We, as citizens of a sovereign state, have graciously extended certain rights to our visitors. However, we have NOT extend the right of freedom of political speech (1st Amendment). Political speech regarding elections is strictly prohibited for non-citizens. That is why I say the that the Bill of Rights does not extend to non-citizens. Only those privileges that the government has chosen to extend have been granted.
That said, we have chosen to extend many, many privileges to immigrants and visitors because we are a nation of immigrants and we feel strongly about extending our hospitality. We have NOT extended freedom of political speech and the right to vote, however -- although to listen to some people, you'd think we have.
No other nation allows the freedoms to visitors that we have. Alians here can travel freely across this land without ever reporting their addresses or destinations. I cannot do that in any country that I have ever visited. Upon entry, I must give my destination and the address of every place I intend to stay. Upon exit, I must declare all my purchases.
To go to China, I had to declare every job I had ever held in my life and every address I'd had for some years prior. In China, I was required to use special "tourist money". If I'd been caught with Chinese money, I could have been prosecuted. Also, I was required to turn in my "tourist money" for refund upon my exit. It was illegal for me to take it from the country.
At the time I visited China, I also had to have all my arrangements (hotel, food, travel) prepaid. I could only spend money for gifts and souvenirs. I think that rule has changed. I am only citing these examples as examples of how other countries curtail visitors in ways we do not.
I am making this point so strongly because it was a revelation to me that this is the law when my Australian friends were nearly deported for engaging in election activities in a chintzy little local election. As I mentioned earlier on this thread, it required a 10 year battle, a lot of money, and intervention from one of the highest offices in the land to keep them in this country.
As a result, I never encourage foreign nationals to engage in political activity -- no posters in the windows of their businesses, no political contributions, nada. I would never want to be responsible for getting someone in trouble with the INS. But once they have citizenship, it's "Katie bar the door!" I'll hound them to register, to vote, and to contribute to my favorite candidates! LOL!
Show me.
To: Luis Gonzalez
"We, as citizens of a sovereign state, have graciously extended certain rights to our visitors. However, we have NOT extend the right of freedom of political speech (1st Amendment). Political speech regarding elections is strictly prohibited for non-citizens. That is why I say the that the Bill of Rights does not extend to non-citizens. Only those privileges that the government has chosen to extend have been granted.
# 210 by afraidfortherepublic
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We do not "extend certain rights" to anyone, afraidfortherepublic.
We refrain from infringing upon those rights.
1) To infringe upon a visitor's right to speak is a violation of the Constitution.
2) To infringe upon a visitor's right to bear arms is a violation of the Constitution.
3) To infringe upon a visitor's home is a violation of the Constitution.
4) To search or seizure the property of a visitor without reason is a violation of the Constitution.
5) To hold a visitor for a capital crime without an indictment of a Grand Jury would violate the Constitution.
6) To deny a visitor a trial when accused of a crime would vioate the Constitution.
7) To require excessive bail, or allow excessive punishment of visitors would violate the Constitution.
On another thread, someone related how Elton John had participated in a political rally for Al Gore, he helped raise funds, and made comments about the upcoming election. I also throughly enjoyed many political editorials by Andrew Sullivan published on US papers before, during, and after the elections. Foreign nationals may not contribute funds to a political campaign (not that it ever stopped Algore) but that pretty much is the extent of the limitations on freedom of speech. One last thing, the Cuban radio stations in Miami worked their butts off to get Dubya elected, the most prominent radio pundit in Miami of Cuban descent isn't a citizen.
"...and the right to vote."
Correct, non-citizens cannot vote.
I was going to go and on about your comments on about your trip to China, and your comments about how we do not restrict the freedom of people to move about freely in our country, and China doesn't.
That should be very obvious why, you see, we believe that all men are created equal, that their rights are granted by God, not by a government, or even citizens, they are a totalitarian State.
To believe otherwise is to say that either the Founders where wrong when they said that rights come from God, or that they lied when they said that all men are created equal.
Yeah. It'd be a real bummer if we let the PRCs populace vote in our elections. Even if they don't like their own government, they're not likely to do well with ours.