Untitled

Minutemen(sos) mienten
through forked double-speak
their words falling
on the sacrificial stone of logic
lowering one's IQ simply by
acknowledging their very presence
discourse denies coherent ideas
as of course
one simply looks at their hypocrisy
emblematic of nonsensical resonance
crude hyper-nationalist imagery
showcase a past
presenting itself as reality
brown sources of light
dimmed by an icy glare
one that seeps throughout
bringing instant death by night
xenophobic machination by day
denying the human right
to grow upward from the soil
hacia el sol arriba
false pretense for war comes to pass
once again in a cycle of dystopic
blind stares from the very navel
of de-humanized machinery
tierras forever partitioned
into nation-states that
slice open the very heart of our souls
once again history hiccups
a new reality
reflecting an already existent
lie that that sears through
the dormant essence of our collective past
like it or not
our humanity will not be denied
Minute mentes no ven realidad
that we have always been here
in solemn rememberance of 500 years
colonial scars dig deep
even into our own psyches
tricked to believe
we must die in the act
negate a part of our selves
homeland insecurity proves
even our celebration of life
is deemed an act of war
warranting right-wing pendejadas
disinterring our presence by way
of military operation
forced relocation
yet we all come back
to the place of origin
place of new beginnings
any place where the mind
connects to the soil
intermingling with la esencia del arbol
comforted by the ominiscent energia
of the four directions
children of the moon
offspring of the sun
imagining un hogar sin fronteras
a composite of all
who struggle for what is just.

O. Rosales Castaneda, C/S

13 August 2008

State GOP: No Birthright Citizenship to kids of Undocumented Immigrants

State GOP: No automatic citizenship for kids born in U.S. to illegal immigrants

[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004450665_gop01m.html]

By Andrew Garber

Seattle Times staff reporter

SPOKANE — The state Republican Party adopted a platform Saturday that includes a provision aimed at opposing automatic citizenship for babies born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants.

The state party approved a similar platform plank at its 2006 convention that proved controversial. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution recognizes citizenship for all persons born in the United States.

"Immigration is an issue that a lot of our party activists feel strongly about," state Republican Party Chairman Luke Esser said. "And it's certainly a very defensible position. It's not at all something that's based on race concerns. It's a matter of what is citizenship going to be based on."

State Attorney General Rob McKenna, one of the state's most prominent Republicans, said he doesn't support banning automatic citizenship for children born to illegal immigrants.

We have more than 200 years of history in which children born in the U.S. are deemed U.S. citizens," said McKenna, before reading the platform language. "What matters is where the children are born."

Not all delegates attending the convention support the position, either.

"The Constitution says that if you're born in the United States you're a U.S. citizen," said Scott Workman, of Sequim. "I'm not willing to change the Constitution. If we're going to let them in and they're going to have babies here, then they're U.S. citizens."

The plank containing the provision was adopted without discussion. It's part of a much broader party platform approved at the state GOP convention Saturday stating positions on issues ranging from national defense to health care and education.

The plank covering immigration and homeland security says, "We welcome those who wish to build a new and better life in America and Washington state and to recognize that the only price of such opportunity is their willingness to embrace our language, culture and legal system, beginning at our national borders."

The provision goes on to say that legal immigration "can best be facilitated by a transparent, traceable and enforceable guest-worker program that does not include amnesty or birthright citizenship and sanctuary cities."

Mathew Manweller, chairman of the platform committee, said the language in the provision is intended to oppose automatic citizenship for children born to illegal immigrants.

"We have no problem with them becoming citizens if they go through [the legal process] but not simply by virtue of birth," Manweller said.

Esser said the issue of birthright citizenship is broader than just illegal immigration. For example, he said, "I think if you ask the average person, 'Should a couple vacationing in the United States who are citizens of another country have a child on U.S. soil, should that child be a U.S. citizen?', that doesn't sound reasonable."

Esser noted that prohibiting citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants could "require a change in the U.S. Supreme Court interpretation of the 14th Amendment, so, obviously, if that's the case it will be difficult to ever accomplish."

McKenna said he doubts the citizenship provision of the party platform will have much impact.

"I think the attention span of the public on party platforms is very brief. I don't think platforms help you or hurt you very much," he said. "Voters look at the candidates."

Also at the convention, the state GOP assigned its 40 delegates to the national convention, with presumptive nominee John McCain ending up with the bulk of them. The state party's delegates are awarded through a complex system of caucuses and primaries.

Although there was a strong showing by Ron Paul supporters at the convention, McCain received a total of 33 delegates, Paul got four and Mike Huckabee three.

Andrew Garber: 360-943-9882 or agarber@seattletimes.com