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4 days ago

Teaching Liberty, Rebuilding CivilityAt Common Sense Civics & Citizenship, Candace teaches the timeless notions of liberty that inspired the American system of government — and we’re bringing those ideas to life on Instagram.Join us @cscivicsandcitizenshipfor clear, nonpartisan civic education that empowers informed citizens of future generations and thoughtful conversation.#CivicsAndCitizenship #AmericanFounding #LibertyMatters #CivilDiscourse #CivicLiteracy ... See MoreSee Less

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Common Sense Civics and Citizenship

6 days ago

When Commenting: Avoid using prominent names of people or political parties.This helps us think and write using principles that educate rather than personalities or political parties that divide. No additional links or pictures. Thank you 🇺🇸Understanding the Rights of Undocumented ImmigrantsDo criminal illegal aliens have rights in our country? One of our participants asked, "Why do so many believe constitutional rights apply to anyone setting foot on U.S. soil rather than, specifically, U.S. citizens?" I've been thinking a lot about this question from a Civics and Constitution teacher's perspective. Now, I am not a lawyer. Most of us aren't. We are citizens looking for the law, the facts, and the truth. We want the complex to be understandable. In this case, it's not that simple. Here's why:Constitutional Protections: Rights for All?The U.S. Constitution does not explicitly state that illegal aliens have the same rights as American citizens. However, certain rights, like equal protection under the law and due process, are extended to all people "under the jurisdiction of the United States," regardless of the individual's immigration status. There are court cases that confirm this. The one brought to my attention was Plyler v. Doe (1982). The Supreme Court concluded that states cannot deny free public education to children based on their immigration status. This is important: The SCOTUS ruling said the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause applies to all persons.I have a question: What does "to be under the jurisdiction of the United States" mean? I've been taught that this phrase means you have legal status in the USA. Do illegal immigrants (or the U.S. law and policy legal term "illegal aliens") have legal status? If so, why? Is it because the previous administration let foreign nationals cross our borders en masse with its approval and a court date that would be impossible to enforce?What about Due Process? Individuals have the right to fair legal proceedings. This means that even if someone faces deportation, they are entitled to a hearing and the opportunity to present their case. However, a good question is: What part of due process was used when up to 5,000 people per day were admitted into our country, bypassing the usual channels for legal entry (like passports)? And, what about the small towns, like Springfield, Ohio, that had 20,000 new citizens “overnight” without giving the residents due process? Where was their right to fair legal proceedings? Where were congressional leaders at that time?The Role of the Executive BranchCongress never officially approved an open borders policy between 2020-2024. How are open borders legal? Article II, sec.1 says, "The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America." Article III, sec. 3 requires the President to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed." According to the Constitution, this federal power implies that the Executive Branch can enforce and INTERPRET immigration laws. (Note: It does not give the Executive Branch the power to make laws). So, if the Chief Executive can open borders constitutionally, is it not also any future Chief Executive's power to close or limit border crossings? And, is it not reasonable to deport those who came in under a loose interpretation of those laws not congressionally approved, especially if it can be proven that it is part of a planned "invasion" with far-reaching implications for Americans in the future? (See Article IV, sec.4While Congress did not formally approve of an "open borders" policy, we can deduce that the Executive Branch has the authority to implement policies that can lead to increased immigration. These policies are subject to legal and political debate.Therefore, any administration's actions can be challenged in court, and various states and organizations are doing so. These immigration/deportation actions and policies are complex. How they resolve may depend on court interpretations of existing laws, precedent, and the specific circumstances surrounding immigration enforcement.The Path Forward: Founders' Intent and Future ImplicationsLooking at it from a common-sense perspective, I continue my struggle with this issue facing our country today. However, returning to the Federalist Papers and the original intent of our Founders and Framers would go a long way toward resolving this issue. What would they say in our current circumstances? Answering this question is paramount.The future of our country depends on it.This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. 🇺🇸Photo by Gene Gallin on Unsplash ... See MoreSee Less

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Recapture our American civil discourse by reviving the study of civics and gaining practical knowledge for any stage of life. Candace Donnelly invites you to spend a few minutes with other Americans l...

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Common Sense Civics and Citizenship

1 week ago

Individual Freedom vs Collective IdeologyNote: We avoid using prominent names of people or political parties when commenting. This helps us think and write using principles that educate rather than personalities or political parties that divide. So, no naming prominent people or political parties. No additional links or pictures. Thank you 🇺🇸There are competing ideologies, and many Americans want it both ways.That is impossible!The Competing IdeologiesOur young people chant pro-death slogans. Have these people ever studied real history or science? Perhaps if colleges taught an actual body of knowledge and promoted patriotism (i.e., love of one’s country), not tribalism (i.e., oppressor vs. oppressed), the truth of how life works would become evident to these Americans. Remember: What you believe is how you will behave.American college students protest in favor of a foreign death cult terrorist group whose goal is to exterminate an entire nation. Many single-issue young American voters want the right to kill their sons or daughters if these unborn citizens are inconvenient, too expensive, etc. (Note: the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution refers to the unborn as “our posterity,” not “a commodity”).Furthermore, these groups believe they have a right to choose death for the innocent, whether the innocents are of a nationality they despise, or their own offspring. They falsely believe that not granting Americans a “right to murder” is to deprive them of their constitutional rights. Where in the Constitution do Americans reserve the right to condemn the innocent to die? Millions of Americans, whose passions have been inflamed to separate everyone into two groups, believe this fallacy. You are either the oppressed or the oppressor, flipping the script according to their desired outcome.Peaceful Protest, Not a National TantrumIndeed, peacefully protest if you like, but you have no right to destroy life, liberty, or property in a national tantrum to promote your cause. Furthermore, business and government leaders are not obligated to pay for or promote your cause. I am so grateful for the leaders and patriotic individuals who have withdrawn monetary support from institutions of higher education that allow death cult ideologies to take over courses of study. America believes in free speech. On the other hand, American-style freedom does not force others to promote or pay for ideologies that contradict our founding American principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.“A House Divided” Will Not Stand“A House Divided” thinking with Competing Ideologies will not stand. Students have been taught that life boils down to oppressors and the oppressed or victimizers and the victims. What a horrible way to live! Our forefathers did not leave us a country where one side is destined to oppress the other. This promotes “House Divided” thinking. Instead, we are a free-born people with ideals and values that promote individual freedom, not collective misery.The sooner we promote and live our forefathers' idea of individual freedom instead of collective misery, the better. You can't have it both ways.This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship 🇺🇸 ... See MoreSee Less

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I got 100 reactions and comments on one of my posts last week! Thanks everyone for your support! 🎉 ... See MoreSee Less

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