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By Hugh Moore
May 1, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- At a public forum this past week Rep. Duncan Hunter suggested that children born in the US of parents that are not citizens should not be granted citizenship specifically stating, “And we’re not being mean. We’re just saying it takes more than walking across the border to become an American citizen.”
Actually, according to the United States Constitution Title 8 section 1401 not only is anyone born inside the United States a citizen but “anyone found in the U.S. under the age of five, whose parentage cannot be determined” is also a citizen.
It would seem that Rep. Hunter has forgotten that our country was founded by immigrants and part of the founding fathers’ idea of a free society was to make participation in the government that rules the people available to all the people that are ruled by that government.
So why is it that Rep. Hunter feels his opinion is more important than one of the basic tenets on which our country was founded? Maybe he feels that this opinion is politically expedient and will gain him votes but will never be tested since certainly no one is going to offer a constitutional amendment to change the citizenship clause and he will never have to vote on this issue?
Or even worse, could it be that Rep. Hunter doesn’t know the constitution well enough to understand he has just insulted Jefferson, Adams, Franklin …? Does not know the constitution well enough to understand that what he stated as his opinion is in direct opposition to the constitution he has now sworn to uphold at least twice?
Please Rep. Hunter, my representative, stop embarrassing me and yourself.
Hugh Moore is co-chair of the Green Party of San Diego County. The opinions expressed in this editorial reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. To submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.
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