While I’ve been focusing on space policy, much of the talk in The Corner has been about immigration. Jonathan Adler has a post with which I’m sympathetic.

While I generally favor substantial relaxation of restrictions on those immigrating to the U.S. to work or study, I do not favor relaxing citizenship requirements. To the contrary, I would probably favor increasing the requirements for citizenship, as well as for receiving whatever forms of public assistance are provided by the government.

I would go even further. I think that someone willing to walk barefoot through the desert and risk death by hyperthermia and dehydration is likelier to appreciate this country, and is a better candidate for citizenship than someone who was fortunate enough to happen to be born here, or have parents who are citizens, and thereby thinks that the world, or at least nation, owes him a living.

I in fact think that citizenship should be much harder to get, but we have to separate the concept of citizenship from a right to work. Citizenship should be about voting, and having a say in the running of the country, and I’d cheerfully disenfranchise those of able body and mind who are drains on the public wealth, rather than contributors.