This week, after an American citizen and his immigrant brother were implicated by the FBI in the Boston Marathon bombing, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Tea Party) actually asked the following question: "How do we ensure that people who wish to do us harm are not eligible for benefits under the immigration laws, including this new bill before us?"
And for that matter, might I add, how do we ensure that American citizens who wish to do us harm are not eligible under the law to drive on taxpayer-subsidized roads, or eat taxpayer-subsidized food, or burn taxpayer-subsidized petroleum, or enjoy taxpayer-subsidized giveaways to wealthy corporations, or make deregulated gun purchases at will, among many other privileges and benefits?
How? Maybe by pretending to be clairvoyant. Grassley's question after all implies that you're guilty before -- or maybe even whether -- you are proved innocent. Either that or, as Grassley apparently thinks, you ensure it by regarding, in advance of any misconduct by a few, an entire category encompassing millions of individuals as damaged goods, all pre-criminals who at some future date will perpetrate mayhem.
Of course, given such [finger-quotes here] reasoning, all members of Congress might likewise be so regarded. After all, some members of that body have in the past been convicted of criminal activity, so maybe we should simply assume they're all of a kind and thus all no good. And maybe we should further assume anyone who even aspires to the job is likewise no damn good. The company you keep, and all that. But of course this standard would implicate Grassley himself as an inevitable if not already active perpetrator -- perhaps unfairly, I will grant you. Problem is, Grassley won't grant you, even if he grants himself.
Nevertheless, as far as I'm concerned, it's nutball rhetorician Grassley who's damaged goods, at least politically. Iowans would do well to turn him out of office and shame him in the meanwhile. Get Senator Death Panels off the public dime. After all, he's an emigrant to foolishness, well beyond the borders of reason and democracy.