New York city’s incoming Democratic mayor, Eric Adams, has endorsed legislation that gives the vote to 800,000 non-citizens in future municipal elections. Included in that number are lawful permanent residents who have been in the country at least 30 days, those in the States on temporary legal work permits and so-called Dreamers, those who entered illegally as children but now meet certain basic criteria.
I don’t mean to demonize any of the above, but ought non-citizens who have been in the country a mere 5 weeks or workers who have no intention of staying, to have the same voting rights as permanent citizens who have diligently paid their taxes for all of their adult lives? Is there some Justice to the rights traditionally associated with citizenship? Or, and this is the basic irrational principle of the mindless Left, are all people equally entitled to benefit from the achievements of others by the simple fact that they have two arms and legs and eyes, etc.?
Of course it must be apparent to Mayor Adams that this piece of legislation greatly enhances the prospects of Democratic candidates in all upcoming local elections. But if the priorities of the 800,000 differ greatly from those of longstanding citizens, have not the latter in fact been dealt an injustice? The Rule of Law can be a vehicle of oppression, but is the concept of Citizenship such a vehicle or a rational construct which demands little more of non citizens than that they both show respect for the Laws of their new homeland and the intent to stay for more than 30 days or the term of their present employment?
That N.Y. C. has opened its arms to the 800,000 in question is not apparently enough for Leftist ideologues perfectly willing, as is evident in so many areas today, to subvert the Rule of Law in the name of compassion, without realizing that in doing so they are imperiling the very future of our Democracies.
Everyone, everywhere, come to the West. We love you. If your values are utterly inconsistent with ours, if we don’t have enough jobs for you, if we can’t provide adequate housing, health care or education, if your presence is likely to imperil the well-being of those millions already deprived of such, well …….. whatever! Such is the dementia rampant on the contemporary political Left!