It may come as a complete surprise to some, but I got into a political discussion with my dad’s oldest friend (we’re talkin’ since 8th grade) last night at my mom’s 65th birthday party. Yea…about the immigration deal, protectionism and such.

This morning, I’ve got an email that references the conversation, along with a reference to this post by Michelle Malkin, who I just about can’t stomach reading or listening to in radio interviews, any longer.

So, I reply:

Uh huh. And those clean-cut, middle-class-looking high-school students in Whittier, CA are what? Huh? Do you suppose they’re American citizens or "illegals?"

Look, I’m not particularly fond of seeing such a symbol tarnished in such a way either. I also suspect that the American Flag symbolizes something entirely different for me than it does for most–particularly judging by what I’m hearing lately. For me, it symbolizes freedom. It symbolizes a Declaration of Independence. It symbolizes freedom from oppressive governments like King George’s and King Bush’s. It symbolizes an ideal–an ideal premised upon the unalienable rights of individuals–rights that render all man-made law either moot, or an assault upon freedom and individualism.

It has never, to me, symbolized anything having to do with a state, a government, a border, a law, democracy, republicanism, federalism, constitutionalism, or any other such nonsense.

But the way I see self-proclaimed "Americans" behaving these days…

http://www.uncsense.com/root/2006/04/food_for_though.html

…I can’t help but think that turning the flag upside-down is strangely appropriate–in spite of my certainty that the video-gaming, main-street-cruisin’ kids doing it are just as clueless and stupid as just about all kids at their age.

See this post by a friend of mine:

More, from me and others:

http://www.uncsense.com/root/2006/03/its_the_law_you.html

http://www.uncsense.com/root/2006/03/oh_what_the_hel.html

http://www.ilw.com/articles/2006,0329-Binswanger.shtm

I can go on all day. See, I’ve been thinking about all this kind of stuff–daily and deeply–for going on 15 years. It didn’t suddenly pop onto my radar screen.

It’s very simple. There’s only one way to prevent a peaceful, honest, hard-working immigrant who desires to come to America and trade his labor for other things in a struggle to better his life. First is to systematically demonize him. He’s an "illegal." He’s "stealing" "our" jobs. Second is to stop him by force: guns, fists, imprisonment, deportation, etc.

America ought to be ashamed of itself.

From the last of the list of the links, above:

    "One doesn’t have to be a resident of any particular country to have a moral entitlement to be secure from governmental coercion against one’s life, liberty, and property. In the words of the Declaration of Independence, government is instituted ‘to secure these rights’–to protect them against their violation by force or fraud."

[…]

    "It is not a criminal act to buy or rent a home here in which to reside. Paying for housing is not a coercive act–whether the buyer is an American or a foreigner. No one’s rights are violated when a Mexican, or Canadian, or Senegalese rents an apartment from an American owner and moves into the housing he is paying for. And what about the rights of those American citizens who want to sell or rent their property to the highest bidders? Or the American businesses that want to hire the lowest cost workers? It is morally indefensible for our government to violate their right to do so, just because the person is a foreigner."