U.S. should stop divided nationality, loyalty

[question everything]

Los Angeles Daily News

U.S. should stop divided nationality, loyalty


By Ralph E. Shaffer and Walter P. Coombs (professors emeriti at Cal Poly Pomona)

Guest Columnists


Friday, January 21, 2005 - On Jan. 28, an estimated 250,000 Iraqi emigres and refugees living in the United States will be eligible to cast votes in that nation's controversial election, even though many of them are American citizens and some of them never lived in Iraq.

Not a single member of Congress has criticized this voting, and the Bush administration has taken great efforts and spent taxpayer dollars to ensure a heavy turnout.

Voting will take place at five polling places scattered around the United States, including El Toro. "Iraqis," defined as people at least 18 years old who were born in Iraq or whose father was born there, are eligible to vote. Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Newport Beach, says Orange County is "proud to play a key role" in the election. This from a conservative who otherwise denounces the concept of hyphenated-Americans

This is but the most recent example of Americans voting in foreign elections. Today nearly 100 nations recognize dual citizenship or dual nationality -- the distinction is slight -- and with it the potential for American participation in their balloting. An estimated 10,000 Ukrainian-Americans participated in that nation's December re-vote, lining up at Ukrainian consulates across our country. Earlier last year 7,000 Taiwanese-Americans flew out of Los Angeles International Airport to vote there.

(snip)

No American citizen, by birth or naturalization, should be permitted to cast a ballot in another country's election. The danger to the United States is too great. That's why Congress banned voting in foreign elections in 1940, fearing that misguided actions by some Americans would drag us into a war the country wanted to avoid.

Furthermore, we are outraged, and rightly so, at the idea of outside involvement in American politics. Likewise, Americans who vote overseas run the risk of increasing anti-American feeling through their interference in the internal affairs of another nation.

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http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~24781~2664800,00.html#

[MichiganVote]

1. God I am so sick and tired of the money hemmorage in this country

[mockingbich]

2. I agree and am sick of this crap

IS there no end to how much money our current government will spend?... Maybe the expats should go back to Iraq if they want to vote so badly. Are they Americans or Iraqis? Choose dammit! No more "hyphenated" american bullshit

[MichiganVote]

3. Damn right. Its like we have given the world a blank check

and our own people, principaly children, are left wanting.