[This is the first in a series addressing the military option of the DREAM Act as well as the general relationship between the military and the immigrant community]
Sometimes I have a hard time arguing in favor of the DREAM Act, because there is one half of it--the half of it no on ever argues about, the half that no one ever mentions, the "military option"--which gives me pause. I've come against other pro-migrant liberals in conversations about the DREAM Act, and whenever they bring up the military option, I have to shut down. I know they're right, I know that it's wrong, but I have a sense that it's the best that we can get. Despite this extremely harsh measure, there have been conversations among DREAMers about what other self-flagellating measures could be added in to get it passed. I stomach the military option because, like many DREAMers and DREAM supporters, I believe that the power structure in Washington will only "give these kids a chance" if they punish themselves for a crime they never committed in such unproportional ways that wouldn't be forced on anyone except for immigrants and sex offenders.
The military option of the DREAM Act states:
- (1) CONTENTS OF PETITION- Each petition under subsection (c)(1) shall contain the following facts and information:
- (A) The alien maintained good moral character during the entire period the alien has been a conditional permanent resident.
- (B) The alien continues to be in compliance with subparagraphs (B) and (C) of section 4(a)(1).
- (C) The alien has maintained continuous physical residence in the United States since adjustment of status to that of a conditional permanent resident. For the purpose of determining continuous physical presence under this subparagraph, section 4(c) shall apply.
- (D) The alien has completed at least 1 of the following:
- (i) The alien has acquired a degree from an institution of higher education or has been a student in good standing for at least 2 years in a program for a bachelor's degree or higher degree.
- (ii) The alien has served in the Armed Forces of the United States for at least 2 years and, if discharged, has received an honorable discharge.
Even for anti-war activists, the military section of the DREAM Act might be more innocuous if there wasn't currently a war going on--as was the case in 2001, when the DREAM Act was originally drafted by Senator Orrin Hatch. However, the invasion of Afghanistan and subsequently Iraq changed things mightily, and now being a member of the army is very different from the doing-more-before-9am-than-you-do-all-day, self empowering commercials with a lot of guns but no bullets show it to be. The military option requires of poor DREAMers and dropout DREAMers what would never be required of any other American kid--that they risk their life just for the luxury of not being forcibly removed from their homeland.
I often focus on the educational aspect of the DREAM Act because arguing in support of the military option makes me feel dishonest and dirty, and I know that for every brilliant, perservering DREAMer who ends up attending Yale after the act's passage, there will be another brilliant, perservering DREAMer with worse luck and circumstances who will get thrown under the bus. And I think this is the same reason that it's rarely mentioned in pro-DREAM arguments in the media or among pro-migrant organizations. The military aspect is to hard to rationalize away while still spinning the DREAM as positive, and so we snuff it out of our thoughts entirely. This is the wrong way to go; it has to be addressed, and we have to look at all of the consequences and see what would sacrificed before we can truly say that those sacrifices are worth it in order to get the DREAM Act passed.
What do the readers of A Dream Deferred think about the military option of the DREAM Act? For the DREAMers who read, do you believe that it is an unsavory (or even savory, if that's your view), but necessary part of the DREAM Act? If so, are you coming from the position of someone who will probably be able to complete the educational option, or from the position of someone who will be forced into, or willingly take, the military option?
Fash - Good for you for seeking to inform and share your point-of-view on what's clearly an important issue to you. You make some good points in the last coupple of posts.
One problem though, many in America would not support a quid-pro-quo concerning military service. You said . . . "and the difference between hundreds of thousands of volunteers and DREAMers is that the volunteers are joining...well, voluntarily".
The problem with that is you are not citizens and in every single country in the world citizens are afforded protections and rights that non-citizen's are not. And that is exacerbated by the reality that you are not in this country legally. So that is what you need to deal with. If you want to make the case that kids were brought here involuntarily, I think that you would get great support for being allowed to stay, etc. based on humanitarian grounds and the general compassion many have for children. But whe you try to create any semblance of a playing ground that is equal, the waiting in line, fairness issues rear their heads and always will. Pragmatism and results versus intransient dogma and no results.
Helpful hint. Don't co-mingle moral social issues with your immigration cause. You see, there are millions of anti-immigrant reactionaries just looking for an excuse to dismiss the entire effort as just being another extension of the anti-religion, far left crowd assaulting American morality. Yes I know despicable and worth railing aganst absolutely. All I am saying is sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.
Good luck, I support your cause.