Our Broken (Values) System
“I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and lived here, even though sometime back they may have entered illegally.” – Ronald Reagan, 1984 debate with Walter Mondale Yes, you read that correctly: Ronald Reagan, the father of modern conservatism, in support of the A-word. Conservative champions of our day certainly deviate from this position, as displayed by the staggering rhetorical heights reached during the Republican presidential nomination race in 2011, including talk of an electric fence to control the border. In today’s current climate, not only has “amnesty” become a bad word, but even the supposedly low-hanging fruit of compromise – granting in-state tuition to undocumented students – has proven controversial. Providing these students a path to citizenship through higher education or military service? So far, a dream deferred. Dedicated to promoting their vision of conservative ideology, the Texas A&M Aggie Conservatives student group has recently called for a special legislative session in Texas to repeal in-state tuition for the undocumented. Gov. Rick Perry has repeatedly made statements while campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination that he is firm on the Texas policy but opposed to any federal legislation that would allow a path to citizenship. How can we make sense of this spectrum? Our immigration policy has become so politically polarizing because it is filled with contradictions of some of our most cherished traditions and values. We’ve...
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