I think there’s nothing wrong with maintaining some allegiance to your homeland in the form of showing a flag, it doesn’t preclude having or forming pride and allegiance in America.

I think it’s somewhat similar to my cheering for the St. Louis Rams. I also cheer for the Redskins. I can generally cheer for them both. It’s rare that they play each other in a game meaningful for both teams. Similarly, it’s rare to have to “pick” between a South American nation and the US.

The flags don’t bother me. Criminal behavior, identity fraud, bilingualism, a liscence to not play by the same rules as US citizens, and a sense of entitlement very much do though.

Mexico’s glass house
How the Mexican constitution treats foreign residents, workers and naturalized citizens
By J. Michael Waller
Posted: Thursday, April 6, 2006

PAPERS & STUDIES
Center for Security Policy
Publication Date: April 6, 2006

Introduction

Every country has the right - and duty - to restrict the quality and quantity of foreign immigrants entering or living within its borders. If American policymakers are looking for legal models on which to base new laws restricting immigration and expelling foreign lawbreakers, they have a handy guide: the Mexican constitution.[1]

Adopted in 1917, the constitution of the United Mexican States borrows heavily from American constitutional and legal principles. It combines those principles with a strong sense nationalism, cultural self-identity, paternalism, and state power. Mexico’s constitution contains many provisions to protect the country from foreigners, including foreigners legally resident in the country and even foreign-born people who have become naturalized Mexican citizens.

The Mexican constitution segregates immigrants and naturalized citizens from native-born citizens by denying immigrants basic human rights that Mexican immigrants enjoy in the United States. By making increasing demands that the U.S. not enforce its immigration laws and, indeed, that it liberalize them, Mexico is throwing stones within its own glass house.

This paper, the first of a short series on Mexican immigration double standards, examines the Mexican constitution’s protections against immigrants, and concludes with some questions about U.S. policy.

Summary

In brief, the Mexican Constitution states that:

* Immigrants and foreign visitors are banned from public political discourse.
* Immigrants and foreigners are denied certain basic property rights.
* Immigrants are denied equal employment rights.
* Immigrants and naturalized citizens will never be treated as real Mexican citizens.
* Immigrants and naturalized citizens are not to be trusted in public service.
* Immigrants and naturalized citizens may never become members of the clergy.
* Private citizens may make citizens arrests of lawbreakers (i.e., illegal immigrants) and hand them to the authorities.
* Immigrants may be expelled from Mexico for any reason and without due process.

The Mexican constitution: Unfriendly to immigrants

Mexico’s constitution expressly forbids non-citizens to participate in the country’s political life. Non-citizens are forbidden to participate in demonstrations or express opinions in public about domestic politics. Article 9 states, “only citizens of the Republic may do so to take part in the political affairs of the country.” Article 33 is unambiguous: “Foreigners may not in any way participate in the political affairs of the country.”

The Mexican constitution denies fundamental property rights to foreigners. If foreigners wish to have certain property rights, they must renounce the protection of their own governments or risk confiscation. Foreigners are forbidden to own land in Mexico within 100 kilometers of land borders or within 50 kilometers of the coast. Article 27 states,

“Only Mexicans by birth or naturalization and Mexican companies have the right to acquire ownership of lands, waters, and their appurtenances, or to obtain concessions for the exploitation of mines or of waters. The State may grant the same right to foreigners, provided they agree before the Ministry of Foreign Relations to consider themselves as nationals in respect to such property, and bind themselves not to invoke the protection of their governments in matters relating thereunto; under penalty, in case of noncompliance with this agreement, of forfeiture of the property acquired to the Nation. Under no circumstances may foreigners acquire direct ownership of lands or waters within a zone of one hundred kilometers along the frontiers and of fifty kilometers along the shores of the country.” (Emphasis added)

The Mexican constitution denies equal employment rights to immigrants, even legal ones, in the public sector. Article 32: “Mexicans shall have priority over foreigners under equality of circumstances for all classes of concessions and for all employment, positions, or commissions of the Government in which the status of citizenship is not indispensable. In time of peace no foreigner can serve in the Army nor in the police or public security forces.”

The Mexican constitution guarantees that immigrants will never be treated as real Mexican citizens, even if they are legally naturalized. Article 32 bans foreigners, immigrants, and even naturalized citizens of Mexico from serving as military officers, Mexican-flagged ship and airline crew, and chiefs of seaports and airports:

“In order to belong to the National Navy or the Air Force, and to discharge any office or commission, it is required to be a Mexican by birth. This same status is indispensable for captains, pilots, masters, engineers, mechanics, and in general, for all personnel of the crew of any vessel or airship protected by the Mexican merchant flag or insignia. It is also necessary to be Mexican by birth to discharge the position of captain of the port and all services of practique and airport commandant, as well as all functions of customs agent in the Republic.”

An immigrant who becomes a naturalized Mexican citizen can be stripped of his Mexican citizenship if he lives again in the country of his origin for more than five years, under Article 37. Mexican-born citizens risk no such loss.

Foreign-born, naturalized Mexican citizens may not become federal lawmakers (Article 55), cabinet secretaries (Article 91) or supreme court justices (Article 95). The president of Mexico, like the president of the United States, constitutionally must be a citizen by birth, but Article 82 of the Mexican constitution mandates that the president’s parents also be Mexican-born citizens, thus according secondary status to Mexican-born citizens born of immigrants.

The Mexican constitution forbids immigrants and naturalized citizens to become members of the clergy. Article 130 says, “To practice the ministry of any denomination in the United Mexican States it is necessary to be a Mexican by birth.”

The Mexican constitution singles out “undesirable aliens.” Article 11 guarantees federal protection against “undesirable aliens resident in the country.”

The Mexican constitution provides the right of private individuals to make citizen’s arrests. Article 16 states, “in cases of flagrante delicto, any person may arrest the offender and his accomplices, turning them over without delay to the nearest authorities.” Therefore, the Mexican constitution appears to grant Mexican citizens the right to arrest illegal aliens and hand them over to police for prosecution.

The Mexican constitution states that foreigners may be expelled for any reason and without due process. According to Article 33, “the Federal Executive shall have the exclusive power to compel any foreigner whose remaining he may deem inexpedient to abandon the national territory immediately and without the necessity of previous legal action.”
Notional policy options Mexico and the United States have much to learn from one another’s laws and practices on immigration and naturalization. A study of the immigration and citizenship portions of the Mexican constitution leads to a search for new policy options to find a fair and equitable solution to the immigration problem in the United States. Two contrary options would require reciprocity, while doing the utmost to harmonize U.S.-Mexican relations:

1. Mexico should amend its constitution to guarantee immigrants to Mexico the same rights it demands the United States give to immigrants from Mexico; or

2. The United States should impose the same restrictions on Mexican immigrants that Mexico imposes on American immigrants.

These options are only notional, of course. They are intended only to help push the immigration debate in a more sensible direction. They simply illustrate the hypocrisy of the Mexican government’s current immigration demands on the United States - as well as the emptiness of most Democrat and Republican proposals for immigration reform.

Mexico, like the United States, certainly has every right to control who enters its borders, and to expel foreigners who break its laws. The Mexican constitution is designed to give the strongest protections possible to the country’s national security. Mexico’s internal immigration policy is Mexico’s business.

However, since Mexican political leaders from the ruling party and the opposition have been demanding that the United States ignore, alter or abolish its own immigration laws, they have opened their own internal affairs to American scrutiny. The time has come to examine Mexico’s own glass house.

Why is it I see over 150 people everyday on Route 1 waiting for hours to earn an honest living? At least they arent (and cant) sit around complain and collect welfare.

Quoting a Toby Keith pro-war song? ignorant and besides the point.

Also, get ready for a huge budget crunch (what?) that’s right - removing a large part of the population who contribute to the sales taxes, income taxes (yes, a lot of illegals pay them as well, granted not all) and property tax (what?) - right again, they are renters yes? then the people who own those homes pay the property tax right? yes again - then if those houses do not rent (especially with the market down), then how are AMERICAN home owners going to afford to pay their property taxes on the homes they own and rent?

You never truly thought about the total consequences.

“The latest poll taken by the Office of the Governor of Texas
asked whether people who live in Texas think illegal immigration is a serious problem:

35% of respondents answered: “Yes, it is a serious problem.”

65% of respondents answered: “No es una problema seria.”"

Well, then, if someone steals from another and states that that was THEIR way of pursuing happiness, would it be legal? Absolutely not. The “rights” that our founding father’s wrote about were NOT to be pursued by infringing on the rights of others. Just as “freedom of speech” does not mean you may yell “fire” in a crowded theater, nor does illegal entry into our country constitute “the pursuit of happiness”.

Remember, Justice J Miller’s interpretation (http://supreme.justia.com/us/111/746/case.html) of your quote, “Among these inalienable rights, as proclaimed in that great document, is the right of men to pursue their happiness, by which is meant the right to pursue any lawful business or vocation” - not quite the definition YOU were looking for, I am sure.

“You people are perverting the meaning of Freedom.”

“You are worried about your own $$$ (property values and tax $$$) - end of story.”

truth said on 3 Jul 2007 at 2:55 pm:

THAT’S RIGHT, I AM TALKING TO YOU! What PEOPLE are YOU talking about?

LISTEN, LOUD AND CLEAR, THAT , THIS AND WILL NOT BE , THE END OF THE STORY!

YOU BETTER BET , That, OUR, LEGAL, US CITIZEN’S may be worried about OUR own money, that WE WORKED SO HARD FOR only to be TAXED, BEFORE, WE get OUR cut , HAVE THE RIGHT TO FIGHT/ QUESTION WHERE OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE GOING and HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROTECT OUR PROPERTY VALUES AND TAX $$$$$$$……. PART OF THE ” AMERICAN DREAM”

WE HAVE ALL HEARD THE ARGUMENT OF RACIST, BIGOTS, ETC….. WE ALL HAVE HEARD, ” WE PAY TAXES, …..hmmmmm, “SALES “TAX……GUESS WHAT?, WE DO TOO!….hmmm……2 plus 2, that’s right, we pay TWICE!

WE work TWICE as hard and WE have heard the arguments, ” the American’s don’t want the jobs, too lazy, etc….

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE ARE WORKING OVER TIME ( WITHOUT PAY) with CONVICTION of PRESERVING, PROTECTING OUR RIGHTS AND THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY!
You or ANYONE with your ATTITUDE will SEE THE RED, WHTIE AND BLUE……
Quote from a song, by Toby Keith, ” WE’LL BUT A BOOT IN YOUR ASS, IT’S THE AMERICAN WAY”

NOT THE END OF THE STORY, ALOT OF BLOOD SHED FOR OUR RIGHTS, AMERICANS! WE ARE PROUD~

Anonymous said on 3 Jul 2007 at 8:46 pm:
oh and by the way, that was me, REDAWN, NOT ANONYMOUS……I SHARE A COMPTER……REDAWN AND PROUD!…TO THE ABOVE COMMENT~

“You people are perverting the meaning of Freedom.”

“You are worried about your own $$$ (property values and tax $$$) - end of story.”

truth said on 3 Jul 2007 at 2:55 pm:

THAT’S RIGHT, I AM TALKING TO YOU! What PEOPLE are YOU talking about?

LISTEN, LOUD AND CLEAR, THAT , THIS AND WILL NOT BE , THE END OF THE STORY!

YOU BETTER BET , That, OUR, LEGAL, US CITIZEN’S may be worried about OUR own money, that WE WORKED SO HARD FOR only to be TAXED, BEFORE, WE get OUR cut , HAVE THE RIGHT TO FIGHT/ QUESTION WHERE OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE GOING and HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROTECT OUR PROPERTY VALUES AND TAX $$$$$$$……. PART OF THE ” AMERICAN DREAM”

WE HAVE ALL HEARD THE ARGUMENT OF RACIST, BIGOTS, ETC….. WE ALL HAVE HEARD, ” WE PAY TAXES, …..hmmmmm, “SALES “TAX……GUESS WHAT?, WE DO TOO!….hmmm……2 plus 2, that’s right, we pay TWICE!

WE work TWICE as hard and WE have heard the arguments, ” the American’s don’t want the jobs, too lazy, etc….

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE ARE WORKING OVER TIME ( WITHOUT PAY) with CONVICTION of PRESERVING, PROTECTING OUR RIGHTS AND THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY!
You or ANYONE with your ATTITUDE will SEE THE RED, WHTIE AND BLUE……
Quote from a song, by Toby Keith, ” WE’LL BUT A BOOT IN YOUR ASS, IT’S THE AMERICAN WAY”

NOT THE END OF THE STORY, ALOT OF BLOOD SHED FOR OUR RIGHTS, AMERICANS! WE ARE PROUD~

Some of these illegal alien lawbreakers want the USA to become part of Mexico–quite the opposite of a Declaration of Independence, wouldn’t you agree?

The Declaration of Independence was written by Americans, for Americans. No where in it does it say that ANYONE who comes to this Country illegally has those same rights.

You people are perverting the meaning of Freedom.

You are worried about your own $$$ (property values and tax $$$) - end of story.

Never before have I thought so much about how revolutions get started in foreign countries…and don’t accuse me of proposing revolution, I’m not. However, but we do have a representative democracy in this country and when the representative democracy fails to represent, then we must find those who WILL represent the American people. …and that’s true at all levels, including the PWCBOCS. If laws must be changed, change ‘em, if they’re laws you can’t change, HELP change them, that’s what you were elected to do. As of today, this is MY country, as of a few years from now, I’m not so sure.

That, too, is a major problem. In Pakistan, it is shameful to cooperate with the government in an investigation. Why should we expect them to all of a sudden help US out in our War on Terror??? Too many people are afraid of being (wrongly) labeled a “racist” by standing up to various wrongs in our society (against illegal immigration, against homosexuality, against welfare).

Greg IS a front-liner and Help Save Manassas is leading the way as to how it SHOULD be done. By holding people to a standard, in this case the laws of our land, we are NOT being racist, far from it. Racism would be if we did not want them in our country BECAUSE they are of Hispanic origin. Law-abiding is not wanting them in our country because THEY BROKE THE LAW!!! They put self first by coming here. A good many left their wives and families to make it on their own so that they could come to the U.S. and make $5, $10, $15 an hour - the “good life.”

Just like walls alone do not stop tunnels, words without action will not stop illegal immigration. Let them call us racists. Heck, I have been called worse - anyone who has gone to a military school or served in the Infantry knows what I mean - and guess what, the world keeps on going. The more insults they throw at us, the more desparate they are and the more we are winning.

My challenge to each of you is to put in a movie about our founding fathers, turn on the history channel, tomorrow, while you watch the fireworks, reflect on our country and what she has provided to you and think, not is it fair but IS IT RIGHT that these people come into OUR country with no respect for her past and TAKE AWAY from honest Americans!!! Enough is enough!!!

Alien - Any person not a citizen of the United States.

Immigrant - An alien who has been granted the right by the US government to reside permanently in the United States and to work without restrictions in the United States. Also known as Lawful Permanent Resident.

Illegal Alien - An alien who has entered the country illegally or is residing in the United States illegally after entering legally (for example, entering on a tourist visa and remaining after the visa expires).

Intruder - To force oneself upon others without being asked or welcomed.

There are plenty of (legal) immigrants, especially immigrants of hispanic descent who are having their good name trashed because of everything Americans see being done by aliens in the name of immigrants. They also endure waiting for their family members to legally come here as they watch others slip right through, bypassing the line.