As a person who has recently married an immigrant, I think I have some
insight into this issue. And while I won't go into the abuses of the INS
here (there is much more abuse than good) because this is a Minneapolis
discussion list, I do have some information on the issue of non-citizens
voting in local elections.
This is an idea that is long past its due. It is simply unconscionable
that people are not allowed to vote due to the circumstances of their birth.
While I can tolerate not allowing people to vote in federal elections if a
person does not take an oath to the Federal Republic, local elections are
another matter. Citizens and non-citizens have gotten their cars towed due
to the plowing practices of the city; shouldn't they be able to vote for
city council members? They go to schools. They pay federal and state
taxes. Shouldn't they have some say in how that money is spent?
In some parts of Europe non-citizens are already allowed to vote in
local elections. It is the goal of the European Union to extend this to all
member states of the EU. Already, citizens of EU countries can work in any
other member country; with this change, they will be able to vote in city
and EU elections.
In my opinion, this isn't a perfect answer; I await the day when border
controls are abolished and the INS is a quaint example in history books of
using discriminatory practices to keep willing people out of our country.
But until then, the least we can do is let non-citizens get involved in the
level of government that affects them most.
===
Nathan Hunstad
Minneapolis, MN
(612) 331-7766 -- Home (612) 598-6484 -- Wireless
PGP DH/DSS public key -- http://www.angelfire.com/mn/freakpower/nhpubkey.txt
"You don't need a Weatherman to know which way the wind blows."
--Bob Dylan
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