Letters: Correcting the record on immigration; A meaningless concession

Correcting the record on immigration

The discussion about immigration would be more helpful if it were based on facts and rational thinking, not the divisive and xenophobic sentiments of Terry Kordes (Jan. 20 CDT letter).

Americans want Congress to enact comprehensive and humane immigration policies, recognizing the need for updated laws reflecting the reality that immigration is a positive force for our nation.

But instead of providing solutions to the “border surge,” or addressing issues that fuel migration, fringe members in the new GOP House majority propose laws that reflect ignorance and hostility.

Let’s be honest, immigrants make our lives easier. They care for our children, build and clean our homes, tend our yards, work our farms and broadly staff the hospitality sector, often taking on difficult, low-wage jobs that Americans don’t want.

Let’s acknowledge our own immigrant past. We’re a nation of immigrants (including the Kordes family) and likely wouldn’t be here without fair but generous immigration policies.

Let’s correct the record — many Americans welcome immigrants. The people of Martha’s Vineyard didn’t turn their backs on the immigrants sent there; they welcomed them with open arms. We in central Pennsylvania would do well to adopt this humane and caring model, recognizing and supporting the local immigrant community that works so hard to support us.

Let’s stop the tirades, and instead encourage our representatives to adopt sane and humane immigration policies. Let’s support the organizations that facilitate immigrant resettlement. We all deserve better than the cruel policies that treat immigrants as political pawns.

A meaningless concession

Speaker McCarthy made shady deals with extremists in his Caucus in exchange for votes to make him Speaker. Some of those deals are more disquieting than others.

On one hand, ransoming assignments on Homeland Security to extremists such as Taylor-Greene and on the important Oversight Committee to election deniers such as Perry, Gosar, Boebert and Taylor-Greene, and playing a reckless game of chicken with the debt ceiling, are downright dangerous. Other concessions are performative gestures for Trump hardliners.

In that regard, it’s no surprise that McCarthy is considering a hard-right proposal to expunge Trump’s two impeachments — one for threatening to withhold military aid to Ukraine in exchange for dirt; the other for inciting the January 6th insurrection.

Because the only legal effect of impeachment is to trigger a trial in the Senate, and because there’s no precedent or authority for expungement of an impeachment, a House vote to expunge Trump’s impeachments would have no legal consequences.

Theoretically, if the Senate had convicted Trump, and both the Senate and House voted to expunge his record, there’d be a question for the courts: determining if expungement would undo the legal consequences of impeachment, namely barring Trump from serving as President in the future.

But the Senate didn’t convict Trump (despite overwhelming evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors) so McCarthy’s craven threat is hyperbolic, shambolic and symbolic.

Prioritizing the erasure of Trump’s seditious misdeeds speaks to the moral bankruptcy of the Speaker and his Chaos Caucus. It’s sound and fury, but otherwise meaningless.

Let the games begin

Whoo Hoo! Let the games begin, the casino moves forward! With Wednesday’s vote the gaming commission approved the casino’s license. They stated that the opposition to the casino was the usual rhetoric that they heard before and has been shown to be unfounded. The “what ifs” are just that, nothing to substantiate the fears. I could not understand how less than one percent of the population of Centre County (1,500 signatures in an online petition) thought they could determine their choices for the rest of us. I welcome the jobs and income for the municipal bodies that lies ahead and look forward to the entertainment for some of us.