A great quote. Is it OK that our Country is like this?

"Fathom the odd hypocrisy that Congress wants every citizen to prove they are insured, but people don't have to prove they are citizens". -Ben Stein

Don't you think this is backwards?

So I would love to hear any liberal answer this. Do you think it is OK that obama and the Dems just passed a healthcare bill to force all citizens of the United States to prove we have health insurance or get fined, but they are suing Arizona to stop for asking fro proof that they are actually citizens? Or is this logical to you?

I'm positive Viking that the only answer you will get is that you are a racist.

...or that you're an idiot, stupid, hate monger, blah blah blah! I don't get it either but I'm sure if we follow the money and the votes their "reasoning" will be crystal clear!

There's also a difference between being expected to prove your insurance status once a year at tax time (when your immigration status is also likely confirmed) & being expected to produce your papers upon request without any meaningful basis for said request ("looking a little brown, aren't ya? let's see those papers.")

While I think Ben Stein is an intelligent person, I've observed that he couldn't be more aligned with the entrenched politicos when it comes to political & economic philosophy. I've lost the majority of the respect I once held for Mr. Stein over the past few years.

Science Chic wrote: Viking, I can't find any credible confirmation of this quote, just repeats of it on several blogs, and most of those have "Obama" inserted instead of "Congress" as in yours.

The answer is that these issues are much more complex than can be boiled down to a single sentence soundbite. I have yet to see either Congress, or any president, current or historical, effectively deal with either our healthcare or our immigration issues. And yes, both need fixes.

And look, I can answer without calling names or being derogatory.

I believe that is what some would call 'projection'.... (referring to an earlier post where it accused 'some' of using the name calling where I believe if a study was done on all the posts here, it it would show that it happens by those same people quite a bit more)

There are many contradictions in our immigrant policies.

grrr wrote: There's also a difference between being expected to prove your insurance status once a year at tax time (when your immigration status is also likely confirmed) & being expected to produce your papers upon request without any meaningful basis for said request ("looking a little brown, aren't ya? let's see those papers.")

While I think Ben Stein is an intelligent person, I've observed that he couldn't be more aligned with the entrenched politicos when it comes to political & economic philosophy. I've lost the majority of the respect I once held for Mr. Stein over the past few years.

OK, here are a couple of questions. If someone has to prove they have health insurance everytime they go to the hospital and once a year for tax reasons, should that also include every person living in the United States and not just tax payers? And if we, as legal citizens don't have it, then we get fined or it is taken out of our taxes so we are 'forced' to pay it. How do those who don't have any paperwork, living and working here, get fined and have to pay for not having proof of insurance?

So also explain to me then why I would want to even file my taxes? There are 12 million plus people living in America illegally who never have to file and because of that they also don't have to prove they have insurance. those are both against the law now but I don't see our government going after those people for not filing tax returns. We as 'legal' Americans can go to jail for not filing taxes. Why are they allowed not to and thus also not having to pay this new 'forced' healfhcare insurance? So by filing taxes, then you have to prove that you also have insurance. So you are punished now for filing taxes where as those who don't can get away with no taxes and not having to pay healthcare.

So again. Pop quiz. Two people living in the US. One legally and one not. Both working. Neither one files tax returns for a few years. Who gets fined and who can go to jail? And which one gets away with it for fear of looking racist? And of the two, both decide to ignore getting this forced healthcare insurance. Which one gets fined and which one gets free healthcare? Is this what our founding fathers intended?

How many illegal immigrants have ever been arrested for tax evasion?