Thumbs DOWN for Bud Selig....
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| Tiger Pitcher Armando Galagarro on what should have been the final out; Jason Donald was ruled safe by umpire Jim Joyce |
OH, COME ON! Other umpires can overrule a call (e.g., over whether the batter checked his swing on a pitched ball), and an official scorer can switch a judgment call on whether a batter reached first base on a hit or error. Detroit Tiger pitcher Armand Galagarro pitched a 3-0 victory over Cleveland last night, but umpire Jim Joyce blew a call at first base. I will give Jim Joyce props for having admitted he had blown the call and apologizing to the young pitcher. But Bud Selig, MLB Commissioner, refused to overrule the call, despite compelling evidence and the umpire's own recognition of his mistake. Whereas I don't think every call of an umpire should be second-guessed, but in certain contexts, e.g., a home run call, game-ending plays, etc., there should be ways for umpires to request available replays on their own (e.g., bad position for the call) or perhaps a dedicated umpire or scorer with access to relevant replays with the ability to challenge or reverse calls. What is not acceptable is sticking with a bad call costing a pitcher a perfect game.
HB 1868, Glenn Beck and The Anchor Baby Kerfuffle: Thumbs Down
The Fourteen Amendment is quite clear: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." This is unambiguous; it is true that there were subsequent overruled attempts to deny its application to certain racial or ethnic groups. HB 1868, sponsored by Nathan Deal (R-GA), seeks to limit birthright citizenship to babies born to couples including at least one citizen, legal resident or US military member. Glenn Beck has added to the kerfuffle, saying that only the United States gives birthright citizenship (in fact, at least 34, including Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and Romania, do so).
Glenn Beck and his anti-immigrant allies insist that the Fourteenth Amendment was only intended to apply for freed slaves, and others attempt to read "subject to the jurisdiction" as an exception for unauthorized visitors. Since when are any visitors, authorized or unauthorized, not subject to state or federal laws? They're not subject to deportation without legitimate papers? They can't be arrested for murdering American citizens? I'm only aware of an exception for diplomats.
I understand that people should not be able to profit from their unauthorized entry into the United States; the Fourteenth Amendment creates a perverse incentive for people to work around immigration laws by visitors giving birth in the United States. There are alternative ways to address that problem, but let me summarize my point of view as follows:
First, any attempt to restrict US birthright citizenship requires a constitutional amendment. Thus, I oppose HB 1868 as inherently unconstitutional.
Second, criteria for legal residence and naturalization--including chained immigration--are open to discussion. I do believe past behavior, including unauthorized entry by one or both parents, into the United States, can and should be considered among other criteria (such as health, criminal record, etc.) as disqualification factors for a path to citizenship.
Third, the legal status of a minor is trumped by the legal status of his or her parents, not vice versa. I have no problem with the family of an anchor baby, including the anchor baby, being deported. I also believe that late-stage pregnancy is a health condition which can be restricted for lawful entry into the United States.
My position is that naturalization should be a fair process, where, say, a native Mexican is treated no differently than a Thai or Swiss applicant. Obviously the Mexican has advantages than a Thai or Swiss applicant in terms of access to the US border. We need to reform the temporary visiting worker program, and I would be willing to consider the legalization of undocumented workers with otherwise clean records during residency into that program. However, temporary workers without documented employment prospects would need to return to their home country.
Political Cartoon
Lisa Benson is making a sarcastic reference suggesting Obama's hypocrisy in wanting to do whatever it takes to stop the BP oil spill, but in response to a flood of over 10 million unauthorized visitors, Obama has agreed to send only up to 1200 pencil-pushers to Arizona and neighboring states, instead of 6000 pairs of boots on the border.
Quote of the Day
We must be the change we wish to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi
Musical Interlude: The AFI Music Top 100(continued)
#73. "Isn't It Romantic?"
#74. "Rainbow Connection"
#75. "Up Where We Belong"
#76. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
