House Republicans are trying to slip an amnesty amendment into a national defense bill
America’s Watchtower has covered the NDAA, and some of its more controversial components, in the past but as if the legislation were not bad enough already the House Republicans are moving to make it even worse by inserting an amendment into a re-authorization bill which would provide a limited amnesty provision.
This amendment would allow illegal aliens who join the military to gain permanent legal residency. I have mixed feelings on whether or not illegal immigrants who join the military should be granted amnesty but I will get to that point shortly.
First: I have a major problem with the way the Republicans are going about this. This legislation should either come to the House floor on its own merit or as part of a larger immigration bill for an up or down vote, it should not be attached to an unrelated bill which the Republicans feel is a must pass piece of legislation knowing that the Senate will have to approve the whole bill which would allow this amendment to become law in such a secretive and backhanded manner.
Now onto the issue at hand; should illegal immigrants who join the United States military be granted what amounts to amnesty? This is where, as I alluded to above, I am conflicted because part of me says that this shows that illegal immigrants who sign up to defend the nation really do believe in the United States and are making an effort to show their support, but this does not come without a substantial risk witch should not be ignored.
Representative Steve King King hints at my apprehension here:
“If we’re going to put out the bait, which is: come into the U.S., break in, so to speak, smuggle yourself into the military, put on the uniform of the United States, take an oath to uphold our Constitution, which may or may not mean anything to them, and now we’re going to reward you with citizenship
While some may use this as an opportunity to prove to the government that they believe in the United States and want to come here so badly that they are willing to sign up to defend the nation how are we to prove that others are not simply trying to infiltrate the military for other, more nefarious, reasons?
This is why I feel so strongly that legislation such as this should be voted on by itself where it can be debated and both sides of the argument can be heard by the American people, instead of being pushed through secretly and without public debate.
America's Watchtower 
Reblogged this on Brittius.com.
LikeLike
Thanks yet again.
LikeLike
You’re welcome.
LikeLike
When in the US of A do as the Romans do. Let’s face it it was instrumental in bringing down their empire so why shouldn’t it work for us?
LikeLike
makes you wonder if they don’t know history or if they do know history and are trying to repeat it.
LikeLike
That is precisely what I think is going on. The know history and this is yet one more way to bring the USA down. I have asked several of he “Dreamers” who want citizenship for military service a question that should be an easy “Yes!” for anyone loyal to our country but I have yet to get a straight answer. I asked the, “If we went to war with Mexico, would you be able to kill Mexicans in your service to our country?” The most common response I got was , “That will never happen.” or “America won’t go to war with Mexico.” This is not the kind of attitude I want in people who are supposed to be defending our country. I want to hear that they will defend us from any threat.
LikeLike
Right, if they join the military their loyalty would have to be with the US and the US alone. The fact they dodged the question like that tells me they would be conflicted and could not be trusted.
LikeLike
I don’t like the sneaky aspect of it at all. OMT our politicians are hiding their activities from us. That’s just basically wrong. They will get away with anything they can, regardless of any law or principle.
There is another way that sneaking the amnesty into the bill was stupid. I can see good support for granting citizenship to aliens whether legal or not, after they have served a full term in our military and earned an Honorable Discharge. Putting your butt on the line in military service is a pretty solid commitment. (I’m listening to a live feed from Ft. Hood as I write this.)
Had they announced Amnesty for Military Service with great fanfare, politically they could have then won major points with the Hispanic and immigrant communities in the U.S.
Right now, those groups are solid Obama voters. It could have been a good starting point for separating immigrants and Hispanics from the Dems and bringing them into the Republican/Conservative/Libertarian tent. Politically, that’s another missed opportunity.
There has been discussion over the years about why, Hispanics for example, actually have very conservative values in their communities, yet vote for Liberal Democratic candidates. The answer is simple, the Dems play to the Hispanic community and the Republicans don’t. Outside of what Democrats and the MSM tell them, Hispanics really have no idea what Republicans are about.
LikeLike
That is a very good point about why sneaking this into the bill is stupid. They are trying to pander to the illegals while at the same time hiding it from the people, in the process even if they do get this passed even though they will have fooled the American people they will not get credit from the illegals. What have they accomplished?
LikeLike
Stupid is as stupid does. That’s why we need much better representation in Washington.
Out here in California, I’m stuck. The Dems have an incredible lock on this state.
A bunch of you guys are in states where Republicans and Libertarians are competitive. Go for it.
LikeLike
New Hampshire tends to go back and forth between Democrats and Republicans so at least we still have a chance every election cycle, I can’t imagine what it must feel like to think that your vote will never count. I feel for you!
LikeLike
want to slip “amnesty” into a defense bill..ok..
call it the American Foreign Legion. 8 years of good conduct service and you get citizenship. otherwise you wait in line like everyone else and get the hell out of the country.
I’m also in favor of giving every border-jumping mexican a spanish language copy of the US constitution, a rifle, 3 weeks worth of training (weeding out the bad apples, of course), and a return trip. the results should at the very least be entertaining.
LikeLike
That is an interesting idea about the Foreign Legion. As far as giving them weapons, didn’t Obama already try that. 😉
LikeLike
the french have a good system with the Foreign Legion. you have to learn the language and customs and prove that you truly want to be a citizen. the other advantage is the local knowledge that otherwise wouldn’t be available (“I used to live here. let me show you where the bad guys hang out so we can just bypass the whole town”) and the “friendly face” factor..you’re no longer a “foreign invader”, you’re a local who has done good and come home..and oh yeah I brought friends. they’re doing this right now in africa.
fast and furious was designed to arm the cartels. every time they calling a “failed” or “botched” operation they’re LYING. it worked perfectly. I think we should arm the regular citizens, who have had enough but don’t have anything to say about it.
they’ve had local uprisings against the drug cartels from regular citizens..with .22’s and baseball bats against guys with RPD and AK-47’s (flown to the cartels doorstep by the russians). I’m not saying we need to get the locals to match firepower…but a few Mauser rifles with scopes and a bunch of motivated people can really get the cartels scared.
LikeLike
You are right about Fast and Furious, they accomplished what they set out to do–mission accomplished!
LikeLike
If our representatives do not succeed in achieving their goals in one fashion, they just try another way. In other words, if a proposal is unpopular, they just hide it in an unrelated bill.
The idea that they are so busy that they have to attach amendments to bills in order to get everything passed is ludicrous. If they would stop taking weeks of vacation at a time, they would have time to debate and vote on things like this amnesty, letting each bill stand on its own two feet.
LikeLike
This whole idea of adding unrelated amendments to bills is something that really irks me and it is done so that members who would otherwise vote against something will be forced to vote for it to get the parts of the bills they want. It also provides cover during a debate because they can claim they opposed something but had to vote for it to get something they feel is important.
LikeLike
The unrelated amendments business is a serious problem. A lot of bad stuff has gone under the radar that way.
Put me down in favor of 1 subject per bill, with absolutely no unrelated add ons permitted.
That change alone could stop a lot of the idiot posturing that comes out of Washington.
LikeLike
I agree 100%!
LikeLike
Any illegal making it to NJ is in like Flint. They are a sacred breed with every federal and state program laid at their feet; benefits you or I could not qualify for if we were in need after paying taxes all our working lives. The military service crap is a ruse to pass off another immigration bill with supposed teeth. A scam is a scam by any other name.
LikeLike
The more I think about this the more I realize this military service aspect is dangerous!
LikeLike
This should insure many more Muslims winding their way into our under belly. It will just take a few years. But they are patient beasts.
LikeLike
While I was on the fence about this issue I am beginning to see how dangerous this could be!
LikeLike
You’re right, simple, short and benign service in our military would prove little. A clerk in a warehouse in Idaho is not putting his neck on the line. If we were to accept military service as a path to citizenship, the requirements would have to include something that could be definitively described as dedication to the U.S. Just what that would be is open for discussion.
Islam is a problem well beyond the scope of this discussion so far. Removing the protection of the 1st Amendment from any religion would set a dangerous precedent.
Our Founding Fathers understood that very well. They had seen first hand the evils of a state endorsed religion. It wasn’t that long ago that Catholics and Protestants were killing each other, ostensibly in the name of G-d. The excesses of the Inquisition and the Islamic reign of terror that preceded it were well known in 1776. More recently in our own history Mormons were attacked and killed and did some of their own killing in turn. Just ask any Jew what it’s like living, even in an enlightened country like the U.S., and some of the answers will shock you. I’ve even heard comments made by Protestants about other varieties of Protestants that could not be called Christian. The 1st Amendment protects all of us from a lot of grief.
They key might be in defining Islam by it’s actions rather than its claims of peace. The Jihadis have announced very publicly that they will take over the entire world and run it in accordance with Sharia. They have killed and mutilated people all over the world in furtherance of that goal. That is no longer a religion as most people understand the concept of faith, that is a militant political movement. While discussing the philosophy of Islam may be protected by the 1st Amendment, the militant actions of the Jihadis could be used to redefine Islam and all Moslems as a movement of political terrorists.
That would remove the 1st Amendment protection from Islam and allow all Moslems to be legally defined as enemy combatants. In short, it would become open season on Moslems, while leaving other faiths mostly still protected.
This is something to be approached carefully. The side effects could be horrendous. The 1st Amendment and our traditions of religious tolerance not only protect your neighbor from you, it protects you from your neighbor. If you’re going to abridge 1st Amendment rights in any way, be careful of what else may happen.
LikeLike
Well said!
LikeLike
For sure. Entire cities in the south,mid-west, the west, NY State, and soon an entire county in New Jersey (Middlesex County) are the current breeding grounds for a new generation of America haters, fodder for the Jihad being kept alive in the mosque training grounds. Lets not forget to mention the Islamist military enclave situated next to the largest reservoir providing water to New York City. Wait till the ROTC recruiters are welcomed into the madrases (there are 17 in NJ alone). ***Kudos to governor Chris Christie for doing one hell of a job cultivating that voting block.
LikeLike
And Christie is one of the establishment’s favorites!
LikeLike
Through their actions most illegals have proven to have little respect for our laws, borders, country and people. Apparently some in our government want illegals to have legal status bad enough to ingore that fact. Shared this at http://www.Remember1986.com
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing!
LikeLike