Citizenship for sale?

Kudos to the BDN for the story concerning birth tourism. As Congress takes up immigration reform, Americans should know that any pregnant woman in the world can bear her baby in America. If she can’t afford the delivery, taxpayers will pay and the baby has automatic citizenship. When the child turns 21, he can sponsor the entire family.

About 400,000 babies are born to illegal migrants and tourists every year. Canada and America are the only developed nations that offer automatic birthright citizenship.

Why? According to the 14th Amendment, any child born on American soil, and “under the jurisdiction thereof,” is given citizenship. Politicians who favor continuing this practice argue that the Constitution requires us to do it. But not all scholars agree. It all hinges on the phrase, “and under the jurisdiction thereof.” What does it mean?

We don’t give automatic citizenship to babies born to foreign diplomats because they are “under the jurisdiction” of other nations. The Supreme Court has never ruled on what those words precisely require. And they won’t, until we pass a law restricting citizenship to the children of lawful immigrants and citizens.

American citizenship is one of the greatest gifts in the world. Global polls indicate that hundreds of millions want it. This gift should be given freely by the American people. Selling American citizenship is not a legitimate business plan. And surely the authors of the 14th Amendment never envisioned American citizenship for sale.

Jonette Christian

Mainers for Sensible Immigration Policy

Holden

Paycheck blues

After receiving my first few checks of the new year, I noticed it was a little less than what I expected. Turns out that since President Barack Obama’s tax breaks expired on the first of this year, I, like many of my co-workers, friends and generally anyone who earns a living, will now see less of a paycheck.

It may have only been $8 or so, and, granted, there will be some who will say it’s “doing your part,” and people who work need to pay for people who can’t or those who are retired, but that was my $8.

It always feels like the working man, the one who tries to do the right things in life, always gets punished, while people who are able to work sit at home collecting welfare or enjoying other federal and state programs.

Granted there are people who need it — and I may need it, too, at some point — but give us people who want to work a break.

Jon Coburn

Monson

Obama’s gun control

If President Barack Obama outlaws guns, only outlaws will have guns, and that’s the least of the problem. The problem is that the most innocent-sounding change in the gun laws would be used by Obama and the Democrats as an excuse to restrict gun ownership, tax gun ownership or embarrass gun owners.

I say this with complete confidence based on the obvious truth that the Obama administration has no problem whatsoever with boldface lies and deceptions on a grand scale.

Consider the fact that Susan Rice, our ambassador to the United Nations, deliberately lied over and over to the whole world when she claimed that the planned attack on Benghazi that murdered our ambassador and three others was a spontaneous uprising.

Sadly, even that is not the worst of it. The worst of it is that the president planned to reward her for telling his lies by promoting her to be secretary of state. God help us.

What should your reaction to this be? Simple, buy a gun. Learn to use it. It could save your life. It could save our country.

David Huck

Swanville

Tax dollars at work

I took notice of the large photo in the Bangor Daily News on Jan. 9 of the Coast Guard ice breakers being used to open up the Penobscot River, so Cianbro, Inc. could move a barge.

There was no information on how many hours this process took and the cost to the U.S. taxpayer. Or if Cianbro picked up the cost of the ice breaking as part of its contract to remove the bridge — also tax dollars at work.

I do not begrudge Cianbro or its profits. I’m just tired of all the focus of tax dollars being used for schools and other social services. Taxes dollars at work create jobs, revenue and profits.

Peter McCorison

Fort Fairfield