On Sunday April 30 published in the Sunday supplement of El Universal a note about our migrants and our Constitution, which for reasons of space I had to reduce. Nor could I clarify that my note echoes an article by J. Michael Waller published in http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org, which criticizes the government of Mexico on Mexican migrants. Either way, here's the note as I would have liked to see printed.
The beam in the eye
Boulton Paul
But there is one detail: the country is officially called the United States ... Mexico. Yes, that country is Mexico.
Here: "A country that refuses to foreigners equal employment rights ." Article 32 of the Constitution literally states that "Mexicans shall have priority foreigners in equal circumstances for all classes of concessions and for all employment, positions or commissions of government in which not indispensable quality citizen. "And that's only for jobs where is not a prerequisite be a citizen, because there are many, relevant or ridiculous, for which this condition is indispensable: "To belong to the active Army in peacetime and the Navy or Air Force at all times, or hold any office or commission them, is required to be Mexican by birth. "Same Article 32. But there's more: "This same quality (Mexican by birth) is indispensable for captains, pilots, owners, engineers, mechanics and, in general, for all personnel of the crew of any vessel or airship protected with the flag or insignia Mexican merchant. It is also necessary for the posts of captain port and all services of pratique and airport commander. "This is not an article of the Constitution of these forgotten there since the time of Venustiano Carranza, it was rebuilt in 1997.
"A country that prohibits foreigners from participating in politics" . This all Mexicans know and are convinced that it should be, but let us welcome the political participation of Mexicans abroad. Article 9 of our Constitution states: "Only citizens of the Republic may (associate or assemble peacefully) to take part in political affairs. " Article 33 says: "Foreigners may not in any way interfere in the affairs of the nation." If, for example, our Congress debates a law, no foreigner can march peacefully to influence that debate, as the Mexicans are doing USA.
"A country that is subject to deportation without trial of foreigners" . Here is a jewel in our Constitution: "The Executive of the Union shall have exclusive authority to abandon the national territory immediately and without trial prior to any foreigner whose stay is deemed inappropriate. "It just because. Do we imagine that is what would a U.S. executive with a legal instrument of this nature?
Article 11 also draws attention because it removes the right to enter the Republic, leave it, travel through its territory and change his residence to "undesirable aliens resident in the country." It is the only article of the Constitution used the word "pernicious", reserved exclusively for foreigners.
"A country that will remove the nationality to those who get it but who are absent" . Many Mexicans work in the U.S. and return after several years. If born Mexicans have no problem, but if they are naturalized Mexican can lose their nationality. Article 37 states that "Mexican nationality by naturalization is lost ... for five years continuous residence abroad."
Mexicans who are not by birth, ie, the Mexicans in the second, that they are not born here, are not deputies (article 55), or cabinet members (as Article 91), nor the Minister of the Supreme Court (article 95). And yet we continue to dream that the son of a Mexican immigrant ever come to the U.S. presidency. (Carlos Gutierrez, born in Havana, is now Secretary of Commerce in that country. Other Hispanic, son and grandson of Mexican construction workers, is Attorney General, or Attorney General. How many members of our cabinets have been children of masons ?)
"A country that reduces the right to private property of foreigners." Also, foreigners do not have the same rights to property than Mexicans. According to the lengthy and paranoid Article 27 of the Constitution, "Only Mexicans by birth or naturalization and Mexican companies have the right to acquire ownership of lands, waters and their appurtenances (sic) or to obtain concessions for mines or of waters. "Likewise," in a zone of one hundred kilometers along the frontiers and of fifty beaches, under no circumstances may foreigners acquire direct ownership of lands and waters. "
All these provisions are just the antidote that we have reserved for foreigners at the constitutional level. But The legislation also gives full vent to our xenophobia at the level of secondary legislation of all kinds. That legal infamy, which seems so reasonable to apply in our territory, but so unfair that seeks to emulate in other places, we can talk some other time.
For the moment I am wondering why we are so proud that our country now exports also protesters. I do not know if there is something wrong in my soul or my brain, but I confess, truthfully, that Hispanics see rivers covering the streets of the USA does not cause me or pride, or solidarity, or any other noble sentiment, unless deemed noble shame of feeling, in your own eye, the beam, and criticize in others, the straw.