Driver Licenses / a Latino perspective

[Bushknew]

Let me tell you why I think the Driver License issue is racist.

Republicans say, if illegal immigrants are allowed to obtain driver licenses it will
pose a danger to national security, i.e. they will be able to board a plane and drive a car.

Being able to buy guns at gun fairs without background checks poses a REAL danger to national security not an illegal immigrant driving a car or boarding a plane.

Republicans have used 911 to inflame racism in the American people.

Latinos have NEVER committed an act of terrorism against America or Americans.

Instead, they take care of your kids, they pick the fruits and vegetables you eat every night.

Latinos are put IN THE FRONT LINES. They fight and die for this country without even being US citizens.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/23/60II/main550779.shtml

From a purely selfish standpoint, Americans should be in favor of illegal immigrants
because it maintains their lifestyle.

The groceries they buy are picked by illegal slave immigrant laborers right here in the United States of America.

They should be thankful. No, they should be ashamed that their lifestyle depends on illegal slave immigrant labor.

If businesses were forced not to hire illegal immigrants, there would be no illegal immigrants in this country.

But, immigrant slave labor is the lifeblood of American business here at home and abroad.

[Nikia]

1. It is a national security problem if people are without licenses

I would think that we would want to encourage illegal immigrants who may not have had much exposure to driving to learn how to drive. That would involve studying the traffic laws and learning the signs. It would require practice driving with a licensed driver. Not allowing illegal immigrants to get licenses does not encourage them to learn these things before they go driving on their own. We have enough bad drivers as it is that cause accidents. Why should we encourage non licensed drivers to be on the road?

[Howardx]

2. Latinos have NEVER committed an act of terrorism against America or Americ

are puerto ricans latinos?

[Bushknew]

4. What act of terrorism have Puerto Ricans committed?

[mitchum]

5. FALN...

Google away

[Brian Sweat]

9. Um, Ricky Martin. Hello?

Also, they shot up congress back in the fifties.

But since they are already American citizens, I don't think it counts.

[KT2000]

3. Excellent comments

I don't live in CA but if I did I would bring up that everyone who is against the drivers licenses for illegal immigrants should immediately stop buying and eating all food harvested by illegal immigrtants. Then they should get out there and find "legal" nannies etc.

At the least this issue reeks of hypocrisy but I think you are right that it is racist at its heart.

[birdy1969]

6. No problems with Latinos however ...

I have no problem with Latinos getting driver licenses, however there is no way to ensure that only illegal Latinos will use this previlige. If we are giving to one group of illegal aliens then we will have to give to all of them (terrorists included).

[newyawker99]

7. Hi birdy1969!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Exultant Democracy]

8. duh, duh, duh

If they have drivers licenses they become a lot easier to keep track of.

[Jackhammer Jesus]

10. Republicans forgetting some of the facts?

I can't confirm this, but I recall hearing somewhere that even illegal immigrants need to confirm with the government that they have a permanent residence and are paying their taxes in order to get a license.

Does anyone know if this is true? If so, it sounds asinine that Republicans think these people have "no right" to be able to legally drive. If they're working here, have a home, and pay their taxes, why the hell should we be keeping them off our roads? That's my take on it, anyway.

[slackmaster]

12. Residencia Sí, Pago de Impuestos No

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm#2500

Of course the site is out of date. The "Legal Presence" requirement can no longer be enforced by the DMV.

[Hanuman]

11. Here's my problem with this...

Lationos are the big winner in AB 60 simply because they are the predominant group that are going to use it. So, consequently, they are also the biggest group that gets hammered by the angry electorate (some polls put it at 60% negative reaction to the bill).

Personally, I am 100% color/race/ethnicity blind to my opposition of AB 60- for a variety of reasons such as national security, voting fraud potential and the threat of other states refusal to accept the CA drivers license as a valid form of ID.

I acknowledge that Latinos will receive the most benefit, and that's great, but this benefit can and will be extended to anyone who immigrates illegally to the US, or anyone who overstays a visa-- this includes those dastardly Middle Easterners as well as our beloved latinos.

I recall that Virginai issued drivers licenses to some of the 9/11 hijackers under similars conditions. And these licenses did indeed aid the terrorists in executing their plans. And after 9/11, the people and lawmakers of Virginia were so horrified by their mistake that they repealed the law.

It seems odd that we haven't been able to learn from the mistakes of others.

Once again-- I have no ill-will toward any ethnic group and want nothing but the best for them, provided that they come to us the way they were intended to from the start. Through a legal and documented and verifiable system of immigration. Personally, I would make legal immigration much easier than it is right now- with the insistance on rigorous documentation, but that is niether here nor there at this point.