OUT BIRTHING THE BIRTHERS

Lieberman, the senator from Aetna

De-Birthing

I didn’t launch this blog to discuss issues of Nationality and Citizenship. Joe Lieberman forces me to continue with this theme.

He is about to introduce legislation to amend 8 U.S.C 1481. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode08/usc_sec_08_00001481----000-.html

That law provides for stripping both naturalized and native born American Citizens of citizenship under narrow circumstances. The stripee must perform certain acts “ . . .with the intention of relinquishing United States nationality . . .”

The acts which subject one to possible loss of citizenship are things like treason, renouncing citizenship in writing and fighting in a foreign army against the United States.

In order to be de-citizenized a court action has to be brought and the party bringing the action has to prove the act(s) and the intent.

Uncle Joe’s proposal is that if the State Department decides that you are conspiring with a terrorist organization a bureaucrat waves a wand and you are no longer a citizen. No trial or proof required. Accusation and administrative decision that you are a bad guy is all the is required. You don’t have to be convicted of anything.

A paranoid in the State Department who is under the delusion that Barack Obama is a Manchurian Candidate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Manchurian_Candidate who is involved in a Nazi, Communist, Socialist, Heathen, Muslim anti-American plot could then, with the stroke of a pen, Obama is not the President and off to Guantanamo he goes. Too bad The President didn’t actually close it down.

As Pastor Martin Niemöller famously said of the Nazi tactics in Germany: first they came for the communists, then the Jews, then the Union members, etc., etc., and I kept my mouth shut because I wasn’t one of those. Then they came for me and nobody was left to speak up. http://www.serendipity.li/cda/niemoll.html

Well first they started in the middle of the alphabet and came for the Mexicans and Muslims. The thought of due process or fundamental fairness or adherence to the United States Constitution is not of concern to “them.” Not to be hysterical or over-dramatic but: 1984 is here and they want to enable themselves to come for all of us. Joe Lieberman makes me feel shamed to be a voter for candidates of the party he abandoned (for the Party of Joe) and sure makes me wish that he wasn’t a Jew. At least Jewishness is one thing he can’t strip me of but I sure wish I could oust him. Let’s hope he gets laughed out of the Senate with this boneheaded play for publicity and a pat on the head by Rush Limbaugh. Although I don’t think that Rush would actually touch a Jew ---- unless he was copping Hillbilly Heroin from one. And we don’t deal in his drug of choice. Not Kosher.

The Washington Post reported that Joe’s office confirmed the gist of the legislation to be proposed and that Chuck Schumer was going to support the legislation but changed his mind.see: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/05/how_liebermans_citizen-strippi.html

This shameless move by Lieberman is a reflection of and a pandering to the xenophobia and fear driven bigotry and hatred we see in the Militia Movements, the Tea Baggers and the Vigilante Border Patrollers. A more subtle and therefore more insidious symptom of this malady is seen in the disproportionate coverage of Tea Baggers, Obama-Hating Gun Totters, Palin, Bachmann and other extremist right-wing outliers (and outright liars) by the mainstream corporate press.

Case in point. We all know that the “Times Square Bomber” was not born in this country and is a Muslim.

We know that because that was the first thing reported about him and continues to be fact of first mention. That’s fair coverage and it is relevant. What has not been impressed upon is the fact that the “street vendor hero” who called the cops when he saw smoke is also a foreign-born Muslim. That is not fair coverage and is also an important fact. http://discuss.epluribusmedia.net/content/right-wing-complained-media-not-using-muslim-enough-times-square-bomb-attempt

May 1, 2010
Canal District and Downtown San Rafael, California, U.S.A.

Demonstration for immigrant rights inspired by the Arizona "Show me Your Papers" law. Here are people asking for comprehensive immigration reform. Some are native born American Citizens, some Naturalized and some Undocumented. And there is also a self portrait of me. I was born in the U.S.A. and my father and grandfathers were naturalized citizens. I can't prove it. I have no papers. Which of these people should be rousted? All? I came to thank folks for the contributions they have made to my community and to my life. Many came up to shake my hand and thanked me for coming. The police directed traffic. It was a beautiful day.

(see photos below)