Monday, March 05, 2007

Non-citizens in New York want the right to vote; some in U.S. already do

Non-citizens are asking for the right to vote in New York City local elections. The proposal would affect about 1.3 million legal adult residents in the city, and would be restricted to legal residents of more than six months.

More than 60 community groups support the proposal, which is now before a City Council committee. Non-citizen immigrants say they pay the same taxes, use the same services and want the same say in how the city is run.

"Has this city gone nuts?" one resident wrote to the New York Post, echoing similar letters. "If you don't like it here, go home or become a citizen."

Some non-citizens in the United States are already voting. Six communities in Maryland allow non-citizens to vote in local elections. In Chicago, non-citizens can vote in school board races. And in Massachusetts, three cities have approved non-citizen voting at the local level, including the city of Newton, which approved it last week. That move still needs the Massachusetts Legislature's approval.

3 comments:

  1. Illegal Aliens in the United States of America, have absolutely no right to CIVIL RIGHTS. They do, as human beings, have humane rights, NOT civil rights. There is a major difference.

    Civil rights belong to an individual by virtue of citizenship. Illegal aliens have no citizenship status and are therefore ineligible for all benefits awarded to citizens of this country. In addition, illegal aliens are in violation of our laws - and no matter what flowery or heart tugging reason you would like to associate with their behavior - criminal is what it is. Therefore, rights such as In-State tuition, a drivers license, protection from law enforcement crack downs concerning their illegal activity, credit card and banking rights, voting rights, employment rights, labor rights, language rights to mention a few, are null and void.

    Recently - many illegal aliens in the US have tried to attach this invasion with that of the black movement in the 50-60's - Dolores Huerta, co founder with Cesar Chavez of the United Farm Workers Union (UFWU), has stated, “We’re here celebrating a new civil rights movement, and it’s headed up by Latinos". This attachment is not only a slap to Americans that are black but to all Americans. And I for one, would like to know why leaders, especially those who are vocal on the Black Civil Rights Movement, are electing to so freely and openly give those illegally in this country the rights that many before, fought so hard to acquire.

    The civil rights movement was for the most part conducted in a peaceful movement by Americans - not in an aggressive way demanding rights that by definition are not theirs. As Geoffrey Moore, a member of the black leadership network, Project 21, has stated "illegal aliens quest for preferential and expedited citizenship benefits bears no comparison to the hardships endured by African Amerasians during the civil rights era. This is not about the rights of people here legally or of equal rights - it is about people who are here illegally wanting everyone to ignore the fact that they broke the law to get into this country", He continued to say "The civil rights movement was about some American citizens being treated worse than others, those who struggled during that era were looking for equal rights, not special rights. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. fought to make our nation's laws applicable and consistent to everyone, not to grant exceptions for certain groups".

    One would believe that our political leaders would understand the difference between the marches and protests by Americans versus those of illegal aliens. Leaders, especially those who are vocal on the black civil rights movement such as Senator Obama, Keith Ellison, Al Sharpen, Jesse Jackson, to mention a few, should be held accountable and address why they do not see the blatant difference between the black movement and the movement of illegal aliens invading our country? Why are they not promoting the rights of all Americans and legal residents over those of law breakers who are not entitled to civil rights status?

    Why are they supporting the loss of employment opportunities for the less educated black, white, brown, red, green and purple legal citizen and American over those of an illegal alien that is ineligible for civil rights benefits. Why are they supporting the financial strain we are experiencing that is costing each and everyone of us? Why do they NOT today support the Civil Rights Movement of yest er year ------ a movement that asked for equal rights for Citizens not aliens.

    The current legislative approach through Congress for amnesty will be rewarding criminal behavior and will not address the fact that illegal aliens in this country have broken our laws - they are not like their predecessors who came to America for the American Dream legally. Citizenship and the right to CIVIL RIGHTS should not be granted due to the luck of the draw of sneaking successfully across a border - it should be granted to those who truly desire to be apart of the American Dream and the rights therefore granted to its citizens.

    It is time for Americans to join in unity - to demand that civil rights are extened to those it was meant to protect - the American CITIZEN - not those breaking our laws, flooding our borders and making demands they are not entitled to.

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  2. Thanks for your comments about the civil rights that belong to American citizens, and about the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s.

    We have the same questions about our political leaders.

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  3. Who is not intitled to what.meybe take a look at some of our ancestors.We need to quit all this stupidness and worry about iraq or whatever else is messed up in this country of ours.there is alot of marches and rallys from what i am seeing and it looks liked the hispanics are winning.I was one of them there and i will not stop.thank you for letting me be heard see its working.ha,ha,ha,ha.

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Please be civil. Thank you.