Many Conservatives claim to be men and women of principle until those principles have more of a cost than they are willing to pay. Many of these Conservatives are running for the tall grass because Arizona passed a state law that mirrors existing Federal law on immigration. Pundits and candidates alike are denouncing the law because it is ill timed (so when is a good time?) and changes the national debate from overspending and Obamacare to the wedge issue of immigration. Hey we all knew months ago that Obama would be moving to immigration to try and divide Republicans.
Arizona pointed out that the emperor has no clothes and the Republicans panic. Why? Arizona is right. Yes immigration should be a federal issue but where does the national government get its power? From the States. Who has to bear the cost of illegal immigration? The States. When the national government fails to do its job, who gets to pick-up the slack? The States.
Michael Savage is right that it is borders, language and culture. Americans want secure borders. Neither political party has the will to do what needs to be done. Arizona is tired of people being murdered, criminals running roughshod over their people and the national government protecting the law breakers.
The irony is that California will be worse than Arizona in terms of lawlessness and crime due to the fiscal mismanagement of the state within the next couple of years. Under court order, releasing over 40,000 criminals into our society combined with counties abolishing law enforcement presence in unincorporated areas will create an explosion of crime that will rock the state to its core.
Radio talk show host and almost State Assembly candidate—Eric Hogue—finds the Arizona law ill advised and feels that such a move gives the Democrats a reason to energize their troops. He also sees immigration as a wedge issue to divide Republicans. “Just when we were focused on Obamacare, deficit spending, the economy and an ideology of socialistic intent, we are drug back into a wedge issue that has Democrats unified and Republicans stupidified.” http://hoguenews.com/?p=9886#comment-4783
Hogue’s three points outlining why the Arizona law is wrong can be summarized as:
• Immigration is a Federal issue
• Arizona is violating the 4th Amendment
“When they are forced to produce papers regarding their citizenship their rights are violated with an illegal search and seizure.”
• Illegal immigration is not a state crime
“The new law imposes criminal penalties for conduct – being in the state illegally – this is not a federal crime; being found to be in the country without proper documentation isn’t categorized as a criminal offense. It is a violation of immigration law and grounds for deportation.”
I agree with Hogue that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will overturn the law but that means little since the 9th Circuit is the most overturned court in the nation.
Let’s look at Hogue’s arguments in a different context. I can take every argument that Hogue made about opposing the Arizona law on immigration and apply the same three points to opposing the George Runner sponsored initiative that voters must show ID to vote in California.
• Voting is a Federal issue.
• Voters showing ID violates the 4th Amendment.
• Voting is not a crime, preventing voting is.
Why is illegals showing ID bad but voters showing ID good? Due to the way the Federal Courts have applied the Bill of Rights to the States via their interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause, what’s good for one is good for the other. Either showing ID is OK or it is not. The Liberals are consistent in their arguments but many Republicans are not.
Republicans should stand for what is right. They should not be ashamed of people wanting to have their families, homes and jobs protected from the burden of illegal immigration.
Will it really have to take an illegal bringing a suitcase nuke over the border and using it in a heavily populated Liberal area like Los Angeles or San Francisco to get the national government to take their job seriously?
Arizona may not be able to stop illegal immigration but that doesn’t mean the law abiding taxpayers that live there must pickup all the slack of the federal government.