Every day since Donald Trump has placed a moratorium on travel from 7 Arab speaking countries, the political left has been distorting the facts about immigration and asylum in this country. They make it sound as if it is a "right" because, as many of their signs said: "No human being is illegal". Others point to the inscription -- "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore" -- on the base of the Statue of Liberty as proof that there should not be any limitations on entry into the U.S.. Some of our politicians even pictured "Lady Liberty" crying over the travel ban.
However, I find this all to be a bunch of bull.
First of all, where were all these whiners when Barack Obama, by executive order, ended the "wet foot dry foot" policy that had allowed Cubans to legally enter on the basis that they were escaping human rights abuses in Cubs?
More importantly, we have always placed restrictions on immigration and refugee status going all the way back to 1790. Today, we have specific and complex quotas regarding entry, including quotas for refugee migration by different areas of the world. In fact, under the current law, only 4,000 refugees may enter from Europe and Central Asia. This includes Western Asia, which makes up many of the countries on which Trump has imposed a travel ban.
I think many of the "liberal" protestors would be shocked to learn that, in 1965, then President, Lyndon Johnson, a Democrat, signed into law, a ban on gays entering the U.S. The reasons given was that: (1) they were "mentally defective" and (2) they had "constitutional psychopathic inferiority". It wasn't until 1990, that that ban was lifted when a Republican President signed into law a repeal of the homosexual exclusion.
Additionally, there is the theatrics of showing the Statue of Liberty crying. Lady Liberty was never a symbol of immigration. She was a gift from the French people in celebration of 100 years of liberty. Her name given by her sculptor was "Liberty Enlightening the World". She has a book in her left hand with the year 1776 inscribed on it. There are broken chains around her feet. And, that famous torch symbolized a beacon for the rest of the world to embrace the freedoms and liberty that this country enjoys. The inscription at the base of the statue was added to raise funds to create a home for the magnificent statue. Those words were never the original intent.
Lastly, the ban is temporary and preventative. Those claiming that there has never been a terrorist who has come here from any of the 7 countries that encompass the ban defies reason. I'm quite certain that if a terrorist act resulted due to someone coming from any of those 7 places, the same people would be all over Trump for not taking the proper steps to have prevented it.
References:
‘Lady Liberty is crying,’ Democrats declare in wake of Trump’s visa, asylum executive order: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/28/lady-liberty-crying-democrats-declare-wake-trumps-/
'No human being is illegal': linguists argue against mislabeling of immigrants: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/06/illegal-immigrant-label-offensive-wrong-activists-say
Statue of Liberty: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_and_Nationality_Act_of_1965
Immigration Act of 1990: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_Act_of_1990
History of U.S. Immigration Policy: http://www.fairus.org/facts/us_laws
Obama ends 'wet foot, dry foot' policy for Cubans - USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/01/12/obama-ends-wet-foot-dry-foot-policy-cubans/96505172/
How the United States Immigration System Works: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/how-united-states-immigration-system-works
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Obama and Climate Change: Do As I Say, Not As I Do
Even as a Senator, running for the presidency, Barack Obama made fighting climate change a priority. In fact, in his latest budget submission, the dollars to fight it got top billing and some big bucks.
So, one would think that, if climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time, this President would personally do as much as possible to minimize his own carbon footprint. But, no. Instead he has used Air Force One, and its entourage of vehicles and other planes, more than any other President in our history; and, subsequently, has left a massive carbon footprint on the planet.
When ever any President travels, there is a minimum of two copies of Air Force One (one serving as a backup), 45 vehicles, and 3 massive cargo jets to transport those 45 vehicles. On top of that, there are hundreds of members of the Presidential entourage who can't be accommodated by the two hundred available seats on the 2 Air Force One's. In fact, on a recent trip to Belgium, 900 people accompanied Obama. That meant that 700 of them needed to arrange their own transportation over and above what Air Force One could handle.
Of course, there are times when any President must travel. But, think about this. Was it necessary for Obama to take all those aircraft, vehicles and personnel in order to use a New York City GAP store as a mere "prop" to sell an increase in the minimum wage? Oh, yes, he did buy a few clothes. But here's a question. Were there no GAP stores near the White House in Washington, D.C.? Well, in fact, a Google search shows there are two. Yet, it was essential that he travel 400 miles to New York City and burn up as much fuel as possible.
These prop-trips to sell some personal political agenda item are a constant habit with Obama. It seems like he has made 2 or 3 of them a week since he's been in office. But, he doesn't have to pay the bill or, more importantly, worry about his personal impact on the planet. Yet, he wants all of us to pay more and conserve more in order to fight climate change. Even Jimmy Carter, when telling us to turn down our thermostats in order to conserve energy and fight the OPEC oil embargo, did so while wearing that now-famous sweater.
The fact that the President doesn't personally reduce his own carbon footprint just shows he doesn't care or really believe in it. If he did, he would walk-the-walk to match all the talk. Instead, combating climate change is just another political issue that he uses to garner votes.
References:
Obama's Budget Puts Climate Change Front and Center: http://mashable.com/2014/03/04/obama-budget-climate-change/
Air Force One Stats: http://askville.amazon.com/total-seating-capacity-Air-Force/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=13637222
5 Facts You May Not Know About How Much Obama’s Travel Costs You: http://www.ijreview.com/2014/03/123748-money-well-spent-obama-now/
Are you watching Vladimir? Obama lands in Belgium with entourage of 900 and 45 armored vehicles for ONE night only costing THEM $10.4 million in security: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2589438/Are-worried-Vladimir-Obama-lands-Belgium-entourage-900-45-armored-vehicles-ONE-night-costing-10-4-million-security.html
President Obama makes shopping stop at New York Gap as part of minimum wage campaign: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/obama-unscheduled-trip-gap-part-min-wage-campaign-article-1.1718211
So, one would think that, if climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time, this President would personally do as much as possible to minimize his own carbon footprint. But, no. Instead he has used Air Force One, and its entourage of vehicles and other planes, more than any other President in our history; and, subsequently, has left a massive carbon footprint on the planet.
When ever any President travels, there is a minimum of two copies of Air Force One (one serving as a backup), 45 vehicles, and 3 massive cargo jets to transport those 45 vehicles. On top of that, there are hundreds of members of the Presidential entourage who can't be accommodated by the two hundred available seats on the 2 Air Force One's. In fact, on a recent trip to Belgium, 900 people accompanied Obama. That meant that 700 of them needed to arrange their own transportation over and above what Air Force One could handle.
Of course, there are times when any President must travel. But, think about this. Was it necessary for Obama to take all those aircraft, vehicles and personnel in order to use a New York City GAP store as a mere "prop" to sell an increase in the minimum wage? Oh, yes, he did buy a few clothes. But here's a question. Were there no GAP stores near the White House in Washington, D.C.? Well, in fact, a Google search shows there are two. Yet, it was essential that he travel 400 miles to New York City and burn up as much fuel as possible.
These prop-trips to sell some personal political agenda item are a constant habit with Obama. It seems like he has made 2 or 3 of them a week since he's been in office. But, he doesn't have to pay the bill or, more importantly, worry about his personal impact on the planet. Yet, he wants all of us to pay more and conserve more in order to fight climate change. Even Jimmy Carter, when telling us to turn down our thermostats in order to conserve energy and fight the OPEC oil embargo, did so while wearing that now-famous sweater.
The fact that the President doesn't personally reduce his own carbon footprint just shows he doesn't care or really believe in it. If he did, he would walk-the-walk to match all the talk. Instead, combating climate change is just another political issue that he uses to garner votes.
References:
Obama's Budget Puts Climate Change Front and Center: http://mashable.com/2014/03/04/obama-budget-climate-change/
Air Force One Stats: http://askville.amazon.com/total-seating-capacity-Air-Force/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=13637222
5 Facts You May Not Know About How Much Obama’s Travel Costs You: http://www.ijreview.com/2014/03/123748-money-well-spent-obama-now/
Are you watching Vladimir? Obama lands in Belgium with entourage of 900 and 45 armored vehicles for ONE night only costing THEM $10.4 million in security: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2589438/Are-worried-Vladimir-Obama-lands-Belgium-entourage-900-45-armored-vehicles-ONE-night-costing-10-4-million-security.html
President Obama makes shopping stop at New York Gap as part of minimum wage campaign: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/obama-unscheduled-trip-gap-part-min-wage-campaign-article-1.1718211
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