O'Reilly Vs. Geraldo: Does Citizenship Matter?

To me this appears to be the fundamental crux of the issue -- Does it matter whether or not an individual is a citizen or not when they commit a crime?

Watch this video to see this principle in action...



And never the twain shall meet! As MJ noted as we watched this, to O'Reilly it's about being or not being an American, which is our point of view. Whereas if you note with Geraldo everything came back to race "It could be a Jewish drunk, a Polish drunk..."

This is the fundamental divide running through the middle of this debate and there is no 'reasoning' involved. It is a gut reaction, almost involuntary. I am deeply offended when someone comes to this country and commits a crime, to me that is fifty times worse than a citizen committing a crime, as you have the extra element that they simply shouldn't have been here in the first place.

As I watched O-Reilly I found his physical reactions fascinating in that I have a feeling they're pretty close to my own when I read about another American being killed by an illegal invader. The simple fact is we believe that illegal immigration is wrong, no matter where you come from or how good your excuses might be, it's wrong, that's it end of story. Which is why when even the well intentioned trolls come on this blog and begin slinging the sob sister act (as Geraldo did in the video) it seems as if we don't care, here's the secret, we don't!

Listening to Geraldo blather on about crispy, delicious illegal aliens reminded me of this piece from Otis Graham...

The clamor against the Simpson-Mazzoli bill today closely resembles the rigid opposition in the first decade of the twentieth century to any scheme of immigration restriction. The inescapable need for some rational control over the volume of immigration in an increasingly crowded world was plain to see, then as now. But unyielding resistance from the newer immigrant groups, from business interests that exploited them, and from the traditionalists who feared any increase in the powers of government, blocked all action. The problem was allowed to fester and grow-until a wave of national hysteria brought into being a system that was extravagantly protective and demeaningly racist. Hispanic leaders, chambers of commerce, and civil libertarians should take note."35

The ultimate irony is that the restrictive and most likely racist laws will come about precisely because of people like Geraldo's unwillingness to see any laws enforced against delicious illegal aliens. It's so very ironical!

Citizenship and rule of law, to me these are unassailable, not open for discussion and I think you'll find this true of most Americans, oh, they'll hem and haw but dig a little and I think you'll find I'm right.

H/T Patterico

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