One of the hallmarks of the Tea Party has been its insistence that there be no amnesty for those who break the laws. That is, if you come to this country from another country and break the law, then you need to pay the full penalty of the law. Following the same line of thinking, the Tea Party insists that even those who were brought over while they were children should receive no benefit, no amnesty, but must feel the full weight of the law and be detained and then deported, even if this means that they are deported into a culture whose language and ways they do not truly know. It is, after all, the fault of their parents, and the law is the law. If you are a foreigner, and you have broken the law, even if unwittingly, you must still feel the full weight of the law.
For instance, recently Ted Cruz has said, “We’re a nation of immigrants, we need to celebrate that, but at the same time, rule of law matters.”
In 2012, the Tea Party Nation wrote, “The rule of law is the glue that holds this nation together. Liberals are dead set on dissolving that glue and by extension destroying the greatest nation the world has ever seen.” They insisted that the laws must be upheld as written with no allowance for circumstances, otherwise this nation would begin to break down.
This makes a recent set of articles, particularly by Fox News, ever so interesting.
Andrew Tahmooressi, 25, faces up to 21 years in prison and has already lost more than 20 pounds since being arrested March 31 at a border crossing near San Diego, according to his mother, Jill Tahmooressi. She is frightened for her son, who she said suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and had three guns in his pickup truck because he is in constant fear for his safety.
Andrew crossed into Mexico with guns in his pickup truck. He went into another country and violated the laws of that country and was found out. Frankly, having crossed borders many times, his explanation is somewhat flimsy. But, even if it is not that flimsy, he violated the law. Does not the rule of law mean that the good Tea Party people should then support Mexico fully enforcing its laws so that the rule of law is properly followed and their country does not descend further into chaos? But, that has not been the attitude. Instead, it has all been some outrage that an American “hero” is being held in a foreign country for violating the laws of that country. Suddenly, excuses are found for that good young man, excuses that the same people are not willing to apply to those who are in this country and not have committed a crime (think the young kids who have grown up here without visas).
Frankly, the attitude does not really surprise me. The Tea Party are an inconsistent bunch. American citizens are defended for actions for which others would be reviled.
I believe that both should receive amnesty. So, I have no problem in asking Mexico to have mercy and in asking Americans to have mercy. But, if you insist on full enforcement of the law in this country, regardless of lack of intent, then you should not be overwhelmingly upset if Mr. Tahmooressi receives 7-26 years in jail. Rather, you should cheer Mexico on for standing by the rule of law. Right?
The inconsistency was also apparent when it came to the Tea Party/far right support of Cliven Bundy and the support for breaking federal law with regard to land use in Nevada and then, in Utah.