So, there’s been a lot of talk lately about anchor babies (20 bucks says that term came from a marketing major) and repealing the 14th Amendment — that’s the one that, among other things, confers automatic citizenship on children born on American soil. And yeah, at its root, it’s exactly the panicked fear-mongering pass-the-buck finger-pointing you suspect it is. In a way, it’s almost admirable in its commitment to absurdity: Hey, unemployed professional, you can’t find work because the Mexicans who do your neighbors' landscaping have stolen all your government’s money!

But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea. Even the cesspool of self-interest that passes for our nation’s legislative tastemakers will occasionally stumble upon something good for the country.

By all means, let’s do away with automatic citizenship.

For everybody.

This article appears in Aug 12-18, 2010.