Issue 120 Voting Rights Act July 15, 2013

Did you know that the Supreme Court overturned Section 8 of the Voting Rights act? The voting rights act was put together to protect all Americans from abuses with respect to being denied their right to vote. So any change or perceived change is going to be met with fear. But what exactly did the Supreme Court do to change the law. Read on to find out.

What is Section 8: Section 8 deals with States and territories of the United States that have traditionally been abusive toward black voters in the United States. These States include Texas, Alabama, Virginia, Alaska, etc, along with some specific counties in certain States. Section 8 contained a formula which determined if such places would be subject to federal jurisdiction when they wanted to change their voting laws. In short, these places needed to ask the federal government if they could change any laws with regards to voting, with the federal government deciding when it will no longer be required to administrate over these States and counties.

What happened: Just recently the Supreme Court ruled that the current version of Section 8 was invalid. It was a decision made in a 5 to 4 vote with the swing vote belonging to Justice Kennedy siding with the conservative faction of the Supreme Court. Therefore under court order the States no longer have to abide by Section 8's standards. This makes every State in the entire U.S. equal with respect to autonomy to making and enforcing their own voting laws. However, there is a catch. The Court also said that the Congress must update the formula in Section 8 to meet with the current treatment of racial and ethnic minorities of the current century. As such the Supreme Court rather than legislate from the bench told in an off handed way that congress if they feel a need to, can update and change Section 8. So Section 8 is still there on the books, but cannot be enforced in its current form.

What’s ahead: It is highly possible that Congress will update section 8, but I personally doubt that Republicans will allow it to happen under President Obama's watch. They, I feel, don't want any law that can potentially have the Democrats being able to control the laws on voting in traditionally Republican leaning areas of the country. So Republicans may wait and see who is President by the next election.

As to the issue of possible racism at the voting booth. This also seems like a very unlikely scenario. Our country has thankfully evolved from a nation of hypocrites and bigots to a more tolerant nation (though that is so long as we as human beings keep finding new targets to character assassination). So the possibility that black Americans and other people of different colors other than white will feel any form of voter manipulation or intimidation by government is from my perspective very unlikely.

Conclusion: We now enter a game of wait and see. Will congress update the law? Are the last vestiges of racial discrimination in the voting booth going to rear its ugly head? Only time will tell. Though I think we are going to be just fine without Section 8.

Issue 119 Citizenship Classes July 12, 2013

Should Immigrants have a citizenship class? To be honest, I'm not sure as to yes or no. So at this point I believe it should be optional with it being offered by the State Department (for a small fee) to be used to help immigrants accumulate points (under an ideal immigration system [issues 115,116, and 117), or to aid in the process of migrating to their new home in the United States. So what would be needed to become a "good" citizen?

Language: Teaching immigrants how to read and write in English is essential. It prevents them from relying on other people to interpret for them what a politician or a boss is telling them. Thus it helps act as insurance that they are being treated fairly by a boss and not being manipulated by a politician or anyone for that manor. Also, the ability to communicate in the native language aids in allowing the new citizen to interact with their new communities. This helps break down racial and ethnic barriers while preventing the formation of ethnic and racial ghettos as well as stopping social isolation due to the inability to communicate. Getting such immigrants to at least an 8th grade reading level is best as this will enable them to communicate while giving them the ability to learn and enhance their knowledge of the language as they live in their new country on their own.

The Constitution: Each immigrant must know the government and how it operates, starting with its core (the Constitution) and the reasons behind why people fought and died to establish and preserve that document. Knowing how the government works also prevents them from being misled by false promises of politicians as they will know the limits of power the government has. Within a Constitution, the basic God given (or natural rights) are put forth and should also be taught to the new immigrants. By knowing their rights and privileges as citizens it gives these new citizens the same knowledge and power that all citizens already have, while preventing any sort of oppression by government or their now fellow (or soon to be) citizens.

Where to go if in trouble: The immigrants will be made aware of who to call in case of an emergency or if they are in danger. Basically teach them to call 911 and what to do on the phone to explain to the operator in as fast and calm a way possible what is happening. Some may think this is simple, but some immigrants are coming from countries where the police are bullies and are abusers, so learning to trust is paramount. This is also why these immigrants should learn the language as the time it takes to find an interpreter is precious time that is wasted not getting to the scene of an accident or to a crime in progress.

Basic culture: Learning basic culture of the American community can also help. Meeting people from other countries and learning to get along with their unique customs is a lot like dating, you’re only going to tolerate so much. So knowing what may or may not offend the local community and ensuring the new immigrant knows to explain why they do what they do helps to reduce the possibility of friction from the new immigrant and the community that is adopting them and their family.

Conclusion: Yes, despite everything I said, it is best to make this sort of class optional. Some of the immigrants may already know most if not all of these things and making them take the classes is redundant. However, it is my belief that those who actually wish to know will take the classes (so maybe I would not mind offering this free on my tax payer dime in this case). I want all people who wish for the American dream (their American Dream) to come to America. I want these hard working and generally honest individuals to come to the United States.

Issue 118 Boarder Fence?! July 11, 2013

Does a boarder fence deter illegal immigration into the United States? Does it actually reduce the amount of people coming in without permission? Well the answer is yes and no. Let's review.

When it works: It works when the fence is built effectively. The most effective types of boarder fence are double walled. This means two walls/fences with a space in between. Why is it more effective? It is more effective because the two walls make it harder to cross as while you may be able to get over the first wall, it takes time to get over the second and patrol officers use the gap in the middle to patrol the boarder.

When they don't work: The ones that don't work are the ones that illegal migrants can simply cut through, or clime over to get to the other side. Others are simply vehicle barriers that people can cross on foot to meet an awaiting vehicle. Basically, when ever they can simply cut, clime or walk right through, then the fence does not work.

Electronic Fence: This idea of using surveillance cameras to track when someone is crossing is a good one, but with a flaw. If no one is there to stop the people trying to cross then what the heck is the point of wasting the money on all those ground and motion sensors. There is no point to a fence that cannot be used to enforce legal immigration.

What is needed: We do need double fencing as it works especially in high population areas where cities of two countries are right next to each other. To act as a further deterrent, the space between the fences can have a kind of razor wire to tangle anyone who manages to get over the first wall. There will still be space for a patrol vehicle between the walls, but these walls will double as vehicle barriers with pilings to help deter enterprising individuals from digging drug tunnels.

From there we take advantage of natural barriers like the Rio Grand on the boarder of the U.S. and Mexico. In areas of high water currents place vehicle barriers in the water where boats can potentially be used to load cargo and people and ferry them to the other side. In unpopulated areas vehicle barriers along with natural shrubbery that hinders people moving by foot would be best. In this case a double vehicle barrier spaced enough with dense shrubbery or other plant and obstacles where it becomes too tedious to try and cross between by foot from one side to the other by foot.

The remaining component is having each part of this type of fencing wide enough to ensure that it is effective. If the double wall only lasts till the end of the city limits, then all the illegal migrant(s) has to do is drive to the end of the barrier and get picked up there. So spacing it out where it becomes too expansive to accomplish is the key. Basically make it so difficult that coming into the country legally is easier to accomplish (maybe combined with an ideal immigration system: see issues 115, 116, and 117).

Conclusion: An effective wall can work as in certain spots along the boarder illegal crossings have dropped by 75%. How much that is due to how the economy is doing or the fence itself is still in question however. What needs to be done though is replace boarder patrol with the National Guard. The National Guard troops are under direct control of the State Governors, but are equally adept at enforcing a boarder and following federal laws. Boarder patrol, which is controlled by Washington D.C. and its bureaucrats, becomes ineffective beyond immigration check points. This from my perspective is due to politics and how boarder policy can be used to manipulate certain groups in the election season. The Coast Guard already guards our boarders at sea so why not the National Guard on land, and the Air National Guard aiding this effort in the air. We do need a fence combined with an improved and effective legal immigration program to provide an alternative to the failed system that either remains unenforced or ineffective as we currently have now.

Issue 117 Ideal Immigration part 3 July 10, 2013

The final part of the program is a system so that people who cannot get sponsorships may become United States Citizens. It is based on a point system with some benefits to make it easier to immigrate to the United States.

As Stated in part 1: Just like in part 1, allow applicants must go through a background check. It is just that simple. This background check aids in determining the number of points the applicant has. A persons affiliations, like to a church, or a charity provide positive points for the person, while a person with negative affiliations such as ties to radical groups will cause points to be subtracted. However, when it comes to being tied to radical groups or other negative influences like a gang, at least 5 years of separation from such a group must be required to remove any negative effects on the application process. This does not mean the individual will not be under close scrutiny, but by not having contact with the group or its members it shows you are no longer associated with them and thus less likely to commit a crime, or be an enemy of the State.

Good Points: Points will also be awarded for having already established a living place in the United States, being able to speak English (8th grade level), being able to write English (8th grade level), having a college degree and whatever else is deemed a positive by the system. If you worked under a workers visa, or business sponsor, or went to the United States under an education sponsor, but did not decide to become a citizen at that time, points will be added to your score. At no time will it be held against you for not wanting to be a citizen at that period in time, but will be in fact rewarded later for having been part of those programs. Also, if you already have family in the United States, that will also add to your total score.

Bad points: If you were a gang member, committed a violent crime, or are associated with a radical group linked to terrorists, you will be barred from all entry into the United States save the five years of separation clause for being a member of such groups and having contact with said members. Violent crimes exceptions will be on a case by case basis and all court records must be made available along with any evidence presented and evidence omitted to determine if an exception will be given. This is less about points and more about public safety.

How points add up: The total score needed to reach is 100. And each positive adds up to that score, like being able to read and right in English gets 20 points, a home/living arrangement an additional 10 and a job established another 10. Having been involved in a sponsor program, previous work experience or already having a college education gets you another 15 points each. So you can start out with over 50 points. Additional points may be awarded for being able to speak an additional language outside of English and your native language or already have family living as a citizen (wife, child, husband etc.) gets another 5 each. Being a person in good standing based on the background check gets an additional 10. Additional points may be added depending on wants and needs of the nation. But the idea is simple and it is easy to acquire points. If you apply, but don't reach the 100 points you will still be in the system and can add points over time. So say you got 75 points, but do not have a college education, you can add an additional 15 points by getting a degree equivalent to an associates degree in the United States bringing you to 90. So you can keep accumulating points as you go.

Family: If your children are age 18 and under, they will be immune to the points system as long as they are determined to be in your custody. Adopted children to people who are already citizens are also immune unless they are over the age of 16, where they will have to go through a points system, but must only achieve a score of 50 under the points system. A person’s immediate spouse must go through the background check but also must go through the point system, but must achieve a score of 50. It is a lower score for children (who are being adopted) and spouses because in some cultures education is repressed or hard to achieve, as such it makes it easier to ensure the whole family is able to come (I will not allow families to be broken up). However, the primary person who is applying will have to achieve the full 100 points for their family to come to the United States. If the spouse fails to achieve the 50 points, then the whole family will not be allowed to come to the United States. If a child being adopted (who is over the age of 16) does not achieve the full 50 points then they will not be allowed to enter the United States as a citizen.

Conclusion: The system is designed to be easy to achieve and understand, and as such a better alternative to trying to cross the boarder illegally. People cross illegally due to the system being so hard to understand and navigate. So this offers a simple alternative to coming illegally. The only bad part is that a quota system will be required so that the economic system is not overburdened by a mass influx of people and ensures both citizens and non-citizens alike have an equal chance of finding a job as more job opportunities are created. This also limits the possibility of new citizens ending up on welfare. Also, it must be based on a first come first serve basis, as such whoever reaches 100 points first gets first dibs to those coming in who achieve 100 points after them. As such some people may have to wait a year or more to get in based on the quota. But to save time and make sure these people do not loose their living arrangements or jobs, a limbo visa may be issued to an individual and their family on a case by case basis.

So this is it, an ideal immigration system that is meant to be simple and effective. I want people to come seeking their American dream and I hope that a system like this is created to give them the opportunity to do just that.

 

Issue 116 Ideal immigration part 2 July 9, 2013

Well part one was all about the basic requirements to get into the United States. Today is about who sponsors people to come in. Don't know what I mean? Read on and find out.

Farm/construction Sponsors: Basically, some people just want to come to a country, work for a short period of time and then leave. This includes migrant workers on farms and construction sites. Rather than just have a random number of people show up to want to be hired by a farmer/ Foreman and risk not having work, we can have a guest worker program. Each farmer/ Foreman determines the number or workers needed to help harvest their crops before the season starts and they give this information to the United States State Department. From there the State Department takes applications from those who wish to work such a job up to the total asked for. Then they hand the individual applicant a workers visa which allows them to stay in the United States for 9 months. Then if need be, transportation is provided to the now confirmed worker to the job sight. At the end of the 9 month period they will be picked up to be flown or driven back to their country of origin or a country of their choice. During the farming/construction season, the farmer can ask for additional workers if needed and the State Department will accept new applications based on the farmers needs. Also, the person with the workers visa will be able to come and go as they please with them simply going through the verification system to show that they left and when they return, but they can only do this through that 9 month window. If a worker is fired, the State department brings them home, but the farmer must provide a reason for their firing. If the worker was determined to be lazy or some other negative fireable offense, then the worker will not be allowed to work on any farm or other business for whatever time remains on their visa, and be suspended from being allowed to work next season. But if the firing was due to having too many workers, or the inability to pay, or some unreasonable reason, then the worker will have be allowed to have first dibs on any openings in what remains from the 9 month season, or be given first dibs at work next season. After working using such a visa for four times in a 6 year period, the individual will be allowed to become a citizen along with their immediate family (wife, husband and children).

Some of you are wondering why I would have the State Department bring them to the area for work and then fly them home. Simple, we want them to be able to get directly to the job and also make sure they take no detours that would allow them to get "lost" amongst the American populace. The cost savings of not having to find them later will be well worth the cost.

Business Sponsors: Both large and small businesses may sponsor people to come work for them. It works in the same way as a workers visa for farmers, but the length the individual is allowed to stay is increased to a full 2 years with the ability to renew or become a full citizen (along with their immediate family) once the two year window is complete. In this case however, the business pays the cost to ship the individual or individuals to the United States. There is no need to be selective about who comes to the United States or for the government to determine skill requirements as the individual businesses will know the exact skills they want. So this removes the governments need to figure out who has the skills the business world needs and saves us taxpayer dollars trying to figure it out. Also, Business can be more selective about whom they want and thus can name individual people that they wish to work for them, as such it eliminates the need to have long application lines like with the workers visa for farmers. Again, they will be allowed to come and go as they please to their country of origin during the 2 year window, but if they should be fired for any reason they will not have the opportunity to come back unless they find new employment or try to become a full citizen (discussed in part 3).

Education Sponsors: Here we have something similar to Business sponsors. People from foreign countries that are accepted into an American college will have their names given to the State Department and be allowed to come for the full duration of their educational career. If that education lasts at least two years then they will be allowed to remain in the United States as a full citizen (no family, unless they are already married, or get married during the two years). Like the business sponsor visa's, they will be allowed to come and go as they please to their country of origin during the length of their educational career, but if they should be kicked out of school for any reason they will not have the opportunity to come back unless they find another education establishment to attend or employment or try to become a full citizen (discussed in part 3). We want educated and talented people for the businesses we wish to support and so that these young men and women can start new businesses. Therefore having them become citizens once they complete their education is a wise and healthy option. (Note: the education sponsor and the business sponsor may be combined as the requirements are similar and it is not unheard of that businesses will sponsor a person’s education and hire them later.

Conclusion: By having these sponsorship programs it makes it easier to come and work in the United States and simplifies immigration. All the individuals will be mandated to go through the background check and be verified that they came into the country as well as when they leave to go home to their country of origin. Also, each version provides an opportunity to become a citizen of the United States after a certain period of time. The sponsor program is designed to take as much of a burden off the immigrant as possible so as to insure ease of the process and provide a sensible and easy path to citizenship if the person so desires.

Issue 115 Ideal Immagration part 1 July 8, 2013

Immigration is the hottest topic amongst politicians in all western countries. Why? Because immigration defines what jobs are taken, how the country progresses forward and even new political leaders. I write today a 3 part breakdown of an ideal immigration system. Let's get started.

Know who goes in and out: One of the key pieces needed for modern 21st century immigration is a system that monitors when someone from another country comes into a country. This can be done through a passport or even electronic finger prints, but it also must be applied when the person leaves as well. The reason is so that we know that they actually left. There are thousands of immigrants who come here to the United States legally and they simply disappear into society. The result is that we never know if and when they leave. So by tracking these people as they come in and out we will know whether we have to find them or not. As an added bonus, we can also track where they go when they leave to better help understand population movements and use it as a form of intelligence if say they happen to be an enemy of the State.

Back Ground Checks: With all the data mining going on, background checks are becoming very routine. Thus, we can easily apply it to those visiting the United States and those who want to become American Citizens. So what do we look for in a background check? We look for what groups they are affiliated with (economic, ideological, religious, etc). This helps determine if they may or may not potentially be spies or terrorists. Job history and family history also aid in determining if the person is right for society. There will be two tiers of classification though. Tier one are those who are visiting for a vacation which can generally last 2 months. As such government officials will look at the type of tickets they bought (one way, two way, for how many people, etc.) and their other purchases such as hotel rooms and intended places of travel. This is a type of profiling to aid in determining if the person is a possible threat, but vacations are short and only require more modest scrutiny such as basic affiliations. Those wanting to stay longer will require a full and lengthy background check to get a clearer picture of who they are.

Those who come in illegally: It is hard to police those who sneak over the boarder (and they are not just Mexicans, they are Irish, Russian, African, etc.). Any new immigration policy will attempt to deal with them in some way, shape or form. Problem, if you try to determine if they were born to illegal immigrant parents or not, it is almost impossible without a birth certificate. As such if they do have a birth certificate they should become legal citizens right away. But for those without then they will have to apply like everyone else. I offer no penalty save deportation if it is determined that they have no job, are homeless and may have gang or other negative affiliation. Those without such affiliations will be allowed to stay, and receive a small $1,000 fine. Why such a small fine? You're not going to take back taxes from them, or give them additional punishments? Well, no as that would not solve the problem at all. The small fine works to pay for the costs of them becoming official citizens if the want (those who do not want to be citizens will have the fine used to buy them a plane ticket home). Jailing them just costs too much and makes no sense for a person who committed a non-violent crime, and taxes that they should have paid if they came legally are nearly impossible to determine. So I will not bother wasting time on something so expensive. But these illegal migrants will be required to go through a background check. As to those who are deported, they may re-enter after 90 days if they are determined to be a person in good standing through the background check, and this time we know who they are and when they leave.

Conclusion: By making the system requirements easy to understand and go through, you limit the hard ship and incentive to seek an alternative rout such as illegal immigration. Keep it simple, yet effective. Once done, the only ones left crossing will still be those who wish to dodge the system for what ever reason. If and when caught, they will go through the same process as an illegal immigrant who is already in country, a background check, a small fine and possible deportation. We want immigration, and we want them to come in the front door. Sure the above is not ideal. Some may want all illegals deported, or want more penalties and fines, but those cost lots of money and the crime is almost always victimless. There is no sense jailing some one for a crime if their punishment is better served like a traffic ticket, and that they still must go through the same process as everyone else. The ideal is not ideal, but it is better than the status quo.

Issue 114 Pirates always win July 5 2013

Ever wonder why industries like the music industry and television always try and fail to protect their owner ship of songs and shows. Because Pirates on the internet always find a way to get that information and offer it up for free. Even more so, hackers (modern internet pirates) are taking other wise secret or proprietary information and bringing it to the public eye. And you know what, they cannot be stopped.

Dumb Government: Governments have always thought that they could control the airwaves, but they failed to account for pirate radio. These pioneers of radio found unused or hijacked signals to broadcast their music (and that of others). Sure it is illegal, but it did not stop them. If a pirate station would be shut down, then another would take its place. The internet made this easier as now sites like YouTube could broadcast anywhere all over the globe. Many times these pirates would translate foreign television and post it too. Thanks to the internet, bootleg versions of shows with quality equal to the original could be brought before the masses. As a result, laws changed. Copyrights became loosened up allowing people to see and sing what ever songs they want by different people without fear of being sued for copyright infringement. That’s right you can sing a Green Day song on YouTube or similar sight without the government coming after you (at one point people were being sued for singing songs as advertisers would post ads which gave those individuals money). Basically, government gave up.

The movie and CD industry: Bootlegs (illegal copies of the original) are common. Any knock off can be bought off a street corner for less than half the price (quality is a different issue). Entire villages in China make money from bootleg products. But the industries were forced to adapt. Some conscripted these bootleggers to make copies of their music and shows for them. Others release the CD's and videos as soon as the movie completes its run in theaters. Basically they try to head off the bootleggers before they can profit off their illegal bounty. But others still just move on. They stopped fighting these pirates and just let them do as they please. Companies make money from the first airing of a show, movie and song and then let the fur fly as bootleggers scramble to make cash on the product. Companies make their profit and then move on accounting for the bootleggers speed to bring products to the market. So companies know they must offer something better to entice people to buy more than just the movie. That is why some offer behind the scenes looks and mini shorts as part of the package. Bootleggers will get those too, but they have to rip the information out of a CD or DVD first that may be encoded. Thus, the industries buy time to make a profit while we enjoy better entertainment for a reduced price. In other words consumers reap the rewards.

Intellectual property: Hacktivists and others want more information to be made available to the average person. They are fighting copyrights laws to end monopolies on numerous journals, and articles and even patents. The result is hacktivists and other sights providing that content for free and making money based on site visits from advertisers or small downloading fees. The internet has allowed information to spread like wildfire and even if you manage to shut down one site thousands stand ready to take their place. Like wise government secrets are not safe either and thus we now know not just those we are being spied on but how they are doing it. This is thanks to these hackers and whistleblowers (regardless of their motives) providing us with the ability to watch our government and react to its abuses (in some respects the hackers are replacing the press in this role). As a result, governments are forced to re-evaluate themselves and are forced to change to fit their illegal programs within the framework of proper law that still protect our rights. So thank you pirates.

Conclusion: Pirates have existed in one form or another throughout history. They challenged social norms and pushed boundaries often forcing change. Today’s pirates (hackers) and bootleggers are doing just that. They have become de-facto protectors against corporate monopolies, corrupt governments and over priced entertainment. The pirates will continue to win, and they are unstoppable.