Enabling Bad Behavior

Our government is at it again. Instead of enforcing our laws, it continues to enable bad behavior and the flouting of the laws of the United States. Cases in point:

1) Eric Balderas, 19, a Mexican national, here in the United States illegally, and a student on a full scholarship from Harvard, no longer faces deportation, as ICE has granted him "granted deferred action" on his deportation. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/19/AR2010061902972.html

Why should this student be granted special dispensation to continue to violate the laws of the United States? I remember, when I was enrolled in public schools, my parents had to present my original birth certificate, showing that I was born in this country. When I applied to Dartmouth College Early Decision (I wisely chose not to apply to or to attend Harvard University), I was again required to provide proof of U. S. citizenship, and a valid Social Security Number on my applications, especially for financial aid. So, how does an illegal immigrant gain access to a full scholarship at Harvard without a valid Social Security Number, and proof of citizenship or being in the country legally? And why is he not facing deportation?

2) Then we have the story of Jessica Colotl, a 21 year old Mexican resident who attends Kennesaw State University in Georgia, paying, of all things, in-state tuition rates, who was arrested in March for driving without a license. http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/illegal-ksu-student-jessica-colotl-051410 She apparently was also later arrested for providing a false address, given that the car registratio she provided was not the address at which she lived. After she was released from jail, she held a press conference, saying "she never thought she would be 'caught up in this messed up system,' as she put it." http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/illegal-ksu-student-jessica-colotl-051410 In other words, she NEVER THOUGHT SHE WOULD BE CAUGHT. This from a student who says she "dreams of becoming lawyer" http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/14/college-student-ignites-immigration-debate/#content some day - just what we need, an attorney who believes in doing whatever she wants so long as she doesn't "get caught". Good luck with that, given the federal and state laws violated. The state of Georgia, as do many states, has inquiries into the character and fitness of applicants to practice law there. See the following: "Section 6. Investigation of Applicants
(a) Prior to certifying an applicant as having the integrity and character requisite to be a member of the Bar of Georgia, the Board shall make such investigation as it deems necessary into his or her character, reputation and background. Each applicant shall provide written authority to the Board to conduct such investigation, and each applicant shall authorize all persons with information about him or her to furnish the Board with such information and documents as it may request. The authority granted by an applicant shall expire upon the applicant's admission to the practice of law in Georgia, denial of his or her application, or
upon the applicant's written withdrawal of his or her application.
(b) The Board shall contact the Chief Judge of the superior courts of each judicial circuit in Georgia where an applicant has resided, attended school, or been employed during the five years next preceding the filing of his or her application and request information or recommendations concerning the applicant as the
judge desires to furnish. Further, the Board may provide for the appointment of local committees on character and fitness to investigate the background of any applicant who has worked, resided or attended school in the judicial circuit. The reports of local committees shall include the facts found during their investigations but shall not include any recommendations.
(c) A fingerprint check may be made of all applicants.
http://www.gabaradmissions.org/pdf/admissionrules.pdf

In her case ICE granted her a one year deferment so she could complete her education before being deported. Again, why? It is clear she is in this country illegally.

Both these students have cost American students or foreign students here on legal student visas, places in these universities. Why is the federal government rewarding bad behavior?

In my opinion, neither of these students have the character we want in American citizens. So, their parents brought them here illegally when they were children. So what? Both of these students turned 18 and became legal adults and were then responsible for their own behavior. They both chose to ignore U.S. law and remain here illegally. Why did they not, upon their 18nth birthdays, march themselves into a Mexican consulate, explain their situation, have their passports updated and seek help from the Mexican consulate in obtaining student visas and international drivers' licenses? Did they think the Mexican government would not have bent over backwards to help them? Ha! What Social Security Numbers did they use when they applied to their respective universities? Did they indicate on their university applications that they were foreign students and did not have proper student visas?

According to Kennesaw State University's FAQS page, the University has a policy. http://kennesaw.askadmissions.net/kennesaw/aeresults.aspx?quser= "KSU has a student code of conduct regarding academic honesty, plagiarism, cheating, misrepresentations, confidentiality and related scholastic standards of behavior. Violation of these codes may result in disciplinary action taken by the Office of Judicial Programs. Violations related to campus safety issues regarding theft, vandalism, sexual harassment/assault, drugs, weapons and disruption of campus life may be heard by the campus judiciary board or referred to the KSU police." Did Jessica make misrepresentations on her applications both for admission and financial aid/in-state tuition, and if so, why, under the KSU honor code is she still enrolled at the school?

Not surprisingly, according to The Harvard Crimson, Harvard has never had an honor code. http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2006/5/3/bok-backs-honor-code-but-will/

It's time to deport these two (as well as the rest of their families who are in the country illegally) - send them back to the end of the line and have them come to the country legally to finish their studies. And, upon completion, when their student visas expire, they must return to their native country. Their parents may have made the initial poor decision of bringing them here illegally, but, as legal adults, these students chose to compound the issue and made their own decisions to remain here illegally, to not seek legal status, probably made misrepresentations on their applications for admissions and financial aid, and deserve neither the education they are receiving nor the privilege of remaining in this country.

For an excellent discussion of the ethics of such cases, I highly recommend this link: http://ethicsalarms.com/2010/05/17/12-questions-about-the-jessica-colotl-case/

Or what?

Apparently, the Administration has written a letter to BP telling it to come up with a faster fix to the leaking oil rig by today. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/plans_sets_bp_hour_deadline_to_produce_pABJ5jmI9nfAV9ZaZ09RDM My question is - what is the unspoken "or else"? Or else what, Mr. President? Is the federal bureaucracy going to take over capping the leak? Wouldn't that take time away from their surfing the Internet for p orn (word mispelled to avoid inappropriate ads) on tax-payer dollars? http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2010/05/porn_sec_style_denver_law_firm_files_federal_suit_for_ids_of_website_peepers.php (and I am sure that it is not just the SEC employees doing this, but probably federal employees in all agencies).

Now, let's be realistic: BP has the most vested interest in getting this well capped and getting the cleanup done. President Obama has shown he has very little vested interest in it. Examples: After the April 20 explosion he didn't get his rump (I won't be so crude as to use his language) down to the Gulf - he "minimized" the situation and went on vacation. http://www.dailynewstribune.com/opinion/x1602635512/Mazzaglia-Government-just-cant-fix-it Then, there was the federal government's delay in responding to Louisiana's request to build barrier island berms to protect delicate marshes from the oil that was rapidly approaching. Almost seven weeks later, there finally seems to be some movement on the issue, but too late to protect those marshes, which now only adds millions, if not billions to the clean-up costs - yup, government efficiency in action for you!). http://www.theind.com/news/6342-state-to-build-sand-berms-along-barrier-islands And, really, do we want to trust the federal government to have anything to do with this capping and cleanup when it is unable to run Social Security, monitor the Stock Exchange, run Medicare, Medicaid, and the Postal Service correctly? Ha! I have more faith in BP in solving this never-before-seen crisis and doing it quicker and more efficiently than government. And, again, we should be loathe to cut back on federal employees' Internet surfing time by making them actually work for the taxpayer dollars they take form us as salaries and benefits.

On a related note, the Democratic Party sent Congresswoman Debbi Wasserman Schultz to Meet the Press today to shill (or rather shrill) the Party's position on a multitude of issues. First of all, the woman is completely and utterly rude in my opinion. Not only did she interrupt Carly Fiorina several times, she even had the chutzpah to interrupt the host, David Gregory! The ironic thing is that if anyone dared to interrupt her, she took it as a cardinal offense and one for which the interrupter should have to pay and pay dearly - if looks could kill, her looks would have struck the interrupters dead.

Moving on to Wasserman Shultz's commentary, she failed to see the irony in requiring that BP cap a never-before-seen oil leak about 1 mile below the surface of the ocean and under incredible pressure in less than 7-8 weeks, but then claimed that the MMS agency couldn't possibly have been "cleaned-up" as she put it, by the Obama Administration's appointee in the 1.5 years since Obama has been in office. Instead, blaming Bush again, she thinks that the Administration can move as slowly as it likes to actually perform its job functions, but it should be "off with Tony Hayward's head" for not capping this leak far more expeditiously than Obama has responded to any national crisis or his agencies have responded to revamping themselves and actually fulfilling their own duties.

Until Ms. Waaserman Schultz and her cohort Florida Rep. Alan Grayson (he of the utterly despicable so-called "Republican health care plan - Don't get sick, if you do get sick, die quickly" about which I blogged last year here http://anindependentconnecticutyankee.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html ) are voted out of office, I will not be spending my hard-earned money vacationing in Florida. Once Floridians finally vote these, in my eyes, fools, out of office, I might consider returning. But right now, Not even Walt Disney World can entice me to visit Florida with this un-dynamic and obnoxious partisan duo running around.

"I Can't Go for That - No Can Do"

Everyone who knows me knows what a huge Hall & Oates fan I am and have been for (gulp) 30 years. I have almost all their records/CDs, been to more than a few concerts, etc. That all stops today.

While I have all due respect for freedom of speech, which includes the freedom not to speak, or, in this case, not to perform, Daryl Hall and John Oates have severely disappointed me today by announcing they are canceling their July 2 concert in Phoenix, AZ, due to the AZ immigration law (which, I would hazard to guess, neither one has actually read - after all, neither the President of the United States nor the Attorney General of the United States bothered to read the law before they condemned it and they both claim to be attorneys). http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2010/06/hall-and-oates-cancel-concert-plans-in-response-to-arizona-immigration-law/1

H&O have spoken their peace on the issue, and now it's my turn:
H&O, I will no longer attend your concerts, wear your concert shirts or buy your music as a result of your stance on this issue. You see, I choose to boycott you for your failure to respect the laws of a state, and the laws of this country, and the needs of the people of AZ.

Perhaps the real reason H&O canceled their concert in Phoenix is because Phoenix, thanks to illegal aliens, has become the "kidnapping capital of the United States". http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=6848672&page=1 Best stay out of Phoenix, boys - you'd be rich, high-profile targets for the kidnappers you want to protect.

And for those who would actually like to take the time and educate themselves about the law (Mr. Obama and Mr. Holder, you may wish to consider this, as well as H&O), here is a link to the actual law.: http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070h.pdf

Note, specifically:
"A PERSON IS PRESUMED TO NOT BE AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES IF THE PERSON PROVIDES TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OR AGENCY ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
1. A VALID ARIZONA DRIVER LICENSE.
2. A VALID ARIZONA NONOPERATING IDENTIFICATION LICENSE.
3. A VALID TRIBAL ENROLLMENT CARD OR OTHER FORM OF TRIBAL IDENTIFICATION.
4. IF THE ENTITY REQUIRES PROOF OF LEGAL PRESENCE IN THE UNITED STATES BEFORE ISSUANCE, ANY VALID UNITED STATES FEDERAL, STATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ISSUED IDENTIFICATION."

So, very simply, if you are pulled over for a traffic violation, and can present any of the above, you will not, no matter what your race, nationality, color, religion, etc., be asked for proof of citizenship or a valid green card. No profiling going on here. Have the proper documentation if and when you are questioned by the police for any violation, and you don't have a problem.

Apparently, such a simple law is over the heads of H&O, but, who can blame them, after all, they don't have the legal education of Messrs. Obama and Holder and it's apparently over their heads, too.