Membership and Citizenship Matter
This week, President Donald Trump made news when he announced the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative put into effect by an executive order by former president Barak Obama. This policy allowed children of illegal immigrants--whom have no memory of living anywhere but the United States--to be free from the possibility of deportation. Even though they were not legal citizens, they would receive some of the rights and privileges of citizenship, like getting to live in this country. The ending of this program sparked protests and social media backlash. Even lawsuits have been filed. At the heart of this issue, to me, is the idea that membership matters. To be a citizen of the United States makes you a member of the United States. As a citizen or member of the country, you have certain rights guaranteed by the Constitution. You have the right to free speech, free religion, and free assembly. You have the right to bear arms and the right to due process...