NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE: Citizenship Demands a Responsible and Humble People
Dr. Karen Hiltz: Special to The Sunshine Journal
While listening to a podcast, it was stated that Citizen in Greek means Politics. This implies citizens are meant to be involved in the political process. It further provides rational to what it means to be a citizen in our constitutional republic.
Founding documents link our nation to a belief in God and the rule of law where elected officials are to govern in the best interests of its citizens. Though our laws reflect good and bad governance, too many officials choose to ignore and twist them to meet selfish objectives. This leads us to what we are currently experiencing: predictable chaos.
Politics is driving our self-inflicted chaos. Do officials honestly believe compassion aligns with open borders? Is it responsible to ignore children being sold into slavery? Where are the masses of people fighting against human trafficking? What about citizens dying daily from drugs? All of this is happening in plain sight.
The current administration continues to escalate the chaos because they chose to ignore existing laws. They are not arresting and prosecuting cartel surrogates and thugs. Rules and regulations are revised and causing harm. Criminals are allowed to continue their behavior without consequences. Citizens should not accept or tolerate this barbaric and heartless invasion.
Many countries require a Visa to visit or relocate. There are a host of reasons, but primary among them is the need to know who is entering and the duration of their stay. They seek to minimize the entry of criminals and terrorists. They want to know if there is a family connection. If one is traveling for business. Responsible countries refrain from allowing entry of bad actors whose aim is to inflict harm and destruction.
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Reasonable countries believe in protecting their borders. Consider Singapore. If you choose to bring illegal drugs with you during your visit and are caught, you will be arrested and thrown in jail. There is no catch and release option. No three strikes and you’re out option. There is no excuse that you forgot drugs were in your possession. The law is the law and they do not tolerate those who break them.
Australia requires specific considerations. According to the Australian Government individuals choosing to immigrate or become a citizen must meet resident, character, and language requirements. They must have knowledge as well as a close and continuing link to the country. Also, certain circumstances prevent approval of applications such as criminal offenses and risk to national security.
The truth is illegal aliens pose real threats. They enter our republic by circumventing our laws. We have citizens who struggle, yet our government is doling out food, shelter, and resources at an alarming rate. Illegals are not deserving of the rights and benefits afforded to citizens. This must be stopped!
Nor should amnesty be an acceptable solution. A child’s birth should not be a factor in deciding the future geographic location of a family. We must end this concept of anchor babies and chain migration. This does not demonstrate a lack of compassion but is an act of responsibility. Officials must enforce the law. Actions taken clearly validate or void what it takes to become a United States citizen.
Too many officials are irrational and are doing a disservice based on their vile open border policies. They have allowed masses of illegal aliens in with no accountability. They have degraded the value of being a United States citizen. They have shown no responsibility nor any amount of humility in correcting policy positions.
The United States of America is the land of opportunity. It is the country many want to immigrate to. What makes us great is our declaration to support individual rights that include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We welcome those, via legal channels, who support the ideals our founders left for us. All officials must remember they took an oath to protect and defend the constitution. This demands they act responsibly and be humble enough to acknowledge their wrongs and a willingness to change course. The United States of America is a country worth protecting.
I believe you are saying humans need a change of heart. We are a republic founded on laws of nature (God), which is where our principles come from - IMO. Unfortunately many twist principles, the law, and truth to suit self interests. We have very few officials (elected or bureaucrats) that "serve" the people.
I believe we need responsible and humble officials to get us back to what our founders left us. A nation of people serving with integrity, honor, and self sacrifice.
The laws of Singapore, Malaysia, et al. are to be taken with a grain of salt, not as role models, IMO. The US is a mixed bag of godly principles - not only a land of opportunity. Principles like mercy triumphing as well as if not over judgment, a place where second chances are valued as much as justice. I’ve been thinking the country is founded on the belief that we need to wrestle with ourselves and the values that proceed from the heart of the Father. Then after that process the governance that comes of that will hopefully be an approximation of the best way. Like a binary search algorithm. Sadly, manipulative and/or deceived people use the process for their own self interest instead of seeking the betterment of society.