Don’t be harsh with the innocent babies

By Glenn Hutchinson

McClatchy-Tribune

Some politicians want to start deporting babies. They want to deny citizenship to children born in the United States to immigrant parents who are undocumented.

This is an extreme position, but one taken by almost 100 Republicans in the House and three Republican senators (Lindsey Graham, S.C., Jon Kyl, Ariz., and Mitch McConnell, Ky.).

Since 1868, the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution has recognized everyone born here as a citizen. Now Republicans, who used to consider themselves the defenders of tradition, want to trample on that 142-year-old American tradition.

Graham’s recent backing of this constitutional revision is surprising, since he had supported giving legal status to undocumented workers.

In a recent interview, Graham explained his theory that undocumented mothers cross the border to “drop and leave” their babies in hospitals.

Grossly offensive

Graham’s comment is grossly offensive. Immigrants come to America to work and pursue a better life. And immigrant moms don’t desert their babies.

Graham and his cohorts point out that many countries do not automatically grant citizenship to a child born on a nation’s soil.

But we’re not just any country.

This is the United States of America, a country that pursues high ideals of inclusion, diversity, freedom and equality.

What’s most troubling is how taking away citizenship rings with racism. The 14th Amendment was passed to ensure that all people born here, no matter the color of their skin, would be considered citizens.

Some states did not want to recognize blacks as citizens after the Civil War.

Now in the 21st century, some white Americans remain concerned that too many brown babies are being born.

Yes, our immigration system is broken, and as President Obama said, it is a “moral imperative” to fix it. Secure the borders, make the process fair, but do not blame infants in the process.

Rights

If you are born on this soil, you should have the same rights as anyone else.

We are a nation of immigrants.

A place for new beginnings.

A place that strives to be a beacon for the world.

And a place that likes babies.

Glenn Hutchinson teaches writing at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C. He wrote this for Progressive Media Project, a source of liberal commentary on domestic and international issues; it is affiliated with The Progressive magazine.Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.