Tell me what you think of this solution to illegal immigration...?

Question

The US government extends this offer to all illegals... join the US military, serve a 4-year enlistment, and you will be granted immediate citizenship. No waiting in line. No bureaucracy. No lengthy paperwork to fill out. No BS.

If you are unable to serve in the US military, then you can join a volunteer corps sent to Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and other third world nations in order to help them with tasks like digging ditches, constructing buildings, staffing hospitals, etc. Serve a 2-year enlistment in the volunteer corps (you will not be paid, but all your necessities will be provided for) and again, immediate citizenship.

If you are the minor child of a person serving in either the military or volunteer corps, you will also be extended immediate citizenship at the same time the serving parent.

By joining the military or volunteer corps, illegals will gain valuable work skills for future use, and in turn, receive citizenship for service to the US.

I base this idea somewhat on the book/movie "Starship Troopers". For those of you who have never read the book or seen the movie, the basic concept is that in order to become a citizen, one must serve their country's military. Not just immigrants, but everyone.

Personally, if my citizenship depended on serving in the military, I would do so gladly, and would challenge all others to do the same.

However, I understand that not all people are cut out for military service, so that is why my plan also calls for a volunteer corps that travels the world helping third world nations. I would also gladly do volunteer work in order to receive my citizenship.

The worst thing one can do, and especially if you're being offered the chance to do something positive with your life, is to sit around and do nothing. Or just as bad, do things solely for your own good rather than the good of your country or the whole of mankind.

To Avner - the volunteer corps would also be assigned to help the rebuilding of New Orleans. And if all our troops weren't in Iraq, they'd be helping out there as well. And with all the new enlistments, we may have enough soldiers to do both.

To Vanity - do you really think 4 years of military service is that easy? Try asking any soldier you know how easy it is, and they'll tell you that 50% of their enlistment class dropped out before the end of boot.

To gardengirl - you're right, there should be some kind of checks and balances. But the military does its homework as well before it accepts people. I was denied the ability to serve in the military because I was underweight for my height and I had flat feet. So it's a lot harder to get in than most people think.

On a final note, what kind of tweaks would you suggest? Maybe 4 years instead of 2 years in the volunteer corps? I am considering actually submitting this proposal to Congress next spring.

To horgurce - I'm not saying it's required. I'm saying it's an offer. I imagine most of them will say no, and then we'll deport their butts back to where they came. But for those that DO choose to attain citizenship through service, it shows they already have some level of commitment to the US in making that choice. And not everyone will choose to join the military, that's why there will be a corps of volunteers as well.

Let's face it, the US is in need of an image makeover around the world. This will give us a chance to show the rest of the world that Americans can do good for others rather than exploit them for profit.

And like I said, it is not required, but simply an open offer. The military will not be forced to deal with a whole bunch of illiterate illegals, but rather the few who will put their pride aside and join in the fight side-by-side with those from their soon-to-be adopted country.

Answer 1

Sounds like a good idea to me, although it would only be fair if the military service would be same length as volunteer service i feel (maybe both 2-3 years).

- However i feel this could only be justified if each applicant would be given a transferrable skill.

MINOR CHANGES TO YOUR SYSTEM:
- Maybe extending this system to a points system, something based on current australia's or the new UK's (starting in a year)...
- So if someone has professinal qualifications/ or a trade that can be helpful to society then they would have a high score and could automatically enter the country.
- Although, those who don't meet certain requirements are then given this 'service contract' choice, where they serve the country they wish to enter although in return the US gives them a trade which they can benefit society, get a stable career and then in the future take these transferrable skills back to their own country?

EXTENSION OF SYSTEM:
- I'd maybe even say for those who dont pass a scoring system... 2 years service contract = a 10 year contract stay in America with the addition and gaining a transferrable skill (from cook to plumber, from administrator to translator).

EXAMPLE OF SYSTEM:
This would then be more 'world-wide' benefical with the following actions:
- Person fails a 'scoring system'.
- Chooses to enter a 2 year 'service contract' in which they actively enlist in military or voluntary services - while being trained 'on the job' in a chosen skill/trade (anything which could be benefical to a society).
- On completion of this 'service contract', the applicant is offered a 10 year stay in the US. - This stay would now be better on the applicant (as they now have a trade which they can secure a career) and good for the US (as theres minor chances of unemployment).
- After 10 years, dependent on the applicants behaviour (employment history, criminal record, inclusion into society, etc.) the US could extend their stay although, if sent back to their own country - this would now be benefical to their home country - gaining another skilled/qualified citizen which would certainly help their economy.

Answer 2

I think the idea is a good solution. Remember, there are alot of positions that can utilize a person's talent. So, there is a job for everyone. What I am concerned with, is will this cause problems if a suspected terrorists type person enlists? Would we then have to grant them citizenship? I think there should be one more element to this idea, such as some type of background check or a series of personality interviews.

Answer 3

As a memmber of the military that will get saddled with these folks..no thanks.

The military is not as simple as stand and shoot. we have high tech systems that require lots of training. Even the basic infantryman is expected to be highly proficent in about a bazillion different things. Also the question of loyalty and honor come in. Can you count on this person to save your *** or are they gonna run after the first ambush. The honor thing? well theyve allready shown that hence the term "Illegal". found a quote from Teddy Roosevelt the other day that i think hits it on the head.

There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism…. The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities.
Speech before the Knights of Columbus, New York (1915-10-12)

Allso One that has become my favorite.

The man who loves other countries as much as his own stands on a level with the man who loves other women as much as he loves his own wife.

Many of my friends in the Army are from different countries. El salvador, Cuba, Russia, even lebanon but the difference is they are here legaly and joined out of commitment to this country and the oppertunitys offered them. Not because we owed it to them.

sorry to preach but ya hit my jackass button :)


reply to: Let's face it, the US is in need of an image makeover around the world. This will give us a chance to show the rest of the world that Americans can do good for others rather than exploit them for profit.

What more do we have to do? Are we already not the first to help any country that needs it? we bend over backwards and get kicked in the nuts. Help from us seems to allways lead to resentment. pick a country any country. Maybe we should wory about getting our house in order for a bit and let the world fix itself.

Answer 4

That would be an invitation to illegal immigration.

As it happens there's an easier way to stop illegal migration: end agricultural subsidies to agribusiness, the overproduction of cotton, corn, sugar, tobacco and other crops, and end the dumping of those products -- in Mexico it's duty-free under NAFTA, putting their farmers out of business and inducing farm workers to go to the USA where there are agricultural jobs: http://snurl.com/pickers

Also, what made you think they need manual laborers in Africa? The EU and the USA dump agricultural products there, so unemployed African farm workers head north to Europe. Also, even in Africa nobody digs ditches by hand. Caterpillar, JVC and other road machinery companies are doing quite well there.

Answer 5

first and preferable, enforce the guidelines that we've on the books with unlawful immigration. The preferrred courtroom would desire to overturn the 14th modification loophole that helps anchor infants. we would desire to continually build a fence alongside the Mexico border. Tighten down each and all of the forces that are pulling unlawful immigrants to this usa. while we've satisfactorily tightened down the border, we are in a position to than seem at what to do with whoever is here. Deport everyone who's in penal complex and unlawful. everyone else as fee to grow to be voters would desire to the two would desire to serve in the armed forces or serve in some form of federal government software. After tightening down the border we are in a position to additionally take a seem at our present day criminal immigration gadget and fasten any issues that are at present affecting it.

Answer 6

If you think this is such a good idea, why not have their home countries offer that in the first place so they do not have to be here illegally in the first place ? Our country still is the melting pot of the world, but, the pot does get full !

Answer 7

How about giving them citizenship after they assist victims of hurricanes such as Katrina?

Answer 8

Give them all temp. S.S. No's,put them all to work at B.S. jobs for five years. Tax them till they bleed and at the end of there servitude deport them to Greenland.

Answer 9

I think you and horgurce may have hit on something!
Write your congressmen and let them know what other options you, as Americans, are thinking of!

Answer 10

Oh great idea, lets get 10 million ILLEGAL immigrants arm them and teach them to fight. Are you insane?