Here we go again. More than 100,000 people have signed a petition to the White House to deport Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber and revoke his green card – meaning he can’t come back to the USA.
Chances of this happening: Close to zilch.
But everyone will have fun with it anyway. After all, it’s another opportunity to vent outrage, feigned or otherwise, at the increasingly idiotic misbehaviour by 19-year-old Bieber, ranging from allegedly egging a neighbour’s house in California (a possible felony) to drag racing and DUI in Florida (a possible misdemeanor).
The petition, punctuation mistakes included, reads: “We the people of the United States feel that we are being wrongly represented in the world of pop culture. We would like to see the dangerous, reckless, destructive, and drug abusing, Justin Bieber deported and his green card revoked. He is not only threatening the safety of our people but he is also a terrible influence on our nations youth. We the people would like to remove Justin Bieber from our society.”
The petition, created January 23, is on the White House’s We the People site, which promises that if at least 100,000 people sign any given petition, no matter how ridiculous, the White House will respond officially. So far, 125,000 people have signed the Bieber petition but no word yet from the White House.
Just for comparison’s sake, a similar “Deport Him!” petition was filed on the We the People site against CNN’s British-born Piers Morgan at the end of 2012 because some people were upset about something he said – actually a rant – against guns on his TV show. That petition got 109,000 signatures; Morgan is still here and still on CNN.
But this should be no surprise. Foreigners can’t be deported or lose their right to live in the USA merely for expressing their First Amendment rights. They can be deported if convicted of a serious felony but that hasn’t happened in Bieber’s case, and may not ever.
Even then it’s hard, never mind that this almost never happens to rich and famous foreigners from Canada or Britain. And besides all that, it’s not in the White House’s power, no matter who’s president, to just deport people on the strength of a petition no matter how many have signed.
But it certainly gives a glimpse of one aspect of the state of public opinion about Bieber. It doesn’t help that a “Don’t Deport Bieber” petition has only about 1,500 signatures.
“Stop Justin Bieber from getting deported. He is a human being and he makes mistakes. He does not deserve this,” reads the title on that plea, created Jan. 25.
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“The media sees the bad side of him. Please. He’s saved so many lives. Including mine. A lifesaver, Shouldn’t deserve this,” it concludes.
-MCT
