COMMENTARY | New Haven, Conn., Mayor John DeStefano wants state legislators to grant illegal immigrants the right to vote, according to Fox News. The idea of granting illegal immigrants the right to vote is not only unconstitutional; it is also disrespectful to many. Mayor DeStefano is taking a step to open up a can of worms that I hope gets closed quickly.
First, a person has to be a citizen to vote. Mayor DeStefano believes people should be given the right to vote simply due to the fact they may pay taxes either directly or indirectly. The right is granted due to citizenship. Rights like voting should not be granted to people who entered this country illegally. It is bad enough they are taking jobs away from citizens and other people which are here legally.
The thought of granting voting rights to people who are here illegally is a slap in the face to every American citizen. The idea is a slap in the face to anyone who entered this country legally and has gone through the steps to become a citizen. It is also a slap to all of the men and women who have died so that we may keep the right to vote. The thought of granting one of our unalienable rights to someone who snuck into this country is idiocy at work.
As a political consultant, I see where Mayor DeStefano is going with this move. Per the Fox News report, Republicans of Connecticut believe it is simply a publicity stunt by the mayor. I see this as trying to pander to the illegal immigrants in his area, and a way to pad himself in the upcoming polls. It would make sense to say undocumented people would be more likely to vote for DeStefano in the future since he is the one who pushed to give them that right.
At the same time, I can see the Democrats trying to open this can of worms across the country. Many of the polls have shown President Obama with slightly succeeding pre-election numbers. If the Democrats were able to add a significant number of extra votes to their side, the Republicans might be in peril. It should not matter if you want President Obama to win or lose. Do you want illegal immigrants to be granted the right?
2 comments