"During the heated immigration debate on Capitol Hill, some Republicans have portrayed immigrants as invaders, criminals and burdens to society. But for Senator Pete V. Domenici, Republican of New Mexico, the image that comes to mind is that of his mother and the day the authorities took her away.
It was 1943, World War II was raging, and federal agents were sweeping through Albuquerque hunting for Italian sympathizers. They found Mr. Domenici's mother, Alda V. Domenici, a curly-haired mother of four and a local PTA president who also happened to be an illegal immigrant from Italy. Mr. Domenici, who said he was 9 or 10 years old then, wept when his mother vanished with the agents in their big black car.
Now 73, Mr. Domenici surprised many of his colleagues when he stood up on the Senate floor last week and shared the story, which he has kept mostly to himself for much of his life."
His mother was brought to the US as a child and had this been the situation today she would have been eligible (provided she completed at least 2 years of college or joined the military) for the DREAM Act.The sad irony is Pete Domenici voted against the DREAM Act only a couple months ago. I wonder if Pete let any of the hate mail labeling him an "anchor baby" contribute to such a blatant disregard of his heritage.
Click here for Sen. Domenici's orginal speech regarding his mother
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3 comments:
It seems odd that the good Senator would share the story about his mother when all it does is highlight his hypocrisy on the Dream Act.
But it's possible he's so tied up in the nationalist propaganda that pervades this country that he doesn't even notice the contradictions he embodies. Most people don't ...
The speech was given in 2006. The DREAM Act was voted on late 2007.
A small part of me is wondering if he made the story up. How could someone possibly tell that story and then vote against people such as their own mother? It seems unthinkable.
I'm a little surprised there wasn't an editorial blasting him for this but he came out with his neurological disease around the same time he voted for DREAM so maybe the press thought he was off limits at the time?
I saw that vote take place. Domenici voted for it but changed his vote before voting was done on the bill. It was only a difference of a few minuets. I wonder what happened in those minuets?
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