A New Post for a New Year

Today I'd like to bring your attention to a recent New York Times article and one particularly absurd quote:

“And we’re not being mean,” Mr. Hunter told a Tea Party rally in Southern California. “We’re just saying it takes more than walking across the border to become an American citizen. It’s what’s in our souls.”

Where did Mr. Hunter come from? Did his ancestors telepathically inherit American souls? How can anyone have a serious immigration discussion with someone who claims citizenship is based on the content of one's soul?

It is healthy for all parts of society to participate in dialogue regarding current events, needs, grievances, and accomplishments. However, I challenge individuals against immigration to look at the history of the United States and the accomplishments and contributions of immigrants (Einstein being one of our most famous foreign, immigrant geniuses.)

I also challenge critics to look at their own history. Where did their families come from? Most of us came from somewhere other than the US. The oldest inhabitants of the territory now known as the Unites States of America are the Native Americans, and historians explain that even the they are likely to have thousands of years ago come from somewhere else.

So critics of immigration, where do you come from?