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Thursday, August 1, 2013
Successful immigration reform is vital for the future of the GOP After the Senate passed an immigration bill that modeled parts of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act in June, a national conversation has intensified over the fate of more than 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. As the focus turns to the House of Representatives, members from both sides of the aisle have begun to stake out the talking points of where the DREAM Act needs to be changed. A point of contention for Republicans regards whether the undocumented parents of U.S. citizens should be granted amnesty. Although the disagreements between Republicans and Democrats on the issue of immigration may be great, a bipartisan version of the DREAM Act should be passed as soon as possible.
The benefits of granting amnesty to undocumented immigrants in the U.S. would be immense. It should go without saying that it would be a logistical and financial nightmare to deport approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants. Instead of deporting the immigrants, the U.S. would save millions of icolas dollars by allowing them to stay. Another benefit of passing legislation similar to the DREAM Act is that it would help alleviate burdens placed on immigrants. Without access to social programs, undocumented immigrants are inevitably stuck as a lower class that is unable to rise above the poverty line. Helping many undocumented immigrants
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would also benefit those who want to serve their country and are prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice by enrolling in the military. From a financial standpoint, the argument that undocumented immigrants are a burden to society is ridiculous. If undocumented workers get paid legally, odriguez federal and state taxes can still be taken out of their paycheck if they use a valid social security number. As it stands, the GOP is quickly losing ground on the issue of immigration reform. The Hispanic community proved in the last election that its large demographic is a force to be reckoned with. As the GOP licked its wounds and began to reassess and reformulate its game plan for the
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future, party leaders understood that alienating the Hispanic population would only result in political suicide. While hard-line Republicans refuse to budge in the House of Representatives and obstruct further progress for immigration reform, some Republicans have begun to warm up to the idea of working with fellow Democrats on the issue. If Republicans want to move forward as a party and be competitive in the future, it is absolutely crucial that immigration reform becomes a priority for the GOP. The longer the GOP punts the issue back and forth between the House and Senate, the more it stands to lose a demographic that also shares their vision of the American dream. Nicolas Rodriguez is a senior political science major and an assistant opinions editor at the Daily 49er.
MTV anniversary should spark change on the once-giant network At 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 1, 1981, a little-known music network called MTV debuted on television screens across New Jersey. The first words uttered on the network were from of one of its creators, John Lack. According to an article from History.com, Lack introduced the network to viewers with the words, “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.” After its first video — “Video Killed The Radio Star” by The Buggles — debuted, MTV skyrocketed into mainstream popularity and came to define a generation of music lovers. Videos like The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” and Madonna’s “Like A Prayer” established the MTV era and cemented the importance of the music video as an art form.
After its music video usage peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s, MTV shifted its focus to the ever-popular realm of reality TV. According to an article from Billboard magazine, the number of videos shown on MTV dropped more than 36.5 percent from 1995 to 2000. In the 2000s, shows like hane “The Real World” and “The Hills” came to be more synonymous with MTV than its more important predecessors like “120 Minutes” and “MTV Unplugged.” Although the ratings on its reality shows may be high, it’s clear that MTV has betrayed its core ideals by eliminating most of its music videos and
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alternative programs. MTV needs to revitalize and reinvigorate itself. By featuring more music videos and alternative programs, MTV could improve its image and re-brand itself as the world’s most important and influential music television network. To explain MTV’s significance ewell to today’s generation of youngsters is difficult, as the means by which young people view music videos is entirely different from previous generations. Before YouTube and iTunes, music fans tuned into MTV to watch their favorite artists. In addition to watching what they loved, fans sought out late-night shows like “120 Minutes” to
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discover new artists and songs. Instead of solely entertaining viewers, MTV sought to broaden people’s musical tastes by showing other videos that were less popular but just as good. It was apparent from the beginning that MTV’s goal was to provide its viewers with the best and most diverse music available. While music videos may be more easily accessible on sites like YouTube, the Internet cannot recreate the atmosphere that MTV provided with its unique hosts and programs. By redefining itself, MTV could reclaim the crown and position itself as the definitive music television channel. Shane Newell is a junior journalism major and the opinions editor at the Daily 49er.
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