14th Amendment - "Privilege" Who is special!
August 24th 2010 00:04
The quest to understand the wording of the 14th amendment we move on to the word privileges. I am examining the 14th amendment because I believe immigration is going to be a major campaign issue (75 days and counting).
So to refresh your memory the 14th amendment section 1 says
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
This is a tough word to get a definition that is easy to understand. Every on-line dictionary and many authors agree that privilege is a special advantage. A special advantage makes one special it is not common to all people. A privilege is not earned it is arranged or established. A privilege is a right or benefit giving one a preferred status. A privilege promotes on individual and makes other persons disadvantaged (Lucal, 1996; McIntosh, 1992; Robinson, 1999).
These are all interesting definitions in light of the text, but since it references citizens of the United States and the State for which one person resides then the privilege is that the government of the United States protects and ensures that its “citizens” abide by the laws of the nation and or the state. It is a special thing to have the arms of this nation or the state you reside in that will prohibit it citizen to live in peace and harmony. Many believe that this part of the 14th pertained to states and the US Government from interfering in any citizen trying to open a business (now isn’t that humorous today with the small business taxes that the administration may let expire and the burden that the Health Care reform bill is saying may put a strangle hold on businesses). Whatever the case is privileges were set aside for those who pledge their allegiance to a state by stating a claim. Then the citizen building a home with the intention of staying put a while and working for themselves but also for the community and country. Illegals do not pledge their allegiance, they do not obtain a legal residence nor do they work for community and the United States.
References
Really Long Link
Lucal, B. (1996), Oppression and privilege: Toward a relational conceptualization of race. Teaching
Sociology, 24, 245-255
McIntosh, P (1992). White privilege and male privilege: a personal account of coming to see correspondences through work in Women's Studies. Race, Class and Gender. M. L. Andersen and Patricia Hill Collins. Belmont, CA, Wadsworth: 70-81.
Rodriguez, N. (1998) Emptying the contents of Whiteness: Toward an understanding of the relation between whiteness and pedagogy. In J. Kincheloe & S. Steinberg (Eds.), White Reign. New York: St Martin’s Press: 31-62.
So to refresh your memory the 14th amendment section 1 says
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
These are all interesting definitions in light of the text, but since it references citizens of the United States and the State for which one person resides then the privilege is that the government of the United States protects and ensures that its “citizens” abide by the laws of the nation and or the state. It is a special thing to have the arms of this nation or the state you reside in that will prohibit it citizen to live in peace and harmony. Many believe that this part of the 14th pertained to states and the US Government from interfering in any citizen trying to open a business (now isn’t that humorous today with the small business taxes that the administration may let expire and the burden that the Health Care reform bill is saying may put a strangle hold on businesses). Whatever the case is privileges were set aside for those who pledge their allegiance to a state by stating a claim. Then the citizen building a home with the intention of staying put a while and working for themselves but also for the community and country. Illegals do not pledge their allegiance, they do not obtain a legal residence nor do they work for community and the United States.
References
Really Long Link
Lucal, B. (1996), Oppression and privilege: Toward a relational conceptualization of race. Teaching
Sociology, 24, 245-255
McIntosh, P (1992). White privilege and male privilege: a personal account of coming to see correspondences through work in Women's Studies. Race, Class and Gender. M. L. Andersen and Patricia Hill Collins. Belmont, CA, Wadsworth: 70-81.
Rodriguez, N. (1998) Emptying the contents of Whiteness: Toward an understanding of the relation between whiteness and pedagogy. In J. Kincheloe & S. Steinberg (Eds.), White Reign. New York: St Martin’s Press: 31-62.
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