Meanwhile, my question would be why aren’t we focusing our activism on the poverty draft now? Just because we don’t have an official draft now, doesn’t mean that we don’t have a draft now. We have a draft going on right now – a “poverty draft.”

Due to government cutbacks on funding for job training, education, and a very slow recovering economy, low-income families are preyed on by recruiters who promise a way out of poverty. The military spends millions each year on marketing that targets young people, promising “up to” thousands of dollars in pay – but they don’t tell you that there are only a few positions that qualify for the highest end of the pay promised.

The moment we start asking the “what ifs,” such as, “if it truly is horrendous” we start playing the hypothetical game. But in this game, it is marketed kind of like wheel of fortune only slightly different. People are being told they get to spin the wheel and there is a 95% chance that they will win $10,000,000, however, what is left out is what happens if they land on the other 5% – their execution. People are acting as if the 5% is nothing more but just minor details – something not worry about because the important thing is to focus on the $10,000,000 they can win.

fash, I am happy you enjoy this blog, but I am puzzled as to why you assume I haven’t read the bill itself. Maybe other pro-immigrants who are opposed to this bill haven’t, but I can assure you I not only have read it, but studied its history. In fact, I personally know the person who came up with this idea before it was ever proposed in Congress.

Yes, I am aware uniformed services includes the Coast Guard. Section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code defines “uniformed services” as the armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard), commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and commissioned corps of the Public Health Service.

How many people are lining up for the NOAA and PHS. To sign up for the public health service corp you have to already have a degree. And to be in the corp for NOAA, same thing. And for the Coast Guard, they are highly selective and very limited. I know because I have looked into it several times.

Sorry, they can call it whatever they want, but the truth of the matter, it means one thing … they military.

I really enjoy reading your blog, but it really disappoints me that you and other usually pro-immigrant people failed, like the opponents, to actually read the Dream Act, to the detriment of a million young people.

kyledeb: I know a lot of people who would benefit from the Dream Act, and I’ve never heard anyone say so. Most who oppose do so because of the age limit, which would disqualify people who had been in the same situation but for longer, and will hopefully not be included in the next version of the bill.

I can’t stress how important it is that people like yourself continue to speak up about this.

Still, am I naive for suggesting supporting the DREAM act now and opposing the Green Card Draft later? Surely after the DREAM Act is put into practice and if it truly is horrendous, can’t we focus our activism on that?

Also do you know of any people that would benefit from the DREAM Act that are coming out against it because of this provision?

Of course, in order to take a principled stance you don’t need someone like this, but I think it would lend so much more credibility to your argument if you knew of someone that says I prefer the shadows to the military.

I just read that Miguel, comment, that’s ridiculous.