Panel debates permitting noncitizens to vote

California Aggie ^ | 3/10/04 | ANGELA PANG

[Brian Mosely]

UCLA law professor Joaquin Avila believes that the continued exclusion of non-citizens in California from political participation is detrimental to achieving a more "cohesive society."

Avila, an expert on minority voting rights issues, was at the UCD law school on Monday for a panel discussing whether non-citizens in California should be excluded from voting and participation in the political process. Avila also discussed his recently-published document "Political Apartheid in California: Consequences of Excluding a Growing Population."

Also accompanying him on the law panel was UC Davis law professor Kevin Johnson and Adela De La Torre, chair of the Chicana/o studies department.

Over 4.6 million adults in California are noncitizens, contributing to the economy but lacking political representation, according to Avila. In addition, he said the 2000 U.S. Census found that California has at least 85 cities where noncitizens are 25 percent of its total adult population.

Avila said these numbers are "alarming."

"Unless we integrate them, we're going to see our cherished democratic institutions transmogrified into a de facto political apartheid," Avila said. "As a society, we simply cannot afford this outcome."

Avila offered several recommendations for pursing political empowerment for noncitizens. He said there needs to be increased public debate on this issue, continued research on noncitizen participation in local government and an exploration of non-citizen voting for local offices.

He suggested that a consensus should be reached on a constitutional amendment that could permit counties, cities, and school districts to choose to allow non-citizen voting in their local elections.

Johnson echoed Avila's sentiments, saying that barring noncitizens from the political process and excluding them from serving on juries is a "recipe for civil unrest" because it could undermine their faith in the U.S. political process and justice system.

Avila also addressed and refuted the notion that undocumented immigrants are breaking the law by being in the country illegally and should therefore not be given the same rights as citizens. He said the state's economy would suffer because state and local revenues depend on the noncitizen population.

"The main reason to support non-citizen voting is self-preservation," Avila wrote in his document, distributed by the UCLA Chicano studies department. "A society's interests are not furthered when a substantial number of its inhabitants are excluded."

The event was sponsored by the UC Davis Pacific Regional Humanities Center

[Brian Mosely]

First, they try to give the right to vote to children, criminals and the clinicly insane, and now they want invaders lining up at election time too.

Johnson echoed Avila's sentiments, saying that barring noncitizens from the political process and excluding them from serving on juries is a "recipe for civil unrest" because it could undermine their faith in the U.S. political process and justice system.

Translation: Give us what we want, or we'll riot.

[goldstategop]

Of course asking them to apply for amnesty is a non-starter. Give em what they want without making them jump through hoops!

[SolutionsOnly]

The mindset of these advocates is astounding. How much further out of touch can the leftist ideology get?

[goldstategop]

Don't worry. The liberals have moved beyond the antiquated notion of the nation-state. We're all global citizens now.

[Brian Mosely]

The mindset of these advocates is astounding. How much further out of touch can the leftist ideology get?

You'll notice that there was no opposing view represented in this piece. I wonder how long it would take for one of the panelist to cry "racism" if another point of view was expressed.

[alaskanfan]

UCLA law professor Joaquin Avila

And these are the people that teach.

Intellectual elitism bump.

[alaskanfan]

We're all global citizens now.

How long do we have before the U.N. selects our king.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

So according to this guy, billions of other non Americans should have the right to vote absentee.

[goldstategop]

If you oppose foreign voting rights, you're a provincial nationalist. Need I say more?

[goldstategop]

Yep, that too I'm afraid. There's no need for America. We live on one Earth.

[ZULU]

Yeah. And maybe we should let the French and Germans vote in our elections. Also, I should be able to help vote Senior Fox out of office.

They smoke some heavy s##t in Kalifornia.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Quite a "debate".

[albee]

Another whacky idea from the University of California at Davis.

Your tax dollars at work.

Support your local college by hiring more radical professors.

It is "for the children"!

[Buckeye McFrog]

the Dems must REALLY feel shaky about their future in California if they feel compelled to extend the vote to illegal aliens and 14-year olds!

[heleny]

I have a solution: send the illegal aliens back home, and remind the legal resident aliens to apply for citizenship.

[Brian Mosely]

http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/esp/csrc/policybriefs/PB09.pdf

Here's Joaquin Avila's study that's refered to.

[glock rocks]

insane.

[goldstategop]

Twenty years ago no one would have even entertained this nonsense.

[mware]

We have all watched the mayor of various towns defy the law allowing gays to marriage. I would not be surprised to see mayors attempt to allow noncitizens to vote in their cities using the same rational they did with the marriage issue.

[goldstategop]

Ssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Don't give them any ideas!