Gasp! Terror Babies Are Already Here!

Thanks to some diligent work by the brightest minds in America, a nefarious plot by Al Qaeda to recruit poor pregnant Mexican women to come to the United States illegally and have a baby here so that baby can grow up in America as a citizen (thanks to that terrible 14th Amendment) and ultimately become a terrorist undetected by the system thus being able to carry out a terror plot undetected by the unsuspecting American population has been exposed.

God, I can’t even write it so it makes sense. I’m assuming they (the brightest minds in America) don’t think Al Qaeda will try and sneak a woman from the Middle East into America illegally to have a baby since Americans are hypersensitive about illegal Middle Easterners at the moment. So who does that leave? Canadians? Mexicans? People from Michigan?

I’m also assuming they (the brightest minds in America) have figured out how someone born in America but then whisked away to Iraq or Afghanistan for the rest of their life only to be returned to America at the age of 18 will escape detection as a possible threat. Or will Al Qaeda keep the babies here to grow up undetected. If that’s the case, I’m assuming they (the brightest minds in America) will figure out how Al Qaeda will be able to prevent a teenager living in America from being exposed to all the fundamental freedoms that make America so great (like Facebook) and have tapped in to a way to keep teenage hormones under control so they won’t want to rebel against their parents.

The sad truth is terror babies are already here without Al Qaeda having to do anything. It’s called being born in Michigan. (Just kidding). Have they (the brightest minds in America) ever looked at the culture in America that creates militias, Tim McVeighs, and James Earl Rays? Have they gone after the families that have already produced terrorists? Terrorists like Terry Nichols, Scott Roeder, Ted Kaczynski, John Walker Lindh, John Hinckley, Jr., or Eric Rudolph who were born to parents who were already here as American citizens?

So how on earth do we track the babies that are being born right here in America that will turn into homegrown terrorists? I guess, since we’re just amending the Constitution willy-nilly, we could make it a requirement that everyone pass a “Are you a terrorist?” test at the age of 13 before being allowed to have citizenship. Or, we could take a look at everyone’s genealogy. If you have some terrorists in your past, like John Wilkes Booth, Robert E. Lee (or Ulysses S. Grant depending on your perspective), or Benedict Arnold then you have to pass a rigorous three part exam conducted over a period of years before it’s determined you won’t become a terrorist. Or maybe we can just start revoking citizenship to women who’ve given birth to some of our greatest terrorists.

I think we’re surrounded. The only thing left to do is to take over Canada.

The Least of These – The Christian Case Against Reforming the 14th Amendment

I’ve generally been led to believe, by myself, and certain public polls, that many in the Republican Party/Tea Party, consider themselves to be Christians. Whether or not they act as Christians is debatable, as I suspect it is with most of us. However, it has become increasingly disturbing to me to see what I consider to be a basic tenet of Christian philosophy violated by these so called “God fearing” groups. And that is this statement from Christ:

He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

Jesus is telling us in Matthew 25.45 that we are to treat all those who hunger, or thirst, or are a stranger, naked or sick or in prison with love, compassion and kindness. For all that we do for the “least of us” is what we do for Christ. If you do nothing to help the least, you do nothing to help Christ.

So how does that bring me to the Tea Party/GOP (and probably some Democrats)? There is a movement to reform the 14th Amendment. The 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to any one born in America. You’re born here? You’re a citizen.

You’ll notice, our current President, Barack Obama, was born to a United States citizen and a citizen of Kenya. You’ll notice there also has been a rather large “birther” movement to “discover” where President Obama was actually born. (He was born in Hawaii and the state says so). The birthers desperately want to prove he wasn’t actually born in America because then they can say he’s not a “natural born” citizen and thus not able to be President pursuant to Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution.

All this talk of Obama’s birth right citizenship must’ve got the creative minds at Tea Party Headquarters thinking. And Rand Paul, in particular, thinking. The good “doctor” (*cough* eye doctor *cough*), who isn’t really certified to practice medicine, is running for United States Senate in Kentucky. He’s a “tea partier” in some ways, but running as a Republican. He’s said he doesn’t think that children born to illegal immigrants should be automatically granted citizenship and thinks the 14th Amendment should be overturned.

All Rand’s talk, in turn, got Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (also of Kentucky) thinking. McConnell realized that you can’t just overturn the 14th Amendment because, after all, it is the Amendment that allows the Supreme Court to apply Constitutional rights of citizens to the states. In other words, the 2nd Amendment, as written, only applies to the Federal Government. Therefore, a “state” government can come in and restrict your right to bear arms all it wants because the Constitution doesn’t apply to “state” governments. However, the Supreme Court has ruled on almost every major Amendment, including just recently the 2nd Amendment, that the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment means that all citizens are entitled to their constitutional rights no matter whose making the laws, states or federal governments. McConnell realized, therefore, to take away the 14th Amendment would take away gun rights. Duh.

So McConnell just wants to “reform” the 14th Amendment so that babies can’t become citizens just because they had the good fortune to be born here. Which brings me back to Jesus. Babies. They’re going after babies. They want to punish a child because they can’t punish the parents. If there was ever a group that embodied the “least of these” it is babies. Is that really at whom they want to point their pitchforks? Babies? Are they not therefore attacking the least of us and therefore in turn hurting Christ?

What has happened to my party? I’m pretty sure that Bob Dole never suggested amending the 14th Amendment. I don’t recall Reagan floating that idea. Hell, even Dick Cheney wasn’t that heartless. In fact, the 14th Amendment is one of the Republican parties greatest legacies, and aides to President Bush and Dick Cheney have said so. The same aides are also stepping up and denouncing this disturbing rhetoric as would any decent human being who wasn’t out to appear more conservative for their constituents (that’s you Lindsey Graham).

Babies?

Do unto others…. Right….

Moran Defeats Tiahrt, Palin, Rove, Hannity and the Tea Party

In a victory for sensible Republicans, Jerry Moran has won the Republican primary for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Sam Brownback.  Moran defeated Fourth District Congressman Todd Tiahrt, a candidate who had drawn a personal visit from Karl Rove, had been endorsed by Palin, Sean Hannity and the Tea Party Express.  It is a moral victory for those of us who believe the Republican party has been hijacked by the crazies.  Moran is very conservative and not nearly progressive as I want him to be on many issues, but I’ll take him any day over Tiahrt.

Now, if only the Democrats would get their act together and start bringing in solid candidates to challenge these Republicans and force them to move back towards the middle.  If only….

Meanwhile, moderate Republicans were dealt a setback when conservative come lately Mike Pompeo defeated Jean Kurtis Schodorf, a candidate endorsed by Nancy Kassebaum Baker.   Pompeo will go up against Raj Goyle, a state senator and very conservative Democrat.  Goyle may stand a chance if enough of the Schodorf Republicans cross over and vote for him.  But it’s not likely.