|
Post by CountessRachel on Jan 16, 2008 14:20:23 GMT -5
I've said much of what I intended to say a few pages ago, but I feel that those who do decide to go through the proper channels and become legal U.S. citizens should have to wait to be able to vote for a period of a minimum of a year to a maximum of four, depending on how long til the Presidential election after they become legal. If you think about it, people born here are legal U.S. citizens, but they don't have the right to vote the day they're born, so why should someone who was born in Etheopia, for example, be legally able to vote in this nation the very day they're officially citizens? Interesting question. I guess to explain the rationale behind getting the right to vote upon becoming a citizen, I would say this. We (American citizens) don't get the right to vote until 18 because, for the most part, we don't really have any actual responsibilities until the age of 18. Most Americans don't pay anything to the government above sales tax or the occasional social security from a part-time job paycheck until after they start college (and many still don't even after that). When many legal immigrants come here and live out their 7 year "trial period" if you will, they're actually paying for insurance, income/property taxes, car notes, mortgages, utility bills, supporting their families etc., etc. Plus, voting, to me, is not so much a right as it is a privilege. Rights cannot be revoked whereas privileges can.
|
|
Sheogorath
Kyoshi Azula
Lord of the Never-There
Yeah, an Avatard and a brony. Got a problem with that?
Posts: 2,223
|
Post by Sheogorath on Jan 17, 2008 0:15:12 GMT -5
I've said much of what I intended to say a few pages ago, but I feel that those who do decide to go through the proper channels and become legal U.S. citizens should have to wait to be able to vote for a period of a minimum of a year to a maximum of four, depending on how long til the Presidential election after they become legal. If you think about it, people born here are legal U.S. citizens, but they don't have the right to vote the day they're born, so why should someone who was born in Etheopia, for example, be legally able to vote in this nation the very day they're officially citizens? Interesting question. I guess to explain the rationale behind getting the right to vote upon becoming a citizen, I would say this. We (American citizens) don't get the right to vote until 18 because, for the most part, we don't really have any actual responsibilities until the age of 18. Most Americans don't pay anything to the government above sales tax or the occasional social security from a part-time job paycheck until after they start college (and many still don't even after that). When many legal immigrants come here and live out their 7 year "trial period" if you will, they're actually paying for insurance, income/property taxes, car notes, mortgages, utility bills, supporting their families etc., etc. Plus, voting, to me, is not so much a right as it is a privilege. Rights cannot be revoked whereas privileges can. That was a rhetorical question. I didn't really want an answer. I trying to illustrate the point I was trying to make.
|
|
|
Post by kappaofearth on Jan 25, 2008 16:34:23 GMT -5
You know, it's people like you who make the world such a frakked up place. Those people have to run from their country. They can't live there anymore. And just because they don't speak English all of a sudden, you don't want them in your country. You say that they are illegal for a reason - if you would just think a SECOND of your life about what reason that would be, you might be able to understand the state these people are in. On the contrary meinen Fruend. I do think about how their lives. I'd rant about this here, but I think I gave a good enough rant about ths in the Rant/Pet Peeve Thread over in the General board. Give it a look, and comment if you want to. All I'm saying, that they're taking the easy way out of their troubles in a way. coming to America illegal, unprepared much of the time. There were many countries that were once in the state that Mexico is in. Mexico is not going to improve if te citizens keep escaping from their problems. You can't make changes for the people if you do not stick around and at least attempt to make a stand and try to make your life - as well as the entire nation - better. Immigrants from impoverished nations should take America's past into consideration: we weren't always like this. We had to struggle in order to become what we are today. And most of us show our appreciation for the people who most often gave up everything in order to ensure a better future the country and its people by followin the rules. And one of those rules just happens to be that we must be citizens and abide to the law in order to get a true taste of freedom. That's the truth, dare i say... We, here in MEXICO, have a lot of problems because of the corruption there in the goverment, and a lot more things like drug cartels, aaahm....how do i say secuestradores? i forgot...well, things like that and the unemployement rate that is going on here makes that a lot of people (including even members of my family) go to the US and send money back. I know almost all of the problems by experience... and it's not going to be fixed soon. going back to topic, i believe that if you want to live in a country, you should know their language and their laws, not going ilegally.
|
|