Illegals Don't Need No Education

h3wlett · 10-01-2010, 02:54 PM

Illegal Immigrants Don't Need No Education

By MARY SANCHEZ
The Kansas City Star

Quote:

How do you inform a young adult that their dream of a college education is collateral damage of the present insanity of American politics?

If that person is an illegal immigrant to the United States, brought as a child by his or her parents, those dreams took a blow this week after the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, also known as the DREAM Act, died in a Senate filibuster.

The legislation, which was attached to the mammoth defense reauthorization bill, would have granted certain undocumented immigrants the opportunity to earn conditional permanent residency as long as they met certain criteria and were making progress toward a degree or serving in the military. That residency status is crucial for applying for financial aid and taking advantage of in-state tuition at public colleges — the sorts of things that are necessary for most Americans to afford higher education. It’s also crucial for getting legal employment after graduation. Under the DREAM Act, once these students had satisfied certain requirements (such as graduating), they’d be eligible to apply for citizenship.

Many so-called DREAM Act kids are not terribly different from the children of striving middle-class American families, but they’re trapped in legal limbo because their parents hauled them to this country illegally. They grew up in the U.S., feeling every bit as “American” as any other teenager. They graduated from high school with the merits to enter college. Many embody all the Horatio Alger, pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps virtues Americans love to crow about. They achieve against great odds. Most of their parents aren’t educated, not even in their native lands and languages. Many would be the first in the family to enter college.

And they are willing to pay their own way — the DREAM Act isn’t a handout. Many would even be willing to lay down their life for the U.S. serving in the armed forces. In short, they want to contribute to America as they get ahead. What’s not to like about that?

To the rabid patriots of the tea party movement, any legislation that would address the students’ plight with sympathy is “amnesty,” which is to say anathema. Once upon a saner time, the DREAM Act actually enjoyed bipartisan support. But the threat of angry nativists at the polls has been enough to cause former proponents of the bill, including Sen. John McCain, to abandon it.

What a waste of budding patriotism and intelligence, crucified at the altar of political nonsense.

Sadder, for those who followed this farce closely, was that student activists were bolstered when the U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan took up their cause on the day of the vote, praising the DREAM Act in national interviews. Too bad that many of the senators who were needed to vote “yes” for the measure to progress to floor debate were running scared of newbie political candidates who think the entire Department of Education ought to be vaporized.

Another victim of the filibuster was the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” included in the same bill, which went down amid bickering about the number of amendments that could be introduced. DADT’s fate received more press than the DREAM Act. These kids, about 65,000 of whom graduate from U.S. high schools every year, barely got a mention. Rebuffed like a toddler reaching for a cookie. Not now, dear, we’ve got to introduce the “Pledge to America.”

Sorry, kids, government is dysfunctional right now. We’ve got comedians gearing up to launch rallies to “Restore Sanity” and “Keep Fear Alive.” Yes, we’re sending in the clowns.

Don’t expect Congress to see clearly enough to let you move on to college and productive taxpayer status. Not anytime soon.

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/09/27...t-need-no.html

Alex0591 · 10-01-2010, 10:28 PM

the defense authorization bill I believe is a good example on the flaws of a democratic system. don't get me wrong I think its great but nothing is perfect. the system helps by making sure the politicians keep the majority of the people happy and keep the minority that have too much in check.
but what about the minority below the majority, being bullied by the very common people who have such influence on the politics. much like people in our position who cannot vote or gays which count as a small portion of votes.

it makes it hard to defend the minority in the bottom from bias and discrimination. that is why we must be persistent until the end, for people to put themselves in our shoes and see the injustice done to us, and give us a chance

dado123 · 01:25 AM

Bigots, I paid all , not one penny from tax payers, proudly say I have a 4 year degree and a minor in law, ignorance is bliss, ^^^^^^^^^, ohhhhhh if I stick my head under the sand and my ass in the air whilst talking shit, this immigration thing will go away, guess what, we are here to stay, unless god chooses otherwise, I will stay, keep pursuing what I think is my right, hope everyone in DAP supports me on this logic.

jds011 · 10-03-2010, 03:38 PM

She failed to mentioned the DA was attached to a bill the Republicans would definitely not support, with or without the DA. Also failed to mentioned that the Democrats have had legislative majority, but there has been not stand alone DA. It's her prerogative if she wants to blame "rabid patriots," but for results we should look at the whole picture instead of the tea-party boogeyman.

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Illegals Don't Need No Education