Hispanics praise new citizenship policy for military

The Houston Chronicle ^ | July 5, 2002, 11:59PM | Edward Hegstrom

[HiTech RedNeck]

Kudos to the uncle for volunteering. I still think it's sad that we are hurting so badly for soldiers that we can't wait for volunteers to become citizens. If all were like your uncle it would be wonderful. But the US forces are getting more and more "politically correct," and the country is getting more and more balkanized. How long before we get a serious mutiny among the "volunteers"?

[getgoing]

On protecting our borders, culture, language I agree. On the other side: on July 4th we learned of the Executive Order via a phone call from Japan - a 22 yr old Marine sharing the "best news of his life". Born in Bosnia, family fled in '94 when Islamist murdered teenage cousin, left TCU for the Marines a couple of yrs ago. Stationed in Kuwait & Japan. Legal immigrants who qualify and choose to protect our liberty are part of the solution.

[Dane]

I guess I have no further response to yet another straw man from you.

Yep, you are too busy cleaning up the furballs you coughed up on this thread, IMHO.

[MJY1288]

You are pitiful, you should drop the Tiger and replace it with a Donkey

[Brownie74]

The title looks fine to me.

Foreigners are allowed in the armed forces if they have obtained a Green Card granting legal permanent residency. It's the Green Card, rather than citizenship, that generally is the most difficult to obtain.

According to the Selective Service System all aliens - including illegal aliens must register. If called they must serve and there is no provisions for granting citizenship.

This EO that Bush issued is just more political pandering for the Hispanic vote.

[waterstraat]

I dont like aliens being in our army. I didnt like the germans in the british army in 1776, I didnt like the germans being in the union army in 1860, I didnt like the French Foreign Legion which more like what our army is today. If we recalled our troops from the 100 countries that our army is now deployed in, we would not need 31,000 foreigners in our army.

At the very least, they should get citizenship before they serve.

[rdb3]

When I was in basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, there were three such troops in my company, two of which were in my platoon. So this is nothing new. Also, I don't know how much easier it is now for them to serve since it didn't seem hard before.

All in all, I don't have a problem with it. Our manpower is insufficient at the moment.

[Pistolshot]

Careful, your white robe and hood are showing.

[4Freedom]

Saber, is this a one-time EO or is this a standing fast-track to citizenship EO, now?

Stands to reason that this was a multiple pronged attack on our sovereignty, all along.

First, he pushes an extension of 245i that would open the door for the 8 to 15 million or more illegal aliens, already in this country, to obtain 'green cards'.

Then he issues an EO that fast-tracks those former illegal aliens, that join the military, towards citizenship.

Of course, Ziglar, the Libertarian in charge of the INS, would be willing to fast-track rest the same way they did under the former Clinton administration.

Too bad Bush had to show his hand, before he could pass his 245i extension.

Can he issue an EO extending 245i, after the election?

[4Freedom]

If Bush pushes through his 245i extension and the INS issues 'green cards' to millions of illegal aliens that are then free to join the military, he'll have no problem with sending those troops to the borders.

How hard are former illegal aliens going to patrol our borders?

Can you say military coup?

The 'Aztlan Armed Forces' in the making!

[Illbay]

I notice it has been changed, though, so obviously the Admin Moderator didn't agree.

I think we can discuss issues like this without coming off like Pat Buchanan or the Klan.

[ohioWfan]

1. I highly doubt this is limited to Hispanics, though that's clearly who President Bush is pandering to... again.

I disagree with you here, Sabertooth. As much as I agree on immigration, I think this is a good thing. Men (and women) who are willing to serve, fight, and possibly die for this country should have the citizenship process expedited. We are at war, and the likelihood of these soldiers' being put in harm's way is increased.

Your word 'pandering' almost sounds like you're a bit jaded. btw, I probably won't be reading most of the posts on this thread. Unlike you, many (most?) of the folks who share your position on immigration are bigots, and filled with hate, and I'm sure they'll show up on here. I'm in a good mood today, and I don't feel like reading swill.

[jwalsh07]

You're doing the Lords work on this thread Torie. LOL. I served with and became friends with both MexTex and other immigrants while in the Army, one was Russian actually.

They definitely deserved this and I'm glad that others will benefit from it now.

[FITZ]

I think if a foreigner is really willing to die for this country, they should be moved ahead of the line for citizenship. I'd rather see them become citizens than those having anchor babies living in the housing projects. We would need to be very careful about some of the Middle Easterners though.

[Paulus Invictus]

Anyone can easily get a green card. All it takes is money. The cards are easily produced with a color copier and a graphic artist. A green card usually goes fo $100 in Miami and less in LA. There seems to be no viable way to stop this trade or detect the fakes. A drivers license, a birth certificate and even a passport are also available at higher prices. The profusion of false documents has become a nearly impossible problem as employers have no way to determine if the documents are fake or real.

What to do? A national ID card is resisted by everyone, including Freepers, but what is the alternative? That's easy: a truly open border to allow millions more illegals to come in and make themselves at home, with us taxpayers footing the bill for services granted to them by idiotic pols. It also means the end of the Republic as we know it. It's a choice

[4Freedom]

This is bad policy.

Reward illegal aliens by giving them 'green cards' through a 245i extension or another such amnesty program and then fast-track them to citizenship, if they join the military. Brilliant.

Merely enlisting in the military doesn't, in and of itself, demonstrate a willingness on one's part to die for this country, performance on the battlefield does.

This flawed policy will cause droves of, formerly, illegal aliens to join our military for citizenship.

Awarding citizenship to 'Medal of Honor, Valor, Bronze Star, Silver Star' winners is one thing, but awarding citizenship to someone merely for the act of enlisting is pandering.

I repeat, the 'Armed Forces of Aztlan' in the making!

[Sabertooth]

Nelson Reyes, head of the Central American Refugee Center, an immigrant group that helps immigrants living in southwest Houston, called Bush's move a "show of good will," but he called on the president to go further by helping those immigrants who can't get into the military. By the time they qualify to enlist in the Army, immigrants have already overcome their most difficult legal hurdles.

"Show of good will?" Do you see the bush Reyes is beating around?

What do you suppose Reyes means when he calls on "the president to go further by helping those immigrants [sic] who can't get into the military?"

You may choose to view this EO as a stand-alone issue. If we lived in such a rose-colored world, I wouldn't have a problem with it. Unfortunately, the President's track record and predispositions on many facets of the Immigration mess, especially with regard to Illegals, compel a different view.

[skeeter]

I think we can discuss issues like this without coming off like Pat Buchanan or the Klan.

Or Al Sharpton.

[ZULU]

"Foreigners are allowed in the armed forces if they have obtained a Green Card granting legal permanent residency."

I think the Romans tried this some time back. It resulted in a military force that was made up primarily of foreigners who owed their allegiance to the military commander rather than the state, creating the scene for the rise of the Imperial System and eventual collapse of the Roman State.

I don't have a problem with immigrants - we are all descended from them. I DO have a problem with non-citizens in the military, or the granting of citizenship as a reward to non-citizens for enlisting. Military service in America's armed forces should be a privlege, not a commodity to be sold or traded.

[Illbay]

You're a bit late with your concern. IIRC, this has been the policy of the U.S. Military for at least the last 200 years.