By John Ballard
I'll make this short because if I dwell on the subject too long it will make me more angry than I already am.
The Dream Act is a long overdue corrective to the long overdue immigration non-policy that has plagued the country for two or three administrations of both parties. Briefly, it enables children brought to America by undocumented parents to take their rightful place in society, having grown up and earned that place like everyone else. Lord knows, we can use all the new taxpayers we can get.
This is part of a Politico post.
The DREAM Act is bipartisan, offering a conditional six-year path to legal, permanent U.S. residence for immigrant youth brought here as children. They need to complete high school, demonstrate good moral character and complete at least two years of higher education or U.S. military service.Without the DREAM Act, about 65,000 students a year � honor roll students, star athletes, talented artists and aspiring teachers � graduate from high school and then hit a roadblock. Instead of entering college or the military, and gaining upward mobility and higher education, they are forced to live in the shadows and work in low-paying jobs.
Researchers estimate that this nightmare is a reality for up to 2.1 million current and graduated high school students across the country, a quarter of them in California. Many students are leaders � like Pedro Ramirez, president of the Cal State Fresno student body � poised to make great contributions to our nation. If we would only allow them the opportunity.
This afternoon as the president's address to Chrysler workers was being aired on CNN the Fox people were trotting out yet another Republican plan to block passage of the Dream Act by the lame duck Congress.
It goes without saying that once the new Congress is seated legislation such as this hasn't a chance. Take a look at Senator Sessions' talking points, which provide the platform of the opposition, and judge for yourself how this is red meat for the isolationist, xenophobic, mean-spirited, fear-mongering, prejudiced attitudes of a growing number of elected representatives. I'm thinking Tea Party Insurgency here. They've got McConnell running scared, reversing a conciliatory remark made earlier. Craven coward. Look at the "updates" here. All that's missing from the comments thread are images of Confederate battle flags and burning crosses.
Just thinking about it makes me sad. And angry. If Democrats and the president fail at this effort (which is waaay short of meaningful reform) I hold little hope for immigration reform any time in the foreseeable future. I sincerely hope that the snowballing efforts of the Left to force the administration into a course correction don't have the unintended consequence of killing the already slim political chances of the Dream Act.
The only problem I have with the Dream Act is that is so typical of the incremental approach of Obama and the Democrats. We don't have the courage to tackle the real job, in this case immigration reform, so we'll pass some small increment of it, and take credit for doing something.
ReplyDeleteI'm too tired to paint the house, dear, I'll just paint the front porch and you'll have to settle for that. The house still looks like crap, but at least the front porch looks nice, so focus your eyes on that when you come home and pretend that your husband is not a half-assed lazy bum.
You are correct and I am in agreement. But under the circumstances it's unrealistic that the next Congress will do anything other than obstruct everything.
ReplyDeleteThe Dream Act has a bipartisan history now nearly a decade old.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DREAM_Act
Something is better than nothing. And unless the rump Congress gets it passed, even if reconciliation** limits it to a future expiration date, it will be something instead of nothing.
(**The famous "Bush" tax cuts now being called a "tax increase" when they expire, were the result of reconciliation at the time they were put in place. And they have already been extended, having been scheduled to expire two years ago.)
Oh, I agree it should pass, and I hope it does. It is a good bill and should have passed before now. I am just so weary of the Democratic refrain of, "Well, this is the best we could do."
ReplyDeleteGolly, I sure hope President Sparkle Pony gets this DREAM act passed. How in the world would we oh-so-righteous anti-war progressive democrats provide enough cannon fodder for our Pentagon friends if it didn't?
ReplyDeleteBecause, ya know, we're soooooooo against the Middle East bloodbaths that we're perfectly fucking willing to feed Mexican kids into the fucking meatgrinder now that we've run out of poor American kids. I mean, this is the greatest progressive victory bill for democratic party victory since the "health care" reform. Plus, we're anti-war! Just because we support the war doesn't mean we're not against it. Sure we are! Prove we're not!
Got it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading and commenting, Alan Smithee (love that name).
I was pleased to find a Newshoggers link in your blogroll. You have one killer blog and should post more often.