Picking favorites...

I was on CNN.com this morning and noticed a story that jumped out at me. It was titled, “Senator tries to keep valedictorian from deportation.” My first thought was, “hmm…is that ethical?” Can you really keep someone, against their will, from leaving the country? Before I input any more of my thoughts, I will give you a brief synopsis of the article, which can also be found at http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/11/armenian.valedictorian/index.html.

A high school valedictorian, Arthur Mkoyan, originally from Armenia, may be deported if a Senate bill, introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, isn’t passed. The family arrived in the United States in 1995 on a six-month tourist visa. After the visa expired, the family tried to apply for U.S. residency, however they were turned down. A judge ruled that they have no legal right to remain in America. According to the article, “the family tried again (for U.S. residency status) by applying to the Board of Immigration Appeals; that was rejected, also. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year denied their petition for a hearing.” The family wants to do everything they can to ensure that they remain in America. The father believes that if they return to Armenia, “his family would be subject to reprisals because of his attempts to expose corruption at the government agency where he worked.” It will take time for the bill to pass, if it does, so the family can enjoy America a little while longer because, “as a matter of policy, we (Congress) won’t proceed with a deportation as long as a private bill is pending.” Only time will tell the end of this story.

Ok, like I mentioned before, my first thoughts upon reading this article were concerning the ethical implications. First of all, in my opinion, I believe that Sen. Feinstein is showing favoritism to one person, which could have negative consequences. This story will be broadcast and people will start to wonder, “why didn’t see do that for me?” She will be labeled as being biased and “cherry picking” those she wants to help. Now how can that be fair? I think Sen. Feinstein should be very careful in choosing her path because everyone is watching her next move. I would still like to know her motive behind the bill, and why she singled out a valedictorian from a California high school. Sure, he may be smart and have things going for him, but a lot of other citizens do also and we don’t have special favors done for us. This is only the beginning of this issue, and I am interested to see how it unfolds. Will the Armenian family be forced to return home?