"Going Once, Going Twice, Sold!"

From Frank Gaffney, Jr.'s article in The Washington Times, April 4, 2006:

The Congress has received lots of free advice lately from Mexican government officials and illegal aliens waving Mexico's flag in mass demonstrations coast-to-coast. Most of it takes the form of bitter complaints about our actual or prospective treatment of immigrants from that country who have gotten into this one illegally -- or who aspire to do so.

If you think these critics are mad about U.S. immigration policy now, imagine how upset they would be if we adopted an approach far more radical than the bill they rail against that was adopted last year by the House of Representatives -- namely, the way Mexico treats illegal aliens.

. . .Mexico deals harshly not only with illegal immigrants. It treats even legal immigrants, naturalized citizens and foreign investors in ways that would, by the standards of those who carp about U.S. immigration policy, have to be called "racist" and "xenophobic."

For example, according to an official translation published by the Organization of American States, the Mexican constitution includes the following restrictions:

Pursuant to Article 33, "Foreigners may not in any way participate in the political affairs of the country." This ban applies, among other things, to participation in demonstrations and the expression of opinions in public about domestic politics like those much in evidence in Los Angeles, New York and elsewhere in recent days.

•Equal employment rights are denied to immigrants, even legal ones. 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."

•Jobs for which Mexican citizenship is considered "indispensable" include, pursuant to Article 32, bans on foreigners, immigrants and even naturalized citizens of Mexico serving as military officers, Mexican-flagged ship and airline crew, and chiefs of seaports and airports.

Article 55 denies immigrants the right to become federal lawmakers. A Mexican congressman or senator must be "a Mexican citizen by birth." Article 91 further stipulates that immigrants may never aspire to become cabinet officers, as they are required to be Mexican by birth. Article 95 says the same about Supreme Court justices.

In accordance with Article 130, immigrants -- even legal ones -- may not become members of the clergy, either.

•Foreigners, to say nothing of illegal immigrants, are denied fundamental property rights. For example, 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."

•Article 11 guarantees federal protection against "undesirable aliens resident in the country." What is more, private individuals are authorized 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." In other words, Mexico grants its citizens the right to arrest illegal aliens and hand them over to police for prosecution. Imagine the Minutemen exercising such a right.

•The Mexican constitution states that foreigners -- not just illegal immigrants -- 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."

. . .we should not allow the hypocrisy of others' treatment of undocumented aliens in their countries to induce us to refrain from taking effective steps to prevent further illegal immigration:

So, to recap:

1. No foreigners in politics.
2. No demonstrations.
3. No public complaints about Mexican policies.
4. No equal employment rights.
5. No military officers, ship or airline crews, or sea- or airport chiefs hailing from foreign lands.
6. No foreigners may serve as clergy.
7. No property rights, at least when involving land.
8. Regular citizens may arrest and detain illegal aliens.
9. No due process.

It may surprise some of my readers that none of these restrictions bother me, when extended to illegal aliens within Mexico. I like these ideas. When it comes to legal aliens, the situation becomes more problematic. Restriction 9, for example, seems a bit out of kilter.

The whole point of this is demonstrating the Mexican government's rank hypocrisy, when its leaders criticize and look down their noses at the U.S. for far more lenient policies they neither share nor like. It also paints a rather clownish and sinister face on the morons railing in the streets and waving Mexican flags--oops, I forgot, they've changed their tactics, and now are displaying American flags. One minute, it's a "stolen continent," the next, it's wave Old Glory and weep for all that she represents. Give me a break.

The Mexican government is full of it, brimming with it, in fact, as has been the case since before Santa Anna floundered his way to bright and shining failure in the Mexican War; the welfare cases masquerading as peaceful protesters in our streets are draining leeches on a good day, and criminal invaders on a bad one; and the buffoons on Capitol Hill are traitorous pimps who would delightedly whore out their own mothers for a few extra votes.

Sorry my characterization is somewhat less than genteel, but I'm fed up with these vermin who supposedly represent "The People."

Too bad those people don't speak English or--in many cases-- share our values.