If you are mad about this, you should be characterized as:
Listen, I'm all for rigorous vetting for U.S. citizenship (just like rigorous vetting for immigrants being allowed in to the U.S.), BUT, requiring
American-born citizenship for
Congress is not the answer IMO.
(Keep that current requirement in place for running to be U.S. President, but we don't need it for running for Congress.)
This move aims to ensure that our leaders have deep ties to the country and its values is bullshit.
This is code for that only White Christians can run if the President and Congress end up getting rid of birthright U.S. Citizenship
and requiring U.S. Citizenship to run.
How are neighborhoods with a majority of residents of a particular ethnic group going to feel they are represented in their districts?
This Mayor's response to the Dearborn resident's objection was a little extreme for sure, but can you imagine that this white guy is (hypothetically) the one representing this district comprised of Muslim Americans? That's just dumb and strange.
Also, you could have (If birthright citizenship stays in place) a U.S. born Muslim American or even, say, a U.S.-born Haitian-American who was born here but then grows up with hatred in his heart (e.g., because of the way his parents were treated, maybe deported by ICE) and then runs for Congress and wins and now we have a radicalized Congressman who doesn't embrace much of any American values and is only intent on cultural destruction.
Here's what I think... It's more important to have a U.S. Citizenship process for properly vetting U.S.-born (with birthright no longer in place) or Naturalized Citizens to ensure that they have gone through a rigorous process to understand what it means to be a U.S. Citizen and the responsibility it entails.
So this can be based more on a 1) a minimum # of time living in the country and a 2) minimum set of requirements like volunteering for civic activities and taking a U.S. Civics test (like we take a State DMV test before getting our license). Let's make sure they understand the responsibility that is involved with being given U.S. Citizenship.
This will have nothing to do with White Christian values but more about respect for the Flag, The Constitution, key events of our U.S. history, and our U.S. heritage. I think the the U.S. DHS or whatever department manages citizenship is already making it a more rigorous process to become a U.S. Citizen.
And then for all U.S.-born Citizens that have guaranteed Citizenship at birth, let's incorporate more education and requirements for truly understanding U.S. Civics and being a U.S. Citizen.
Maybe that would go a long way towards reducing both Left and Right radicalization in the country.
Just being born and growing up in the U.S. doesn't guarantee a healthy respect for this country, its values, and what it means to be a U.S. Citizen, so again, the Bill requiring U.S. Citizenship for Congress is stupid.
fortune.com
