Kucinich Offended at Calling Illegals Illegal
Friday, November 16, 2007 at 08:40PM At the Democratic Presidential Debate last night, Dennis Kucinich took issue with calling illegal immigrants, um, illegal. Here's the exchange:
BLITZER: Do you support drivers licenses for illegal immigrants?
REP. KUCINICH: I take issue with your description of people being illegal immigrants. There aren't any illegal human beings; that's number one. Number two, they're undocumented. And I believe that the best way to do it -- (applause) -- thank you -- I believe the best way to deal with this is cancel NAFTA and renegotiate the trade agreement with Mexico. (Cheers, applause.)
You give people a path to legalization, and then they can be legal and have their driver's license. That's the way to work it. That's the way to work it.
BLITZER: (Inaudible) -- comprehensive immigration reform.
REP. KUCINICH: You know what? You give people a path to legalization, and you work to make sure that you don't criminalize their status any further. And again, I take exception to the way you frame that question. (Applause.)
Now there's a candidate who doesn't understand the rule of law or the English language. It's the absence of citizenship that gives that person illegal status; it's the status, not the person, Kucinich.
Dennis is just sensitive about anyone limiting the Democratic voting base.
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08 Elections, Dems, Immigration, VIDEO 
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Reader Comments (7)
wonder what he called the little green pilots of those UFO's he's seen?
Kucinich has done us a favor here. He has illustrated the basic divide in our country over this issue.
Those on the left like him don't think that our immigration laws are real laws. They see them as being similar to laws against jaywalking or spitting on the sidewalk. Sure, they'll admit, immigration lawas are on the books, but there're not really laws that you enforce.
And that's what the divide is all about; whether you see immigration law as real law. I do, they don't.
well tom, yeah, even the constitution takes second place to their arrogant stupidity, whatever happens to be deemed "politically correct" is more important than anything in their little pea brains.
This really does come down to an issue of the rule of law. Democrats are the ones involved in voter scams that register the dead, felons and illegals to vote for their candidates. The rule of law means little to them; the end justifying the means does.
We cannot expect anyone to uphold U.S.law if we don't. Illegals are simply getting away with what we're allowing.
Mark,
Is there anything in the constitution that you don't agree with or enforce -- for example what is your relationship with the 10th amendment?
There is an economic pressure that is contrary to this law.
The law does not fit the complexity of reality, it is a law which enforces a distinction between people, despite the fact that the de facto reality is that these workers are welcomed here.
Law should reflect the underlying functions of a societies moral code.
"When I so pressingly urge a strict observance of all the laws, let me not be understood as saying there are no bad laws, nor that grievances may not arise, for the redress of which, no legal provisions have been made.--I mean to say no such thing. But I do mean to say, that, although bad laws, if they exist, should be repealed as soon as possible, still while they continue in force, for the sake of example, they should be religiously observed. So also in unprovided cases. If such arise, let proper legal provisions be made for them with the least possible delay; but, till then, let them, if not too intolerable, be borne with." -- Lincoln
I suggest that if this law was complied with by the letter, every time, that there would be severe economic consequences. It is naive to believe that people would comply with the law, but in a moral since, they should. I wish they would, such that the economic problems caused by the law would be very obvious and that the law would then be changed.
I bet you don't turn down all the lower prices you get because of the people who have come across the border to work at a better wage for them and a cheaper wage for us. What you should do is put pressure on your suppliers, people you buy from, such that if you find out they buy inputs from anyone who uses illegal labor, that you will no longer buy from them. Follow this out consistently and see what goods you are left with. Internalize your objection to illegal labor, be consistent, abide by the law. Do the research, see how many illegal operations that you are supporting yourself. I agree with you -- follow the law, but change laws that are idiotic.
"I take issue with your description of people being illegal immigrants. There aren't any illegal human beings;"
a good example clearly made of taking a phrase out of context of its meaning and changing it to imply something else.
" Number two, they're undocumented."
in this issue being, "undocumented" and being "illegal" are synonymous terms. to look at what he is saying in a logical way, he is saying that there are no illegal human beings only undocumented human beings. do we need documented proof that we are human beings before we can say we are human beings? by his logic it is apparent we do.