In 1920, the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution
became law and American women won full rights to vote. Later,
the Voting Rights Act of 1965 granted full suffrage to African-Americans.
By 1982, the Act was extended to cover Americans with disabilities.
That's why I'm stunned when politicians pander to illegal
aliens and hijack years of hard-fought American civil rights.
Case in point:
In 2004, Senator John Kerry spoke at a La Raza conference
and promised that millions of illegal aliens in the U.S.
would be given a path to citizenship in his first 100 days
in office. Of course, applying the logic behind granting
amnesty to criminals, Americans guilty of analogous crimes
should expect acquittals and pardons. During the 2005 National
Council of La Raza convention, Senator Hillary Clinton pledged
to help illegal immigrant children go to college. "We
want to make it possible for the 65,000 undocumented young
people who graduate from our high schools each year to receive
in-state tuition rates and pursue their dreams," said
Clinton. What about American students? Do Californians get
out-of-state tuition breaks?
Flash forward
to 2006. Speaking to thousands of illegal aliens at an immigration
rally in New York, Clinton said: "Your faces are the
faces of America." That's news to millions of Americans!
Yet, one wonders: Why do politicians court illegal immigrants?
Aren't only US citizens authorized to vote? Well, yes, but
the voting system is as secure as the US borders and ports
of entry.
According to
a Washington Times report, Beyond requiring applicants to
sign voter-registration forms affirming that they are U.S.
citizens, there is no way to prevent the nation's estimated
8 million to 12 million illegal aliens from casting ballots.
Worse, voter fraud is seldom detected "I've never heard
of it", said Mikel Haas, San Diego County's registrar
of voters.
Since January
2006, Californians must provide driver's license numbers,
state identification or the last four digits of their social
security numbers when they register to vote. But law enforcement
officials say the thriving trade of creating fake automobile
insurance cards, birth certificates, driver licenses and
social security cards is widespread. Worse, 95% of fictitious
names and numbers are traced to theft victims. Hence, efforts
to maintain the integrity of voter rolls seem futile. Likewise,
demands to soften immigration laws are illogical.
Ironically, as
Republicans support post war efforts to bring democracy
to Iraq, the core of American democracy is under attack
right here at home.
©
2006 Tocqevillian Magazine
