where your mouth is go down and ask an illegal if you can sponsor him, for a green card. Many have no interest as it means that YOU, will pay for their care until legal, and YOU will share responsibility for their actions. Many do not wish to, as becoming legal means paying taxes, getting legal documents, and maybe not qualifying for social programs. Wake up. I have been involved in this personally far longer than you.
If anyone is a racist, it would be you, he who desires to favor one group of people over the rights of others with prior legitimacy. This favoritism is illegal, and against the Laws of the land. If you aid and abet illegal aliens, you are acting criminally. This is not 125 years ago Larry, we are at the limits of what taxpayers will put up with. We have enough trouble with our own bi-partisan fools wasting our money, to add the load of people that have no interest in doing things the way they provided in plain documented paper, you can pick up at most post offices, Federal, and Dept. of Homeland Security facilites.
If this is the best progressives have to simply play on the racial aspect and not the law, good luck. This problem will be solved in time.
Keep watchin’ TV Larry. You get what you pay for.
I like the advise Larry, would you please QUIT advocating policies that DIVIDE our Nation?
March 3rd, 2008 at 12:29 pm
So you have money to buy your citizenship, huh? Bully for you!
Hi, my name is pop goes the list and I would like to turn in an employer who is hiring illegal aliens. Is that how the conversation goes?
There’s no difference between Kennedy and George W. fake Cowboy (and president) either.
Look pop, holster your weapon! I’m not at all an expert on legal immigration but this whole thing has the stench of fake patriotism and divisiveness we Americans have to put up with all the time. I agree we are in one hell of a situation, but I can’t stomach some of the arguments that are out there to harass these poor people. Labeling somebody with the tag of illegal and treating them like animals is not helping our cause or theirs.
Believe me, I don’t want any more people coming here either. I wish Mormons would quit having so many children. I fear for the quality of our environment and preservation of our natural surroundings which I believe is essential to our mental health. We have to figure some other means to fix the problem.
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Not an expert in immigration, not an expert in history, what then are you expert at to go on with these opinions? No one is treating them like animals, they simply have to do what EVERYBODY does that intends to be here legally. Some problem there? Or in your own bigoted way do you deem illegal aliens “special”?
Any problems illegals have they set themselves up for. They come from another country, and if they are to be here, there are existent pathways. Do you think that for a moment Larry if you don’t pay your taxes, or properly declare yourself for benefits(ex: SSI) that the government won’t attach you if you violate these laws? What reality do you live in. Oh yeah, twilight zone.
It costs 300 dollars to get your documentation for citizenship. Less for most visas. Heck, you can win a lottery for a greencard. This is less cash than a coyote costs to stuff you in a van, along with any contraband, and illegally enter our country. They willfully and knowingly in many cases, break our laws. That 30% of the Federal prison population is comprised of illegal aliens is enough proof of that.
On top of the ignorance you display, you are arrogant Larry. Do think I had the money to drop on the process? I had to come up with it like any other legally minded person. Do I get a refund? Your outlook is infantile.
In your own words now, you are bigot, Mormons whatever your problems with them are citizens of the country and generally law abiding. Add to your bigoted madness, population control. Are you sure you are not a Malthusian or Galtonian, maybe a follower of Davenport? With your attitudes you could fit right in with all manner of eugenicists, even the dreaded “n’s” of the 30’s.
Although Larry, with your outlook, you fit in more with the communist red chinese.
I am loving this, please continue, so the readers can see what the bigoted “progressive” movement is all about.
There is a difference between bush and kennedy. bush will finish out his terms, alive.
Lastly acted upon or not, more than a few companies are in the HS database for sure for their hiring of illegal aliens. I figure it an obligation to every working person paying taxes, and every employer paying their unemployment compensation taxes, to turn these scumbags in. Besides, it’s fun.
As a sworn US citizen, we are obliged to report crime when we come upon it. Read up.
March 3rd, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Apply this postulate to just about anything in our Country Larry, and consider the consequences. From Don Stott. Were we a “united” people with a cohesive rational government, socialism could work, but sadly from a any angle, and in a bi-partisan way, we are none of these things.
“Whatever you subsidize, you get more of, and whatever you tax, you get less of, which happens to be a truism”.
Look at anything “public”. While in theory I applaud the concept of public ownership, it fails for some reason in this Country. Tell me why? I think it is because of the People. They are inadequate. Larry, you prove it with the type of thinking you display. Or lack thereof.
Crummy public schools, 30th @#$%^&* place in international competency testing.
Filthy public bathrooms, complete with perverts, that sometimes happen to be our leaders.
Publicly funded programs that are really nothing more than money transfer schemes.
Public defenders in the legal field, well known as the bottom of the barrel.
Public housing, with few exceptions, slums.
Publicly funded military, Iraq, need I say more.
Publicly funded and subsidized weapons and security companies.
Like Don says, the more you subsidize, the more you get. Recipe for a nations destruction.
You get what you are paying for, and if we look a little closer, we pay plenty, and get a lot of nothing. That is a truism, and a bi-partisan one at that.
March 3rd, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Let’s face facts, only the truth gets moderated anymore. Once again that is where I am.
Post the truth that Don Stott speaks of.
March 3rd, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Larry, read about woodrow wilson, democrat president, that supported forced sterilization of mental patients.
Eugenics was supported by Woodrow Wilson, and, in 1907, helped to make Indiana the first of more than thirty states to adopt legislation aimed at compulsory sterilization of certain individuals.[30] Although the law was overturned by the Indiana Supreme Court in 1921,[31] the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of a Virginia law allowing for the compulsory sterilization of patients of state mental institutions in 1927.[32]
Fish in a barrel.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
In this country today, a VERY wide net is thrown around the word illegal. People who constitutionally use marijuana for medical purposes are called illegal. I am absolutely positive there are people around who would be perfectly satisfied to have us think all Hispanics are bad people. I don’t need a degree in immigration, like you, to know about the evil that lurks.
The only thing I know about Woodrow Wilson is that my elementary school was named after him. I don’t have time to read every article you link me to just as I don’t have time to read a book that was written thousands of years ago to base my life on.
March 4th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Big difference Larry, people smokin medical dope are CITIZENS. Being here without the benefit of customs and illegally overstaying is the beginning of an illegal aliens problem.
The concept of knowing who the hell is in your country, their status, criminal records, health records, are owed to citizens as a simple matter of public safety. Is that concept alien to you? What “benefit” are we getting from the 30% of felons sitting in our federal prisons that are illegal aliens? Think we might want to have a system of checking who these people are? What is your rationale to not have this happen? It not only protects us, it protects everyone. It was the reason Ellis Island existed. Everybody declares, all are equal before the Law. No one gets around it.
Old America, and idea whose time has come again.
Well Larry, I taught myself to speed read, it is very valuable. wilson is just another instance of a democrat in history most of us would want nothing to do with. He also began the league of nations, that failed miserably, and that morphed into the un. Also a miserable failure and some time world prophalactic used by war mongers to justify their incursions. A media tool at the best of times.