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Illegals living in the United States should not practice law

January 15, 2014
Matt Kokkonen

Matt Kokkonen

OPINION By MATT KOKKONEN

California Supreme Court decided that a person living in California illegally can get a law license to practice law. This demonstrates the peak of irrationality and is pure idiocy.

It flies against common sense. It is contradictory. It is an insult to all law abiding Americans. It is a slap in the face to all immigrants who waited their turn, played by the rules and entered the United States lawfully. It breaks down society’s understanding of law, standards, meaning, values, reason, natural order and being.

An illegal arguing for legality in a court of law? Let’s get real. An officer of the court who revels in his illegality in court! Does this show his good moral character? And California’s highest court condones this? How stupid we have become!

This decision highlights two societal problems: re-defining words in order to justify a political end, and making public policy based on feelings, not truth and rationality. The lawyer in question claimed he had a life-long dream of practicing law in California. That is admirable. We support dreams and achievement. We can feel empathy for a person and his situation. However, why should our basic laws be changed to reward illegal activities?

Just wait, the next case will involve another illegal U.S. entrant whose dream is to become president of the United States. With this logic, why not? Actually, some believe this too has already happened. Constitution be damned since it is only an old piece of paper.

America welcomes legal immigrants.

Matt Kokkonen, a financial planner, immigrated to the United States by himself legally at age 16 from Finland.

 


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Mr. Kokkonen,


You legally migrated her from Finland at the age of 16 BY YOURSELF (sorry about the caps, can’t seem to get italicized text to take here)? How?


In the bit of research I’ve done there are only a few ways this can be done with a minor child, and none of them include a child doing it on their own. And, according to what I’ve read the definition of an adult with the INS follows the guidelines of federal law, whatever that may be at the time.


Correct me if I’m wrong; but you either had to be adopted by an American family, the child of an American Citizen born abroad, or the child born of an American Citizen with a non-citizen spouse. Are there any other reasons I cannot find? And if so please share with us how it occurred in your life.


I have no doubt that you did it legally and at the age you’ve stated but if it falls under any of the reasons I’ve outlined, well, with all due respect, your case can’t be considered relative to your opinion.


Just sayin’…


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jr – to get italic text simply put HTML code before and after it. IE: text (except without spaces… I cannot show you how exactly, because it would just show italics). Same for bold text but that uses and (again w/o spaces).


Links are HTML as well, such as this article (points here), which used text for link (remember, no spaces before (only) the first A nor around the final A).


You can always do a quick search for basic HTML coding. CCN does not use a lot, but bold, italics and linking (A HREF) work.


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Sorry Matt, but if laws are not enforced at the behest of free market interests, who like you, decry the oppressive socialism of nations such as Finland, and consider human labor a commodity valued no differently than iron ore, aluminum or copper. Well, you’ve sort of granted an anti-union easement haven’t you? If you invited them in you have to let them stay.


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So much for “A Nation of Laws, Not Men” then. Someone obviously doesn’t know their history.


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Immigration – Global humanitarian reasons for current U.S. immigration are tested in this updated version of immigration author and journalist Roy Beck’s colorful presentation of data from the World Bank and U.S. Census Bureau.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPjzfGChGlE


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Both the World Bank and the Census Bureau? Two VERY trusted sources…


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It sounds like someone is forgetting the economic business model so pervasive throughout our modern domestic history. Do you believe competition promotes efficiency? Many Germanics and Scandinavians do. For decades, domestic business, corporate and otherwise has steadily embraced the competition that immigrants provide for labor and (professional) services, not to mention the myriad of “challenging” jobs they perform. Perhaps, we embrace diversity when it suits us, but we’re always happy to get a good deal. The writer may not understand the many (large) interests at work that support the status quo and encourage immigration, legal or otherwise. Better immigration policy is needed and should reflect realistic enforcement, reasonable needs of business and communities, and citizens’ desire to protect some things that are sacrifices at the altar of “cheaper is better”.


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If he was here long enough to go to school and study for his law degree and eventually become a lawyer why didn’t he take some time and apply for citizenship? I have friends who have come to the US illegally, mostly laborers, and have sacrificed going thru the process of citizenship. These are the people that i can say that I’m proud of because they have come to my country to better their lives and have followed the process for citizenship which is available to all.

Good column Matt.


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He did. According to him he has been waiting for many years on his application to be approved or denied.


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When I think about this subject I often wonder what we do if the shoe was on the other foot; if the U.S. was in the position of a third world country and we had Mexico to the south of us full of all the hope and possibilities that we, the U.S., does. What would some do?


I have a hard time looking down on a person who is here “illegally” but is a productive part of our society, I just do. It’s called empathy, something this country seems to have less and less of day-bye-day. They do work that the far majority of us deem “beneath us” (example: look at what happened in Alabama after is passed one of the toughest immigration law in the country).


It’s a pandora’s box, that’s for sure; but let me remind us all that this country was founded by a bunch of men and women who would have also fit the bill of “illegal” if these laws of our existed then. Then we tried, time-and-time-again, to commit genocide on the Indigenous Peoples, and then justified it all with some sick and twisted doctrine called manifest destiny.


Just sayin’…


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Generally anyone that came into this country in the 1900’s came here with and became citizens,my people all immigrated from Portugal and became productive citizens, and were given nothing,no welfare,free medical,Nada, and they seemed to survive well within their means,giving everything to these illegals today is a crock of manure.


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generally any one who came here in the 1900’s survived incoherent monarchies and childhood diseases that no longer confound perplex and cause grief , they did good as we manifest. our ancestors did not toil to create an exclusive club for newcomers but an inclusive society that welcomes and nurtures PEOPLE for future possible success, 1900 you only needed white skin to enter.


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Yes, we know; “illegals” just drain the hell out of welfare programs, or do they? BY FAR white American CITIZENS are the biggest”culprits” of this so called drain (and please, save the per-capita drivel as it isn’t relevant).


How ’bout “Corporate Welfare”? Money doled out to huge corporations which amounts to roughly twice as much of government money then all social welfare programs combined. And then there’s the likes of WalMart and McDonald’s ; who not only benefits from millions upon millions of these dollars they return the favor by telling those that they hire to subsidize the low wages they, WalMart and McDonald’s, will pay them by applying for welfare (ever hear of “McResource” a line that McDonald’s set up that helps employees and their families enroll in various state and local assistance programs, probably not, as it’s pretty well hidden from the general public).


No, we would rather concentrate on individuals who are here trying to GET A LIFE WORTH LIVING then the real criminals, most of corporate America! You know why? Because it’s easier, far easier, to pick on the ones with no voices, marginalized and demonized than the ones who are taking advantage of the American Dream to no ones advantage then their own.


Just sayin’….


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Hehe, I love the first bit where you said, “save the per-capita drivel as it isn’t relevant” LoL!


Sure, anything that may contradict or disprove one’s position should be considered irrelevant. Brilliant!


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HeHe! So contradict, or better yet, disprove my position as not to be considered irrelevant. I don’t mind, I really don’t.


And you’re right, it’s not something fitting in a true conversation, and I apologize. But for the life of me I cannot grasp the “per-capita” argument; when you have over 70% of the population (Whites) taking in almost 40% of “welfare” how can any portion of an”illegal” population (about 3.5%) that takes “welfare” be relevant? And the possible numbers of “illegals” receiving “welfare” shrinks even further when you factor in the only “illegals” getting and or taking any type of public assistance are those with American born children.


I know, I know; a percentage no matter how infinitesimal is a number too great. That argument I have no answer to other than; to take food from a child’s mouth for any reason is morally bankrupt.


Just Sayin’…


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How about you argue that there should not be ANY government welfare AT ALL to ANYONE or any corporation/company?


Do you think Planned Parenthood (which NET-PROFITED over 1 billion) deserves $500,000,000 in government (tax-payer-confiscated) wealth? On top of that 1 billion they made (after expenses)?


Hmmmm?


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No, I won’t argue for that, not at all! As long as we don’t require American businesses to pay an actual LIVING WAGE to those they employ, require them to keep the major portion of their business right here at home (minimal legally mandated and controlled outsourcing), equal pay for like work and realistic performance based pay increases then I won’t argue for no welfare at all. You don’t want government in our lives and I agree with that, BUT, every time we ‘”trust” business to do what’s right they run 180 degrees in the other direction. One step in the right direction would be to repeal NAFTA and not allow CAFTA to become law.


Planned Parenthood? Absolutely Not!!!! I am Pro-Lifer to the bone! Will stand and support a child’s right to live before or after birth (fetus my a$$! It’s a child from conception! Fetus is a term, much like “illegal” is, to dehuminize that child so we can treat it any way we want, up to and including killing it… I really don’t want to go here ’cause I’d really piss a bunch of people off). Planned Parenthood provides some, and I emphasize some, very important services to women and I wouldn’t want it done away with, BUT (her we go again) they should emphasize the one factual thing in planning parenthood (outside of rape and incest), the power of the word NO (by both participating parties). It’s after all the only 100% successful form of contraception out there, right?


Life is life! Period! And the further we go in “defining it” the further we seem to go in respecting it. Killing a child in the womb only makes it easier to send a person into war… Think about it.


Just sayin’…


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OOPS!


“…the further we seem to go in respecting it.” What I meant to say was “… the further we seem to go AWAY from respecting it.”


Too much coffee…


Just sayin’..


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Agreed. So how much are you going to pay me to clean your house or flip your burger? As much as you make so there is no taxpayer burden? I think not. You need WIC and all the government programs to support cheap labor, expand the underclass, and depress wages to boost profits at the expense of taxpayers.


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I get tired of this argument, I really do…


We are finally partially paying the piper for ignoring the needs of those that service us on a daily basis. We marginalize them by defining their jobs as “only minimum wage jobs” while expecting superior and more-often-then-not unrealistic performance from them. Little training is provided, managerial support is limited and corporate profits always, always, trump the needs of the worker.


While inflation over the past twenty years has risen at an average of 2.5% a year minimum wage has only risen by .085% a year, 25 times less than the inflation rate! Good God, what do you think would finally happen after so long of being taken advantage of?!


Business should have been pro-active and not antagonistic in this area. If the CEO’s, CFO’s and COO’s who propound their ultimate knowledge in these areas were as smart as they say they are they would have built in factors to raise prices gradually as they grew wages. Instead what we have seen is their wage, these corporate officers, increase by about 125% over the past 30 years (thanks Reagan) while the real backbone of any company, the hourly wage earner, wage remained pretty much stagnate.


Expand the underclass? Spoken like the best of the 1%’s out there. No, my friend! What we should be doing is expanding the blue collar middle class by paying a wage that can get people to that point! We can do that by limiting growth of these huge multinational conglomerates as not to virtually wipe out small businesses in their wake while demanding from them wages that are realistic to the needs dictated by the actual cost of living.


Conversely, this would mean more American citizens would take up these service jobs again as they would pay a wage they could garnish the three things that any GOOD job provides long term employees: Self respect, a sense of worth and hope for the future.


Just sayin’….


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I am not sure where to stand on this issue because there are a lot of complexities from a moral standpoint. While giving any “illegal” the right to practice law is probably not the best policy, the individual circumstances in this case (and probably several others) should not be ignored.


Since the abandonment of an effective “green card” system many years ago, it has been damn near impossible for any resident of Mexico or Central America to become an American legally. (If current restrictions on immigration from those countries had been applied to Europeans back when Matt immigrated, he probably wouldn’t have been allowed in.)


Immigration reform is badly needed. There is room for dispute about the form of such reform and I tend to side with those who want to both decrease illegal immigration and increase legal immigration. As for those currently here illegally, I would favor a probationary period and a good background check first and then allow them to go through the citizenship process if they are willing and able to do so. Expel permanently those who have caused problems. Then send the rest who can’t or won’t become citizens back — but allow them to return as temporary workers under a revitalized green card system.


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This should bring down the cost of legal fees.


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Well put, Matt. “California’s highest court condones this? How stupid we have become!”


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How stupid we have become!

speak for yourself my world is getting better every day


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Understandable Zophod. When you start out at the bottom of the intelligence curve, there is but only one way you can move.


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the curve


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you are here


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yes , what is the sum? triangle, real world


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