Nice Work If You Can Get It

Dick Morris and Eileen McGann recently wrote an article highlighting the lack of confidence the American public has in this current Congress. The article (Mommy Lets Your Babies Grow Up To Be Congressman) is a companion piece to their new book, “Outrage.”

Morris and McGann pointed out that in 2006 our representatives worked a whopping total of 103 days, which give or take a few days, has been the average since Harry Truman was President. Wow…our poor representatives must be exhausted.

Lets put this in some perceptive:

• The average American worker works approximately 1,978 hours a year, or 248 days.
• The average median income for an American worker is $46,000.
• The average American roughly makes $185.00 each workday for their efforts.

• The average Congressman works approximately 103 days a year (145 days less than the average America worker).
• The minimum amount a Congressman can make is $165,500.00.
• That means the average Congressman roughly makes $1606.00 for every day they work!

Mind you this is before taxes, and does not include all the other perks afford our representatives. When you look at those numbers do you feel you are getting your money’s worth?

Americans are the hardest working of any of the industrial nations, yet you would not know it by looking at the work ethic of our representatives. I really think they should consider changing the Seal of Congress to read “Let Them Eat Cake.” Oh wait...........that one is already taken.

Jeff Chidester

Contempt of Congress

Sounding like a bad 70’s sitcom, starring Nancy Pelosi and John Conyers,with the American public providing the laugh track, Judiciary Committee Democrats warned that they would pursue “Contempt to Congress” against the White House.

An article featured in “The Hill" reports that the Democrats are preparing to issue subpoenas related to the US Attorney firings:

"House Judiciary Committee Democrats warned yesterday they would pursue contempt of Congress motion if the White House fails respond to subpoenas for testimony and documents related to the firings of U.S. attorneys last year."

Continuing down the path of ineptitude by being wrong on every issue from immigration, Iraq, and taxes, is it no surprise that this Democratic led Congress now has the lowest approval rating in modern political history. This congress is now the proud owners of a 25% approval rating, 6 points lower than President Bush.

The American people have moved past the US Attorney firings. But like good little liberals, they need to hold onto false scandals in an effort to divert the American people from their incompetence.

Great job all to all of you “straight-ticket” voters who crawled out of the woodwork in November of 2006 to vote in angry instead of with reason. How is this congress working for you?

Jeff Chidester

Cameron Diaz: Communism A Fashion Statement?

Nothing says high fashion like a handbag with the slogan of an oppressive communist regime, at least that is what the Hollywood elite think.

Cameron Diaz was recently in Lima, Peru participating in a program celebrating Peru’s culture. Ms. Diaz chose to accessorize her visit with a handbag that featured a Red Star and the famous Mao Zedong slogan “Serve the People (Cameron Diaz - ABC News).”

Mao Zedong was a murderer, rapist, and one the 20th's Centeries most vial humans, ranking ahead of Stalin and just behind Hitler (checkout the excellent book Hungry Ghosts: Mao's Secret Famine by Jasper Becker for the real story of Zedong).

The fact that Ms. Diaz, or for that matter anyone, would think that it was appropriate to wear something that represents the deaths of millions of people is just another example of how out of touch Hollywood is. What next “The Concentration Camp Diet Plan” t-shirt or the “Adolph Hitler 70th Commemorative” VW Beetle?”

Peru knows the legacy of Zedong and “the peoples revolution” all to well. During the 1980’s and early 1990’s the Maoist Shining Path was responsible for the slaughter of thousands of Peruvians in the name of Mao’s beliefs. I guess Ms. Diaz thought by wearing the slogan "Serve the People" it would bring her closer to the huddled masses.

Some advise for Ms. Diaz's PR person (if you still have a job). Do a little research to save your client, especially if she is a blond actress, future embarrassment. The bag may be all the rage on Rodeo Drive, but to people who have have suffered at the hands of Zedong followers it represents all that they fear.

Nice job Princess Fiona!

Jeff Chidester

Purdue 9-11 Study

Purdue University recently concluded a two year study on the collapse of the World Trade Center after the attack on 9-11-01. The story can be found on every major news site or by going directly to the Purdue University webpage (Dr. Hoffmann - World Trade Center).

The simulation was created by Christoph Hoffman and Voicu Popescu:

"The crashes and computer models you often see on television are not scientifically accurate," he says. "This provides an alternative that is useful to the nonexpert but is also scientifically accurate, so it provides a more realistic picture of the event."

Voicu Popescu

Well it did not take long for the conspiracy nuts to put down their grilled cheese sandwiches, crawl out of the mother’s basement and provide their “expert opinion.” Take a look at some of the comments posted on You Tube:

Christoph Hoffman is one of these german neonazis,the 9/11 perps corrupted for their fascistcoverup of the evidence on 9/11 TV Fakery.He once bailed out of a CC50 debate already on the forensic evidence on no-planes.Purdue are WarCriminals. There are too many competing fake realities but history will prevail.

Ewing2001

well after seeing that it changes exactly..... nothing.nice eye candy.way to be a sheep folks. believe your eyes mates, not what you are being told to believe.

AMexes

I can make you a Maya video, scientifically prooving that the moon is made out of cheese, and that the martians detonated big giant dougnut inside of the 3 buildings. If this is supposed to 'debunk' us 'stupid, idiotic, ignorant, troofer nutcases', it fails at doing so miserably.

grozlz

The simulation was meant to reinforce the official government theory that planes were responsible for the collapses. We know it is B.S. cause building 7 was never hit but had isact same characteristics(molten pools of iron, symmetrical collapse) as building 1 & 2.

Am87fl

These morons need to get a life! Elvis is dead, Jimmy Hoffa is buried, Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, we did in fact land on the moon, and 19 deranged Muslim terrorist were responsible for the attacks on 9-11-2001.

United We Stand, Divided We Fall

Everyday I read the newspapers (like the New York Times), the web pages/ blogs (such as The Nation), and listen to the news, and see my fellow countrymen turning against America.

I find myself wondering how a person born and educated in America could turn their backs on their country in the belief that they are the true conscientious of the American people. We are letting self-professed diplomats, in movements such as Press for Progress, Code Pink, and Students for a Democratic Society drive the propaganda of the terrorist. Most of these “anti-war” protesters started their efforts for purely political reasons (defeat Bush at all cost), and now are nothing more than puppets for those in the world that believe in the complete and udder destruction of all nations that do not submit to their injudicious ways.

We have let these self-righteous socialist hijack the debate with their aggrandizing and “flower in my hair” nonsense. They offer no solutions other than “it is Americas fault, shame on us,” or the old stand-by, Bush lied. Why don’t we just impeach the President? The Democrats control the Senate and the House, if they believed he lied, they have the power. But they won’t use it. Because unlike the nitwits with the bumper stickers “No one died when Clinton lied,” our representatives know that Bush didn’t lie or deceive America.

These want to be “hippies” scream bloody murder when we involve ourselves in world events, yet turn their backs when tyrants, terrorist and thugs meddle in the affairs of peaceful nations (Spain, England, Germany, France, Iraq, America, Philippines, to name a few). All of these nations have freely elected governments. But the terrorist didn’t like the results, so they make the bombs, brainwash some misguided kid to do their dirty work, and “Allah be praised.”

Wake up America. We are not the enemy. Are we doomed to repeat the mistakes of those who lived before us? The Nazis in Europe (20 million dead), Stalin’s purging and forced famine in Russia (20 million +), Mao’s Cultural Revolution (50 million dead), and now radical Islam efforts to fulfill Muhammad’s command of one Islamic nation. Radical Muslims uses the freedoms enjoyed in America and Europe against us. A recent survey of young Muslims in Britain revealed their belief that British law should be replaced with Sharia law. The Muslim Brotherhood is outlawed in most Islamic nations, but thrives in Europe, especially in England and France. They have stated that all nations will fall and submit to Sharia law.

Instead of debating “a non-binding resolution (there’s an oxymoron for you),” we should be supporting a binding resolutions that simple states that “We as Americans support the efforts of our brave soldiers to take whatever steps necessary to rid the world of those that proclaim to be the enemies of peace and freedom, and through their charter attempt to circumvent the authority of sovereign nations to live without threat and fear of their way of life.”

The reality is that these people are not “anti-war,” but anti-American. We shouldn’t let these “self-righteous” malcontents go unchecked. Like those who called for appeasement and isolationism during World War II, we have amongst us a group of people who believe that being a dissent is patriotic. They couldn't be more wrong.

I look forward to the comments calling me a racist and warmonger. I am neither. I am a person who possesses the insight and commonsense that seems to have been abandoned by some of my fellow Americans.

Jeff Chidester

Appeal for Courage

As members of the US House of Representatives and US Senate take the road most traveled, a road paved of cowardice and poll taking, our fighting soldiers in Iraq are calling out to them.

A group of military personnel have started an online web-petition called an Appeal for Courage. The web-petition is simple in its message. This group of America’s finest is asking the US Congress fully support their mission in Iraq and halt any calls for retreat.

I suspect that this call to our representatives will be ignored. Some of our representatives would rather listen to the fringe elements of their party than those whose voices should be respected, our US Military. At the very least we owe those committed to our protection a chance to be heard.

In this web-petition we find the meaning of duty, honor and country. There is companion web-petition that can be signed by civilians, so I would encourage all to visit Appeal for Courage web page.

Jeff Chidester

Hillary Clinton, Queen of Denial

I recently read an incredible article written by Ms. Star Parker in the WorldNet Daily. The focus of Ms. Parker's article were the recent statements made by Hillary Clinton during the NH Democrat Debate:

"... this is George Bush's war. ... He started the war. He mismanaged the war. He is responsible for the war."

Ms. Parker does a simple, but excellent breakdown on how disingenuous Ms. Clinton’s comments were. Ms. Parker details the history of Ms. Clinton’s journey to her current position, which should be a concern to anyone thinking about voting for Ms. Clinton. I continue to be troubled that many Democrats lack the moral courage to distance themselves from Ms. Clinton. Democrats have been screaming that President Bush lied, yet they are prepared to vote for a pathological liar in Ms. Clinton. But what else should be expected….Hillary is their role model.

The sad reality is that Ms. Clinton is a fraud and lacks any true conviction, and if she were a Republican male she would have been run out of town years ago. But as they say …”it’s a woman’s prerogative to change their mind.” Funny isn’t it…when a Democrat changes their mind it is a prerogative, when a Republican changes their mind their lying.

Jeff Chidester

Link to Ms. Parker's article:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56088

Note:
Star Parker is president and founder of CURE, the Coalition on Urban Renewal & Education, and is author of the WND book "Uncle Sam's Plantation."

Tear Down this Wall

On June 12, 1987, President Reagan stood at Brandenburg Gate, in Berlin, West Germany, to address what initially was an apprehensive crowd. But in this speech were the words of hope, compassion, and more importantly, strength that every Citizen of Germany had long to hear from anyone whose voice could be heard:

“General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

The applause was thunderous. President Reagan not only let the Soviet Union know that he stood in solidarity with the people of a united Germany, but also with all oppressed peoples. President Reagan spoke from the heart and expressed genuine anger that an entire nation was being held captive behind a man-made wall. This was not only Ronald Reagan at his finest, but it was America at its greatest. It was the simplicity of the meaning that allows those words to echo even today (Tear this Wall Down - 20 Years Later).

Living in Germany at the time I can remember the many protests against America’s presence in Europe. Disdain for America wasn’t limited to the rallies in the street, but could be felt in everyday life. The Socialist movement, supported by the Soviet Union, had infested every country on the Continent. The modern terrorist movement was born in Europe with groups like Red Army Faction, French Action Direct, and the Italian Red Brigade. However, on that day I have never felt more proud to be an American. Its not that I was ashamed to be an American, but this speech changed how I looked at our role in the world, as it did for many people. Our President, “the Cowboy,” saw injustice and confronted it. On June 12, 1987, many politicians and diplomats wished that they had the strength shown by President Reagan.

Like the Gettysburg Address, this speech was short, but the strength in the words is felt even today. What the Gettysburg Address and the Brandenburg speech lacked in the number of words, they more than made up for in the power of their message. These speeches remind us that America’s fate not only rest in our unity as a nation, but in our belief that as a free Republic we have a higher calling to serve all mankind.

Note: I have attached a link to a transcript of the original speech should you want to read it.

http://www.ronaldreagan.com/sp_11.html

Where is the outrage?

The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), a group affiliated with al Qaeda, and funded by Iran, killed four American soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter during the initial attack, and now they claim to have brutally murdered the remaining “prisoners.” The ISI initially identified our soldiers as prisoners, which means they should have been treated humanly. But these cowards have once again shown their true colors. These terrorist are animals corrupted by evil elements of their religion that promotes this type of barbarism. The Islamic State of Iraq thanked Allah for “the help and accurate targeting” during their “blessed operation” against “Crusader” forces.

I scanned the newspapers and listened to the radio and television for America’s response. The silence was deafening. I had to ask myself “Where is the outrage?” While al Qaeda prisoners are getting fat in sunny Cuba (Guantanamo - Prison or Spa?), al Qaeda “freedom fighters are committing atrocities against our sons, brothers, fathers, nephews, and uncles. These terrorist are cruel and sadistic, and yet not one peace movement group in America has bothered to express their condemnation.

Over the course of the past few years I have read and heard numerous stories about America’s “failures” and indiscretions during the war on terror (or whatever the PC police are calling it now). We are reminded everyday by groups such as Peace Action, Democracy for New Hampshire, and After Downing Street.org, that America is the proprietors of all that is wrong in the world. Peace Action demands to know why “Bush ignores Iran’s recent overtures for direct talks?” But Peace Action shows their hypocrisy when they ignore Sobhe Sadegh, mouthpiece for the Pasdaran (Iran's Revolutionary Guard), threats to “kidnap” American soldiers in Iraq. A threat that has been realized.

Some Americans have forgotten that this is our war, not President Bush’s (contrary to the statement made by Presidential Candidate Clinton during the most recent debate:
Clinton Statement - NH Debate)

The Democrats have all run from their votes and their rally cries that supported the invasion of Iraq (that also helped get them reelected in 2004). Don’t blame “lies” and “misrepresentations of facts” that led us down this course. Kennedy, Kerry, and Clinton are supposed to be smart. Are we to believe that they were fooled by President Bush, a person that some Americans disrespectfully refer to as an “idiot?” You can’t have it both ways.

One of the most disheartening developments to this story is how many Americans have also turned their backs on our brave soldiers. I would expect this from politicians, but not the America I know. We were all there when our soldiers were asked to commit to this mission, and too many of us have chosen to conveniently forget this because "things aren’t going to well."

We have become a nation that finds it far easier to shrug our shoulders and turn our backs to real injustice and actual evil. Far too many Americans point the finger inward, but ignore the sociopaths who kill in the name of “Allah.” Wake up America, because this is just another example of the type evil our brave soldiers are fighting for our sake.

Jeff Chidester

The Legacy of Rosie

Rosie is off the airwaves for now, but she leaves in her wake misinformation for the brainless of this world to feast upon. Many of her statements were not only careless, but hurtful to those personal touched by the tragedy of terrorism. President Bush has somehow been turned into the embodiment of evil by Ms. O'Donnell's warped sense of reality. President Bush’s desire to keep this country safe has been characterized by Ms. O'Donnell as a mantra shared by no one.

I want this war to be over, as do all Americans. But the sad reality is that this war will never end. We need to get it through our “can’t we all just get along” mentality that it is not just about Iraq. We doom ourselves to more bloodshed when we fail to acknowledge that this war we are fighting is not directed against an existing country, but a dogma known as Islam. Forget about “fanatical Islam,” because the reality is the core of the religion is obsessed with the rebuilding a one Muslim nation called Caliphate. Caliphate would be a country knowing no borders, but would have only one religion, Islam. But before they achieve Caliphate they have to destroy those that are standing in their way, including America, Israel, and yes, other Muslims.

People, including some Muslims, will write in denying that is the ultimate goal. They have been deceived and are ignoring the writings of the Koran and teachings of the strongest voices among Muslims. The following quote says it all:

"[President] Bush says that we want to enslave people and oppress their freedom of speech," says Abu Abdullah, a senior member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, the Party of Liberation. "But we want to free all people from being slaves of men and make them slaves of Allah."

Now this is a mantra. This is what we are up against. That wasn’t even the most “radical” member of the Muslim leadership. How do you think our laws would fit within the nation of Caliphate? They wouldn’t.

What is even worse is that some Americans, such as Ms. O’Donnell, have regurgitated the propaganda that Muslim terrorist have spent millions of dollars, and countless dead bodies, to promote. That is not only “un-American,” it is irresponsible and dangerous. Ms. O’Donnell (and all of you who believe the same way), Sept. 11, 2001 did happen. You are right when you say it was staged, by 19 Muslim terrorist who believed that they were at war with America. Ms. O’Donnell, and all of those likeminded people, owe the thousands of men, women, and children who have suffered because of that act an apology. To belittle this act of aggression and then lay it at the feet of your fellow American citizens is disgusting and sad.

Jeff Chidester

Pro-choice: False Enlightenment

Many statements made by the pro-abortion movement refer to their actions as “enlightened.” It is truly sad, but clearly representative of the pro-abortion movement in America, the tone in which they take to try and characterize their point of view. The unfortunate part is that they believe every word of their propaganda.

Fact: Roe v. Wade is not a law; it is a Supreme Court decision. There is a clear distinction between the two. Granted a decision such as Roe v. Wade can have a profound affect on society, but it is a glaring example of the destructiveness of judicial activism. Roe v. Wade is one of the most poorly written decisions in the history of the Supreme Court, period.

Let's not forgot the Supreme Court has blundered in the past. Scott v. Sandford in 1857 (supported slavery) and in 1899 Cumming v. Richmond County Board of Education (supporting segregation).

Fact: Data on why women say they had an abortion is scarce because pro-abortion lobbyists block every attempt by any government agency to collect this data efficiently. But, studies found few were done for health reasons or because the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest. Most women cited financial concerns or problems with their relationships, or said they weren't ready to have a child.

Is this a reason to end an innocent child's life? Is this what we as Americans want to stand for?

Fact: An overwhelming percentage of Americans do not feel abortions should be used to end an unwanted pregnancy (60 percent), oppose partial birth abortions (82 percent), or after 6 months (86 percent).

Here is the more telling fact. When people were asked if they would choose an abortion for themselves, 85 percent said no.

Fact: A high percentage of people support a 24-waiting period prior to an abortion (67 percent), would require parent notification for those under 18 years (71 percent), and support the rights of the father to have a say (62 percent).

We pass laws every day to protect our society, including laws that state what we can and cannot do with our own bodies. The fact a child does not have a name or a voice should not preclude them the protection of the most basic rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As a nation we are trading our unborn children for sake of not being inconvenienced. This is what pro-abortion advocates would have us believe is "enlightened."

Jeff Chidester

Equal Pay: Myths Versus Facts

Recently many newspapers and webpages featured articles and editorials by feminist activist regarding the lack of equal pay for women. These features were examples of the lack of "activist integrity" in an effort to create a false crisis. The problem is that many activists do more to cause friction than promote harmony. The myth that women make less than men, and the possible reason for this disparity, makes for great headlines, but is nothing more.

There are many factors that come into play when deciding salary and promotion, and although there may be some companies that are not living in the 21st century, the nature of business is such that the best and the brightness thrive, regardless of whether they are a man or a woman.

The misleading phrase "77 cents on the dollar" has been the thrust for lawsuits and legislation, not to mention the source of unnecessary fury on the part of both sexes. This is a common misunderstanding, based on misinterpretation of Census Bureau survey statistics: The "77 cents on the dollar" figure is simply the weekly median (meaning middle: an equal number of women above and below) earnings figure ($473) of all working women divided by the weekly median earnings figure ($618) of all working men. These figures include everyone from dishwashers to physicists and have nothing whatsoever to do with equal pay for equal work.

Myth: Women earn only 77 cents on the male dollar.

Fact: When key variables, such as age, education, occupation and experience are factored in, women earn as much as men, according to the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.

Myth: Women are funneled into low-paying, low-prestige careers by a sexist society.

Fact: In 1970, only 12 percent of pharmacists were women; by 2004, the percentage had jumped to 48. Between 1970 and 2004, women's representation increased from 5 to 33 percent of lawyers, from 27 to 68 percent of public relations specialists, and from 39 to 63 percent of psychologists.

Fact: A survey based on U.S. Census Bureau interviews with 21,000 people in 2004 indicated men spend about one hour more on the job per day than women, 8 hours versus 7.1 hours. Some of this is due to women's higher likelihood of working part time. Though even when that is taken into consideration, the difference is still 7 percent, or 34 minutes. These differences do add up. Over the course of a year, working men are working several 40-hour weeks more than women. The better question to ask is: "Are men getting the short end of the stick by having to work more hours?" This difference in time at work is reflected in the average pay including promotion opportunities for women versus men.

The reasons why men work more hours than woman is part of a larger social ill. Women make sure they promote themselves as the primary caregiver of our children. Society accepts women having to leave work to be there for their children. But when a man asks for those same considerations, they are usually asked by their supervisor (does not matter whether that supervisor is a man or a woman), "Why can't your wife take care of that?"

Monetary inequality is a false claim, while bigger societal injustices are being ignored. Seventy percent of all "F's" are awarded to boys. Currently, 6 million school-aged children are on Ritalin, of which 90 percent of them are boys (side note: American kids represent 90 percent of the world's population using Ritalin). Seventy percent of all children diagnosed with learning disabilities are boys. Studies have shown that our boys are lagging an average of a year and half behind girls in reading and writing skills. Eighty percent of dropouts are male, and males only make up 44 percent of our college population. These factors are being ignored because they do not fit into the feminist "equality" picture. Exposing these facts would take away fund raising and public awareness for their pet projects instead of helping those in society who are truly not equal — our sons.

I do not have the answers for these problems, but I can tell you that myths such as "equal pay for equal dollars" do nothing to help our society on a whole. These myths serve only to promote a selfish cause that in the end is a detriment to true social equality.

Jeff Chidester

Outstanding article on the subject from Carrie Lucas, National Review http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/lukas200504190751.asp

Still that Shining City on a Hill

President Bush poll numbers continue to be low, but what does that really mean? I wonder what President Lincoln’s job approval rating would have been like just prior to Gettysburg. What would the polls have said about President Washington after he used force to put down the Farmers Rebellion of 1793?

There will always be naysayers and malcontents who will oppose a leader on the basis of party affiliation, regardless of the cause. Lincoln was a Republican, and without a doubt would have faced the types of bashing we see President Bush subjected to now. When this country was founded, there were no political parties. President Washington viewed political parties as factions counter to the public good. Seeing what is happening now, President Washington was right.

We are the most powerful nation that has ever existed on the planet. No nation has wielded more power than we have today, but used it so reluctantly. This country has made mistakes, as all nations have. But when all is said and done, as President Reagan stated, after more than 200 years America is that bright and shining city on a hill. America is still a beacon, still a magnet for all that must have freedom. Caesar’s Rome, Napoleon’s France, Hitler’s Germany, Stalin’s Russia, Sadam Hussein’s Iraq all once wielded great power, and all too often used that power to oppress entire continents. The blatant atrocities committed by these empires are examples of how true power corrupts. Because we as Americans hold freedom so dear, we all too often in the past have been slow to react to the enemies of freedom. We can no longer afford the luxury of waiting to be attacked first; the price is too high, and the stakes are too great.

We live in a new world. A world of wondrous marvels and unprecedented prosperity. A world where the enemies of freedom have blogs to try and justify their despicable acts. A world where people in our own nation compare our soldiers to Nazis, yet refer to al Qaeda as freedom fighters. Freedom fighters do not behead innocent civilians. Freedom fighters do not bomb their own people indiscriminately.

History will show the world that we were right that America and her allies drew a line in the sand against the gutless terrorists who want to impose their intolerant ways on the rest of the world by way of the sword (or in al Qaeda’s case, the cowardly bomb).

My position is far more popular than the news and polls show. It is not a position derived from political rhetoric, but from the knowledge of the past. America’s past as a nation committed to justice, and that evil (regardless of what name they use) will never survive or prosper as long as that bright and shining city stands strong and united.

Jeff Chidester

A Better Immigration Policy

America was built on the great debates of its past. State’s sovereignty, civil rights, and foreign policy have all been debated by way of the pen, the speech, and the sword. Immigration is not a new debate, in fact it as old as the country or for that matter mankind.

Immigration is a touchy issue because you are either accused of being a bigot or a bleeding-heart once your position on the issue is voiced. Like many problems facing our country, our immigration problem is a direct result of our misunderstanding of exactly whose problem it is.

The first thing we have to do is not confuse citizenship with immigration. The Fourteenth Amendment, Section I defined citizenship for the early residents of the new United States. The Naturalization Act of 1795 (which replaced the Naturalization Act of 1790) starts America down the course of understanding what was expected in order to become a Citizen of the United States. However, the Naturalization Act does not specifically address the issue of illegal immigrations. These Acts are important because they will be used later by the Federal Government to expand their power in the area of immigration. But these Acts only serve to answer the question “when does a “legal” immigrant become a citizen?”

Some people believe that Article IV, Section 4 of the US Constitution grants the Federal Government domain over immigration. Article IV speaks to the responsibility of the federal Government to protect the States from invasion, but does not use the word immigration. Although it can be argued that 12 million illegal immigrants is evidence of an invasion, I am pretty confident it is not the sort of “invasion” our founder fathers had in mind.

Other learned Americans believe that the Ninth and Tenth Amendments of the Constitution make immigration the purview of the individual State’s. In fact history shows us that the sovereignty of each of the State’s, including immigration, was principal during the writing and debate of the US Constitution. One only needs to look to the statements of George Mason, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison during the Constitutional Convention to understand who important State sovereignty was.

It was this belief of State sovereignty that found local authorities or State Governors issuing passports to travelers during the early years of America. This belief was further supported after the Civil War when each of the Confederate States “rewrote” their Constitutions by order of the Congress (kind of defeats the idea in State sovereignty….). Article XI, Section 1 of the Texas Constitution mandates the creation of a Bureau of Immigration, with a Superintendent of Immigration appointed by the Texas Governor, and approved by the State Senate. The job description of Texas Superintendent of Immigration stated that he/she “ shall have supervision and control of all matters connected with immigration.”

Through the course of time more and more control over immigration was seized by the Federal Government. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the Immigration Act of 1917 and 1924, all furthered to place control over immigration in the hands of Washington, DC. Most of these acts were truly based in prejudice and were eventually replaced with new Acts or abandoned by lack of enforcement.

It is the three most recent immigration acts that cemented the belief that absolute control rest with the Federal Government, but illustrates why we are in the mess we are in now. The Immigration Act of 1965 (sponsored by the Senator from Massachusetts Ted Kennedy, the current cosponsor of today’s immigration act) was supposed to restrict the flow of Mexican immigration (sound familiar?). But illegal immigration continued. The Immigration “Reform” and Control Act of 1986 granted amnesty to illegal immigrants and made it crime for employees to hire illegal immigrants (once again…sound familiar?). With this latest Immigration Bill, we are simple reverting back to the already failed policies of the past.

One reality is that the Federal Government technically did not have any Constitutional basis to control immigration to the degree that they did and continue to do. When our representatives write and pass laws that are in opposition to our Constitution, and those laws go unchecked, we find ourselves dealing with more problems than these laws were intended to resolve.

The other reality is that history tells us that immigration was once the domain of the States. Imagine if you will if we turned immigration back over to the States. Each State could decide how they wanted to handle immigration, and no “federal funds” would be afforded in this sovereign endeavor. Should California decide (as they already have) to let anyone and everyone into their State, then so be it. No other State would have to honor that commitment, and the monetary burden (make no mistake about it, it is a burden) would rest solely with the fine Citizens of California.

In the end we will never solve our immigration issues if we continue down the path we have been walking. Those who promote open borders and amnesty believe that they are being compassionate, but all they are doing is adding to the already heavy financial
( http://www.heritage.org/Research/Immigration/sr14.cfm) and cultural burden of future generations. Those who promote the dragooning mantra of no immigration ignore the promise of what America means to the right immigrant. The right laws are important, but enforcement of those laws is paramount. Border control is required, to include physical barriers where needed, to ensure the sovereign to the “United States” of America. But neither the laws nor the barriers should be so overwhelming that they would stop those immigrants who can add to America’s prosperity and truly want to participate in the American Dream.



Jeffrey Chidester