What's your opinion on the proposal of repealing birthright citizenship?

Never happen: not worth spending time to worry about.

What would the exam be like? Who would write it? Let me guess, some Job Creating private company that pays kickbacks to enough politicians… And has no historians whatsoever connected to it.

I’m pretty sure that at least half of Americans could not pass the current citizenship exam without intensive remedial U.S. History tutoring (myself included).

I think it’s nonsensical.

Who proposed this notion? I’m guessing it was somebody (or some organization) from the extreme right.

Sure do it. So when I fail the test… where do they send me?

Surely I won’t have to pay income tax to a nation I’m not a citizen of… right? Send me the test now!

Okay now that the citizenship tests are required,
The Department Homeland Security administrates the exams and records and goes from almost a quarter of a million employees to one million employess. FOR FREE ~ ~ ~

There was a movie, I can’t remember the name, that required a tour of duty in the military before citizenship was granted. I would agree with the sort of system that required everyone over the age of 18 to do some service to their country, either in the military or community service. This would apply to all prospective citizens regardless of race, religion, or physical ability.

Too many people expect their rights but never do anything to earn them or to help their country. I believe that you are not a full citizen until you complete your national service.

This issue is just another sideshow, like the repetitive furor over flag burning. It’s bullshit to keep people riled up and divided. It would require the repeal of Section One of the XIV Amendment. Never going to happen. Jesus, would you people please just burn your fucking TVs?

I think birthright citizenship should only be granted when both parents are citizens.

Perhaps completion of an enlistment in the military would earn permanent citizenship.
Step 1. Born in the US of at least one one citizen legally married.
Step 2. Completes primary education 1 – 12 in American English.
Step 3. If he/she goes to college continues education
Step 4. One term of enlistment in one of the Armed Forces. Length of enlistment, or reserve duty depending on secondary school major. (Fine arts, English, poly Sci stay longer than physics, engineers or physicians)

Upon completion of the above a person is prepared to be a productive citizen. Dropping out gets you deported to a third world country in the Peace Corps. Then countries can bid on them for citizenship. If no bids, they remain in the Peace Corps for life.

Did you know that Canadians can be stripped of citizenship for being impolite?

Never a shortage of racist idiots out there proposing moronic bills.

The potential for abuse is staggering.

I think the US should seriously consider getting rid of Jus Soli (birthright citizenship) or modifying it. Most developed countries don’t have it, at least not in the same extreme form as the US. I’m on the fence about it personally. I think it is reasonable to have at least one parent be legal in the US for their child to be a birthright citizen. I don’t care if it is a temporary status or an actual citizen.

Regarding the additional parts to your question, earning citizenship at 18 and taking a test every ten years. All that is total ridiculousness to me. Adding those takes away any seriousness to the discussion of citizenship in my opinion.

@Ron_C That would be Verhoven’s satirical take on Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers. It’s an appealing idea, but I think I’m more in line with @YARNLADY: put in a provision to counter the anchor-baby phenomenon.

So if you fail you get to remain a citizen? After all, most citizens know squat once they finish high school. That is the sign of a real american. :p lol
It is a dumb idea. Knowing or not knowing about your country doesn’t automatically mean you will be a valuable citizen.
Just look at our politicians. I’m sure they all know our history and all about our government and yet they still keep repeating the same stupid ideas. Maybe we should test them yearly to see if they are sound of mind.

I kinda feel like birthright citizenship is terribly American; I would rather it be touched up rather than discarded wholesale.

Ah the far right. They love to trumpet their respect for the Constitution, they just don’t like much of what it actually says.

Sorry gang, I mistook this as social and added silliness to my response. Oops.

You can bet your arse that such a test every decade would be used to get rid of voters with unwanted political views.
All they would have to do is print questions with an obvious political slant and only accept answers as “correct” if they comply with the political views of the ones in power.
Questions like “Is capitalism the only valid economic system for america?”, or “Was the civil war about slavery?”

Answer these questions with “no” and “yes” respectively, and bam!, no longer a citizen.

@ragingloli, wait, what do you think conservatives think the American civil war was ‘about’ ?

Go ask any conservative on sodahead and they will tell you with absolute certainty of their conviction that the civil war, or “the war of northern aggression” as they call it, was about this nebulous “states rights” and not slavery.

@bookish1 A Q regarding the Civil War that I think you will find interesting.

@Nullo Starship Troopers, right! It was just on the tip of my tongue but just wouldn’t come out. As for both parents being citizens, I’m not inclined to accept that.

For too long, the American public has been insisting on it’s rights but most don’t even vote. I believe that if they are that lazy and lax in meeting their minimum citizenship duties, they don’t deserve the advantages of citizenship.

@Ron_C Not necessarily citizens, perhaps, but at least here in a legal (and preferably long-term or permanent) fashion. Many have prejudged me, calling me a racist, a bigot, or a brown-people hater, but honestly the only thing about the illegal immigration issue that bothers me is the part where they’re immigrating illegally.

@ragingloli And many a liberal will frame the whole war as a bloody, violent human-rights campaign. In truth, the purpose of the war was to keep the Southern states from leaving the Union.