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Whose Country Is This?
Chris Lauzen, Illinois State Senator ^ | 11-6-03 | Chris Lauzen

Posted on 11/10/2003 4:35:28 AM PST by TheRightGuy

Senator Chris Lauzen’s speech to the Illinois Senate on SB67

I’ve lived in Aurora, Illinois for my entire life. 35% of my neighbors are Hispanic and 25% are African-American. I respect and enjoy my neighbors!

Legal immigration is good. Illegal immigration is not. Illegal immigration is neither compassionate nor moral for those who are exploited by trade in their misery, nor fair to current citizens and legal residents of this country.

Until our federal government acknowledges and shoulders its responsibilities at our borders, the State of Illinois should not make matters worse.

Legislation that gives illegal immigrants yet another incentive to break the law just begs the question, “What’s the value of citizenship if you get all the benefits for free?” Why work to earn acceptance in a new country when you can merely take the privileges handed to you? (In the more rural areas in my district, they say “…Why buy the cow, if you get the milk for free?”)

So, what are the unique benefits of U.S. citizenship?

1. “A job”? No, immigration workplace regulations are not enforced. How can citizens and legal residents ever get ahead financially, how can you earn more dollars per hour, if there’s always a large flow of people applying for your job who will work for a lot less because they’re desperate?

2. “Free elementary and secondary education”? No, we don’t even ask legal status before paying $7-8,000 per year per child in already over-crowded classrooms.

3. “2/3 Discount for in-state tuition at our state universities”? No, we gave that one away earlier this year.

4. “Free healthcare at emergency rooms”? No, hospitals turn no one away who needs help.

5. “Full use of our public lands and environmental resources”? No, these are open to all.

6. Most importantly, “the power to vote”? With this driver’s license law, those who vote “yes” will jeopardize the voting policy safeguards of this state. Under the U.S. Motor Voter law, all applicants are asked if they want to register to vote. In actual practice, proof of citizenship is not required for registration. Therefore driver’s licenses are a gateway to illegal voting.

7. And now, “the privilege of driving a car”? No, our roads will not be safer when we issue drivers licenses to those already breaking the law. If a person’s first act upon entering our country is to break her immigration laws, what real assurance do we have that traffic and insurance laws will represent any more of a meaningful barrier to misconduct?

Some people say that even allowing written driver’s tests to be taken in Spanish or any other foreign language violates the specific law that made English the official sate language of Illinois back in 1969. Giving tests in foreign languages not only invites illegal immigrants to apply, it defies logic and common sense because U.S. road signs are in English. If an applicant is a naturalized citizen, fluency in English was required for citizenship. A driver who does not understand English is a hazard on the road, as the Willis family found out so tragically.

Giving more incentives and privileges to illegal immigrants causes reason to stare. Over 30 years ago, John F. Kennedy cautioned us that full confidence in the integrity of American Law is essential. He said…

“Our nation is founded on the principle that observance of the law is the eternal safeguard of liberty, and defiance of the law (in this case immigration law) is the surest road to tyranny. Even among law-abiding men, few laws are universally loved, but they are uniformly respected and not resisted.

Americans are free, in short, to disagree with the law but not to disobey it…For no man however prominent and powerful, and no mob however unruly and boisterous, is entitled to defy a court of law.”

We should be passing public policy that unites us, rather than divides us. “Observance of the law” is the common ground upon which we pitch our tent of domestic tranquility and social peace. Please vote “No”.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: aliens; illegalimmigrants; immigartion; immigrantlist
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An eloquent oration by a true consevative. The bill was in fact narrowly defeated. For those unaware, Lauzen is heading up campaign efforts for a felow State Senator and GOP US Senate hopeful, Steve Rauschenberger.
1 posted on 11/10/2003 4:35:29 AM PST by TheRightGuy
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To: chicagolady; JustPiper
Here is the actual text of the Lauzen speech.
2 posted on 11/10/2003 4:36:29 AM PST by TheRightGuy (ERROR CODE 018974523: Random Tagline Compiler Failure)
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To: RedWing9; spintreebob; NormalGuy; justshutupandtakeit
ping-a-ling
3 posted on 11/10/2003 4:39:21 AM PST by TheRightGuy (ERROR CODE 018974523: Random Tagline Compiler Failure)
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To: Chi-townChief; BillyBoy
ping-a-ling
4 posted on 11/10/2003 4:44:10 AM PST by TheRightGuy (ERROR CODE 018974523: Random Tagline Compiler Failure)
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To: TheRightGuy
Who's country is this...depends who you ask.
5 posted on 11/10/2003 4:44:47 AM PST by joyful1
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To: joyful1
Who's country is this...depends who you ask.

I don't much care who you ask, as long as you ask in English!

6 posted on 11/10/2003 4:48:30 AM PST by TheRightGuy (ERROR CODE 018974523: Random Tagline Compiler Failure)
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To: joyful1
Who's country is this...depends who you ask.

its mine :) god tells me so (poor attempt at a braveheart spoof)

7 posted on 11/10/2003 4:50:01 AM PST by MetalHeadConservative35 (DeathscytheX was old...i needed a change and so here i am)
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To: TheRightGuy
I eagerly read this thread in the hope that somehow, in my selfishness, I had lost track of a few reasons left to value citizenship.
I was wrong.

What a depressing way to start a new week.
And, ironically, what a depressing way to spend Veterans Day eve. Men and women died by the hundreds of thousands to preserve a way of life that, at least politically, no longer has a special positive meaning.

As Ralph Cramden would say, "What a revolting development this is!"

8 posted on 11/10/2003 4:50:36 AM PST by Publius6961 (40% of Californians are as dumb as a sack of rocks.)
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To: TheRightGuy
Who's country is this...depends who you ask.

I don't much care who you ask, as long as you ask in English!

Does writing in English count too? (As in "Whose country is this?")

9 posted on 11/10/2003 4:54:14 AM PST by wai-ming
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To: Publius6961
I eagerly read this thread in the hope that somehow, in my selfishness, I had lost track of a few reasons left to value citizenship. I was wrong.

I know it's early on the west coast. Please, get some coffee. Reread the article. This speech is credited with PREVENTING the Illinois legislature from issuing driver's licenses to illegals.

10 posted on 11/10/2003 4:55:35 AM PST by TheRightGuy (ERROR CODE 018974523: Random Tagline Compiler Failure)
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To: TheRightGuy
"A driver who does not understand English is a hazard on the road, as the Willis family found out so tragically."

Can anyone provide the story on this? I have always wondered why one is allowed to take the driving test in languages other than English, when all the road signs are in English. I'm sure one can learn what a "stop" sign is, etc., but anything complex, regarding detours, hazards, etc. that would be a little tricky. In Jersey they offer the driving test in who-knows-how-many languages, and we've got the drivers to prove it!
11 posted on 11/10/2003 5:11:15 AM PST by jocon307 (W - Four more years!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: jocon307
Can anyone provide the story on this?

You have FReepmail.

12 posted on 11/10/2003 5:31:31 AM PST by TheRightGuy (ERROR CODE 018974523: Random Tagline Compiler Failure)
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To: wai-ming
how about the posting of signs at the entrances of businesses that say "English ONLY"? Bumper stickers "English Only Car"?
Gosh, would revenue fall for those businesses that post a language preference? Is it unconstitutional to deny immigrants based on the inability of Americans to communicate in foreign languages? By some standards....... probably so. Gotta draw the lines here. America speaks English, the language of opportunity in America. Learn it.
13 posted on 11/10/2003 7:41:10 AM PST by o_zarkman44
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To: TheRightGuy
US citizenship only has value if their are specific benefits. To construe this debate as an effort to discriminate is to blatantly (and in some cases intentionally) miss the most important point.
14 posted on 11/10/2003 7:47:47 AM PST by .cnI redruM (Only a human would invent a construct as insipid as love - Agent Smith)
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To: HiJinx
ping
15 posted on 11/10/2003 8:36:21 AM PST by Libertarianize the GOP (Ideas have consequences)
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To: 2sheep; 2Trievers; 3AngelaD; 4.1O dana super trac pak; 4Freedom; 4ourprogeny; A CA Guy; ...
Bump-Ping!!!
The Border List TM

Freepmail me if you wish to be removed from or added to this list!

16 posted on 11/10/2003 9:11:39 AM PST by HiJinx (Good News! Gubamyster's son is out of intensive care!)
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To: HiJinx
Just heard on Fox News, the CIS, or INS, will be headed to Phoenix to go after the illegal people smugglers. They will hire more people and will bring in detention centers, so they do not release them into the population.
17 posted on 11/10/2003 9:18:03 AM PST by calawah98
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To: calawah98
Big news posted (I think) over the weekend, the shootout on I-10 really shook up the INS hierarchy.

I can't prove anything, but I would suspect the Arizona congressional delegation started yelling at the Homeland Security people to get off their third point of contact and start protecting the Homeland.
18 posted on 11/10/2003 9:28:19 AM PST by HiJinx (Good News! Gubamyster's son is out of intensive care and doing well!)
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To: calawah98
Ok, found it...posted here - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1017689/posts - over the weekend.

"Border Patrol takes on 'coyotes.'"

19 posted on 11/10/2003 9:32:39 AM PST by HiJinx (Good News! Gubamyster's son is out of intensive care and doing well!)
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To: o_zarkman44
how about the posting of signs at the entrances of businesses that say "English ONLY"?

I'd skip the signs and simply stick to speaking English to all customers. If they don't understand, then those are the breaks.

20 posted on 11/10/2003 9:33:26 AM PST by DumpsterDiver
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