this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2023
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So, see, here's the thing. Most countries don't do birthright citizenship (that is, you're automatically a citizen if you were born in the country). They trace it by pedigree; some combination of your parents, grandparents, and, possibly, great-grandparents have to have been citizens in order for you to be born a citizen.
THE PROBLEM IN AMERICA, tho, is that we had slavery for 200 years (as America). So when the slaves were freed, guess what? Their parents, grandparents, etc., were never citizens, says (mostly) The South. So sure, they're free, but they can't hold office or vote or anything, because they're not citizens. Ever heard the term "Grandfathered in" or "Grandfather clause"? That comes from the test that Jim Crow states used to determine who could vote (for free, or without jumping through hoops, or, in some cases, at all). If your grandpa could vote, you can vote. Guess whose grandpas couldn't vote? Yup.
So we had to drop a ban hammer on that in the form of writing birthright citizenship directly into the constitution. Because the people who were crying into their grits that they lost all their slaves just wouldn't get the fucking hint.
Do we necessarily need birthright citizenship anymore? Absolutely we do. 100%. Because as soon as the GOP decides to trash it, they'll come up with some Neo-Jim-Crow shit fucking immediately.