The NYT reports on one of the fronts in the attempt to chip away at U.S. sovereignty: "Immigrants Raise Call for Right to Be Voters". If you've seen other recent reports on non-citizen voting, it will seem familiar. It, like the others, mentions Takoma Park's non-citizen voting law. It includes the usual whines, only the names are different.

"It will happen," said Tamrat Medhin, a civic activist from Ethiopia who lives here. "Don't you believe that if people are working in the community and paying taxes, don't you agree that they deserve the opportunity to vote?"

No, Tamrat, I don't. In fact, if I moved to Ethiopia I'd try to do things the Ethiopian way. If Ethiopia only allowed citizens to vote, and I wanted to vote, I'd work at becoming a citizen. And, if I didn't like their rules, well, there are other countries, right?

Further:

They argue that immigrants will still aspire to citizenship because it is the only way they can vote in federal elections.

But, Tamrat works in the community, and that community is part of the U.S. And, Tamrat pays taxes which support the U.S. Don't you agree that Tamrat deserves the opportunity to vote in federal elections?

And:

And having the right to vote, they argue, will help noncitizens feel more politically engaged and committed to this country.

Once again, it doesn't work that way. You prove you're engaged and committed by becoming a citizen. Then you vote. Not the other way around.

Someone who wants to do a good deed should compile a list of all cities where non-citizen voting has been discussed, together with the local politicians who support and oppose the proposals.

It's proposals like these that could sour a lot of people on massive immigration. While the chutzpah of people who are invited into a country and then start telling those who were there first how to do things might be admired in a certain way, I think the backlash will be a bit stronger than "civic activists" like Tamrat might realize.

Previously: the non-citizen voting proposal in San Bernardino and CA State Assemblyman Leland Yee's support of the S.F. non-citizen voting proposal.