Despite the fact that nearly 70 percent of the United States' citizens disagreed with the decision, in August President George Bush commuted Scooter Libby's two-year prison sentence. In doing so, Bush literally saved Libby's ass. Libby is still required to pay $250,000, but I doubt he will be missing any meals. By comparison, I think it is worth noting that Bill Belichick had to pay $500,000 for cheating at football. Even though I have a fair amount of animosity toward the New England Patriots, I think we can all see that perhaps Libby got off a bit easier than he should have.
According to Bush, he commuted the sentence because Libby was a first-time offender with years of exceptional public service. The President thought it was unethical to drag Libby's name through the dirt anymore than it already had been. He also was concerned about the possible negative ramifications for
Libby's family.
I could go on and on about Scooter Libby, but that is not what my article is about this week. That is old news. The focus this week is on immigration and the war. So without further adieu - oImmigration and the War:
I recently heard someone on TV say, This isn't your grandfather's Army."" I believe everything I hear on TV, but just to flesh this out, the army my grandfather helped to comprise was segregated. After he graduated from UW-Madison, my grandfather went to serve his country during WWII in the fight against fascism. However, authorities relegated him to an all-Jewish medical unit. I can only assume they did this because the defense department did not want to deal with the confusion of sending individual kosher meals all over the Eurasian Landmass, but maybe that is wishful thinking.
The U.S. Army did not stop there either - The blacks got to fight and die in their own ""separate but equal"" regiments. I hope that today's army is not like my grandfather's army, because I think we can all agree this was morally reprehensible. In addition, to add insult to injury, the black soldiers who served in the European and Pacific theaters during WWII returned to a segregated United States where the masses treated them and their loved ones like second-class citizens despite their enormous sacrifices.
Just how far have we come? Today's military is primarily composed of kids from poor rural areas (about 44 percent) and kids from impoverished inner-city areas, but one of the fastest growing contingencies in the U.S. Army are the immigrant soldiers. Official statistics show that more than 68,000 foreign-born individuals are serving in the U.S. military and figures from the National Center for Immigration Law show that one in 10 U.S. soldiers who died in Iraq were immigrants. Many of these soldiers have relatives in the U.S. who are not legal residents.
In addition, one estimate claims that five percent of those presently serving in the United States military are illegal immigrants who joined with false papers. In fact, the first soldier to die in Iraq was Marine Lance Cpl. Jose Gutierrez, an immigrant who illegally entered the United States from Guatemala.
Do not get ahead of yourself; I am not Lou Dobbs. There is no doubt in my mind that the U.S. government should allow immigrants, who are qualified, to serve in the U.S. military.
After all, we must remember that between our sporadic ""nation building"" phases, the army is and always was an excellent means to gain upward mobility. It has historically provided steady income and education. My mother's family, like countless others, certainly benefited from policies like the ROTC program and the G.I. Bill, which allowed my grandfather to study here at UW-Madison and later at Ohio State University.
If someone is willing to give their lives to defend our country (ethical arguments about the current engagements aside), he or she, and their families should be treated like U.S. citizens at home. Those related to the individuals who were among the first causalities in the war on terror received an average of $1,185,000 in the way of a settlement. However, if you are the relative of a foreign born soldier who died in Iraq serving in the United States military, you will receive $6,000 and possible deportation. That is right. I will say it again. Deportation.
It is unknown exactly how many husbands, wives and parents of lost soldiers suffered deportation up until this point, but there are several documented cases. Armando Soriano's father may not be able to visit his son's grave because he is currently undergoing deportation proceedings. I can also tell you that the wife of Alex Jimenez underwent the same proceedings. The government granted her a green card at the last minute before her deportation.
Now, since my space is limited, let us bring it full circle. If Scooter Libby and his family are spared because of his exceptional public service, we should at least be able to grant a legitimate avenue to citizenship for immigrants in the military and their families, all of who are performing an exceptional public service. Maybe I am just being naive.
After all, these people are here against the law. Maybe I am putting too much thought into the issue. After all, maybe it is legally, ethically and morally correct to systematically uproot and deport thousands of relatives of U.S. soldiers who have an intertwined culture, long-standing history and who have made significant sacrifices in the best interests of the United States and its people. Now who is being naive?
Matt Jividen is a senior majoring in history. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com
