Washington, DC- On Tuesday, President Donald Trump turned up the volume on his immigration rhetoric and left his fellow Republicans holding a big bag of shit, after he announced “plans” to amend the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment, by way of an executive order.
Trump sycophant, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), was adamant in his support of the Presidents announcement, and has indicated he will “introduce legislation along the same lines as the proposed executive order.”
“Finally, a president willing to take on this absurd policy of birthright citizenship. I’ve always supported comprehensive immigration reform – and at the same time- the elimination of birthright citizenship,” Graham tweeted.
House Speaker Paul Ryan was less supportive, “You cannot end birthright citizenship with an executive order. As a conservative, I’m a believer in following the plain text of the Constitution, and I think in this case the 14th Amendment is pretty clear.”
It should be noted that, though both men are sitting members of Congress, neither man possesses the requisite qualifications to be considered an “expert” in constitutional interpretation (Ryan holds a degree in economics and political science from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Graham, who is an attorney, received his Juris Doctor degree from the University Of South Carolina School Of Law and worked as a Judicial Advocate in the Air Force). What their statements offer is simply an expression of their opinion (a right afforded to all citizens thanks to the First Amendment)… and nothing more.
As an equally qualified non-expert, whose opinions are protected by the same constitutional rights, I’d like to offer my take on this divisive issue.
Before I continue, I’d like to briefly share some details about my background. I am a first generation American, son of a migrant who came to this country legally. At the time of my birth, my father was a legal resident of this country, but not a citizen. By virtue of Section 1 of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, I became an American Citizen the moment I took my first breath. For that I am eternally grateful.
Should the president succeed in his attempts to do away with birthright citizenship; me, my siblings and a number of my relatives would potentially no longer qualify as American Citizens. Future generations of people with similar backgrounds would be denied their rights as a citizen, simply because their parents were born on the wrong side of the border. As appalling as I find this notion, I’d be lying if I didn’t point out one very obvious silver lining to the President’s proposal.
Donald John Trump, son of Mary Anne MacLeod (Trump) from Tong, Scotland, would likely disqualify himself from citizenship based on these criteria. If that lining isn’t silver enough for you, let me point out a few more shiny objects.
Donald Trump Jr., who is obviously setting the groundwork for a career in politics, would be disqualified because his mother, Ivana Marie Zelnickova (Trump), was born in Zlin, Czechoslovakia. Ivana is also the mother to Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump, who would also be disqualified under the President’s plan.
Then of course, there is Baron Trump, son of First Lady Melania Knavs (Trump), who was born in Novo Mesto, Slovenia. Again, due to his mother’s country of origin, Baron would be disqualified.
Of all the (verified) Trump children, only Tiffany Trump, whose mother Marla Maples was born in Cohutta, Georgia, would qualify as American. That is of course, based on the assumption that we consider the President to be a qualified citizen himself, which (by his very own standard), he is not.
If you are a citizen like me, and you oppose this President and his agenda, you should support this legislation. If you cringe at the notion of his children entering politics and continuing his legacy, you should support this legislation. Citizenship be damned. If you seek to spare the world from the influence of the Trump family on future generations… you should support this legislation.