Posted on 01/29/2005 7:38:39 PM PST by bayourod
LITTLE ROCK - Gov. Mike Huckabee Thursday denounced a bill by Sen. Jim Holt that would deny state benefits to illegal immigrants as un-Christian, un-American, irresponsible and anti-life.
Holt, R-Springdale, replied later that Christian charity does not include turning a blind eye to lawbreaking.
Senate Bill 206, filed Wednesday, also would require proof of citizenzhip to register to vote and would require state agencies to report suspected cases of people living in the country illegally.
"Somebody needs to ask Sen. Holt what welfare this bill would stop," Huckabee said in a question-and-answer period with reporters on Thursday morning. Many aid programs are state-administered but federally funded and are mandated to be available to people in need, Huckabee said.
Even if benefits to people who are in the U.S illegally could be stopped, "I don't understand how a practicing Christian can turn his back on a child from this or any other state," Huckabee said.
Holt replied, "I think the politically correct movement has misconstrued what compassion really means. They think compassion means that any person can disrespect our laws and that we're supposed to be tolerant and let them get away with it.
"True compassion is correcting them so in the future they can be law-abiding citizens," Holt said.
Holt said he would seek a state attorney general's opinion on what the bill would do if passed. He said he would delay further action on it, at least temporarily, to allow the attorney general to respond.
The bill is modeled after a similar law in Arizona and supported by the newly formed group Protect Arkansas NOW. The group's chairman is Joe McCutchen of Fort Smith. "I know Sen. Holt and Mr. McCutchen say they're pro-life," Huckabee said. "We're trying to preserve the life of someone who, when born, will be an American citizen with his first breath. We can spend $900 on pre-natal care when the mother is pregnant. Instead, this bill would have us take a chance and spend $2,000 a day at Children's hospital if the baby's born and something has gone wrong. That's anti-life."
Huckabee said he took exception to characterization of immigrants in the bill and by its supporters as exploiters of social programs. "They pay sales taxes on their groceries," Huckabee said. "They pay fuel taxes. If they're using a fake Social Security number, they're paying Social Security taxes and will never receive any benefit. It would be closer to the truth to say they're subsidizing Joe McCutchen and Jim Holt more than the other way around.
"Something that's not worth sharing is not worth celebrating," Huckabee said. "This is the kind of country that opens its doors. This bill expresses an un-American attitude."
McCutchen, reached by telephone at his home in Fort Smith, repeated some of Holt's arguments, including the one that the people referred to in Holt's bill are in the United States illegally.
"They broke the law," he said. "My angst is not with them, though. My angst is with the state and federal government for not enforcing our laws."
People living illegally in the United State has "overwhelmed our school and welfare system," McCutchen said. As for whether the bill reflects un-Christian attitudes, McCutchen said: "Jim Holt is as good a man and as good a Christian as any man walking this Earth."
"Doggone it, the rule of law is not being upheld, and that's wrong," McCutchen said.
McCutchen joined Holt in a news conference last week to announce the forming of Protect Arkansas NOW and to discuss plans to file SB 206. Since that news conference Friday on the state Capitol steps, McCutchen was featured on the web page of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks membership and activities of groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. One group tracked by the center is the Council of Conservative Citizens, which claimed McCutchen as a member, according to the law center's article. The article is available at: http://www.splcenter.org/index.jsp
"To anybody who will listen, I'll make a speech at my own expense," McCutchen said. The CCC "asked me to come up and make a talk on illegal immigration. The talk lasted 15 minutes and I drove myself to Virginia to give it. I financed that thing by myself."
A letter of McCutchen's was reprinted in a magazine owned by the CCC, according to the law center website. "I did buy a list of donors from the American Immigration Council. I sent out a letter to about 200 people telling what I was doing," McCutchen said. "I suppose one of those letters went out to this magazine.
"That was the end of that, I thought," McCutchen said. "I'm just astounded by the attention this has received. CNN (Cable News Network) was at my home Tuesday afternoon. The very next morning, the Southern Poverty Law Center sent this out and the segment on CNN is on hold."
Then give them a sandwich on the buss ride to the border.
This is insane!
He also missed the point, it is not Christians that are feeding them, it is the Government!
Bttt
I wasn't there, but I would bet that most of the FReepers at the inaugural ball were Bush supporters. Unlike most of the anti-immigrant Buchanan/Tancredo type FReepers who consider President Bush to be a traitor.
I have never understood why some Christians claim to be Christ-like, when they steal from their fellow citizens to give to immigrants who have become criminals just to be here.
It really does call into question their perceptions of right and wrong, perhaps even the status of their faith or adherence to Christianity.
Jesus said, "Render unto Ceasar that which is Caesar's." I always understood that to mean that Christians should honor their nation's laws if they did not conflict with His laws.
If Jesus in His day could advise his fellow Jews to honor the laws of an occupying force like the Romans, then I think it is entirely reasonable for us to realize that we should most certainly honor the laws of the United States.
Christians should know this.
Well, yes as a matter of fact it is. The clinical designation is Xenophobia.
There is a war occurring on the border with Mexico, tens of thousands of criminals who are illegal aliens are released into the general population, illiteracy is rampant among illegals with almost no hope of correction, many legal residents want illegal immigration stopped as it depresses wages, hospital ERs are hit hard in many areas, services are strapped...and you list Houston along some silly remark about abortion. My hunch is that you don't read very much beyond what you want to find. Your assessment is plainly ridiculous.
The "Buchanan/Tancredo Cult" is stronger than you think. I'm from Arkansas, & I'm ashamed that my Governor is such a wus when it comes to giving benefits to illegals. There are many Arkansas FReepers who support State Sen. Jim Holt as well...we've been discussing this issue in our state forum here. It MATTERS to us.
Continuing to tout your leftist propaganda I see.
I can support the president and still be against using federal money to support illegal immigrants
I can support the president and still beagainst giving driving licenses to illegal immigrants/voting rights/free hospital care/free tuition
Otherwise, why have laws at all if you are going to give it all away anyways?
He hasn't a clue. As the two beltway parties continue this epic undermining of our borders, our sovereignty, and destruction of our country, it will only continue to gain ground.
Huckabee obviously hasn't heard that President Bush wants to give social security benefits to illegal aliens. Either he hasn't heard it, or he's been drinking too much Bush kool-aid.
*Legal* immigrants like this make America proud.
Of course people like the one who posted this article, like the pro-illegal leftists they are, will attempt to play the race card against folks like you and the rest of us who don't believe in rewarding criminals.
Frankly you're one of the very few xenophobic people on this forum. To the detriment of your fellow citizens, you advocate the looting of billons of dollars through tax based programs. While your fellow citizens have their incomes stolen, their families and children deprived of the benefits of their income, you advocate foreign nationals over them.
Why you hate your fellow citizens to the degree you do is beyond me, but there's no denying your preferences. That is most definately xenophobic. Why don't you tell us why you hate the American taxpayer so much.
"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."
As I pointed out to you on another thread, this is the oath of office that someone swears to when becoming a U.S. Citizen. Why do you think you're above having to abide by the same things?
Thank God for folks like Sen. Holt.
What Huckabee has done that's especially disgusting is claim that anyone who doesn't agree with him on the issue is "unChristian". He is both a liar and a hypocrite.
Huckabee and open boarder Republicans are getting real close to treason. I am from Southern California and it is getting bad here, I will not sit while they sell out my country.
We are going to win the war in Iraq and lose the war in Southern California.
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