On Friday night, the City of College Park, Maryland reversed its city council decision that allowed non-citizens of the U.S., including illegal aliens, the right to vote. This was due to council conveniently forgetting that such massive changes to the College Park City Charter require the vote of a supermajority on council as opposed to a simple majority. Ironically, the law that mandated a supermajority to pass changes to the city charter was enacted just this summer while the proposal to allow illegals and other non-citizens to vote, and was passed 4-3, was voted on only a few months later on September 12, 2017.
As the College Park City Council cannot be trusted to follow its own laws, it is inevitable that certain College Park council members will try to resurrect this issue in line with their lawless, progressive agenda.
As a resident of College Park, the father of an immigrant, a Christian who believes Jesus died for all people, and having served to protect foreign peoples with different backgrounds and religions, I can safely tell you that allowing non-citizens to vote was, and remains, ludicrous.
First, this proposal diluted the meaning of citizenship. Citizenship, with its rights, privileges, and responsibilities is a high calling. Citizenship, for those not born as Americans but wishing to become Americans, means swearing an oath and being willing to bear arms on behalf of the United States while forsaking all foreign allegiances (exceptions to having to take the oath are made for young children for whom, it is expected, their parents will teach them the meaning of citizenship).
My son of 15 years of age recently had to swear this oath. It is not too much ask of people to not only be a certain age to vote, but also to be citizens who are willing to forego all foreign allegiances and being willing to defend this great nation.
How ironic that those who are currently decrying foreign involvement in our elections are the same individuals saying non-citizens should have the vote.
Second, if all the privileges and powers of citizenship are given to non-citizens, then what incentive is there to become a citizen?
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Immigrants and non-citizens are not inherently bad people. Most of our country traces its lineage to immigrants. My family just expanded considerably because of an immigrant. However, the proposal is a citizenship issue, not an immigration issue. Amazingly, while my son was waiting for his citizenship and residing in the U.S., illegal aliens had more rights to benefits than he did.
The leftists pushing this agenda are trying to have it both ways. They talk of inclusiveness but say that those who spoke against the proposed amendment are “racists” and “white supremacists.” The leftists recently succeeded in declaring College Park a sanctuary city in keeping with the national movement. Yet proponents of the proposal say letting non-citizens vote should be a non-issue because voting in local elections only means the gathering of trash.
Really, that’s what leftists think the power to make decisions over people’s lives amount to? Gathering trash? If that’s the case, is the trash really that bad in College Park? If so, perhaps what is really needed is taking out the trash, starting with a new City Council.
The local progressives can’t have it both ways and the truth is they are trying to make a national political statement.
The very definition of progressivism is just that; progressive to where there is no stopping point and that standards are continually lowered politically, economically, and spiritually in the name of creating a bigger political tent and base. This is the leftist mantra. They will never tell us when they are done with their incremental proposals to change our communities and ultimately our nation.
One other thing. If the College Park City Council persists in wanting to let non-citizens vote than perhaps council should divest itself of their power and allow non-members of council to make the decisions of College Park instead of council. That would at least be consistent, for council’s recent amnesia regarding their own voting laws shows they are not fit to govern and vote on behalf of others.
*Views expressed are those of the author.
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