After considering the new, much maligned Arizona Immigration Bill, I have decided that it is appropriate and necessary.

After all, if the Mexican Army was to invade Arizona and try to take it as a Mexican providence, and the US Army was busily building our empire overseas, we would expect any remnants of the Arizona National Guard (any which have not been illegally nationalized for a foreign, undeclared war) to defend her sovereign territory wouldn’t we?  Well this is really the same sort of issue.

The Federal Government is in charge (per the Constitution) for the common defense of the union, and they are similarly placed in charge of determining immigration laws.  When they steadfastly refuse (or are unable, or incompetent) to fulfill those duties, it falls on the state government to step in and protect the security of their citizens.

America has been struggling with this issue at the federal level since I was a small child,  and now it has become clear to the citizens of Arizona that they are incapable (or more likely unwilling) to enforce to laws already on the federal books.  The state of Arizona is not (by virtue of her status as a State of the Union) in a suicide pact that requires her to take limitless slings and arrows of welfare state abuse and crime while the Federal Govt. looks on with disinterest.

National Defense

It is indeed hard to believe the stated purpose of the wars in the Middle East is sincere, when the Government refuses to secure our borders!  After all, if they don’t know who is coming across the borders on a daily basis, how can they claim to be conducting war? In reality, the terrorists who were operating in Afghanistan could easily be in strategic cities in America by now and the Federal Government would be none the wiser, yet we claim to be conducting a “War on Terror” by invading foreign lands.

It really makes no difference if you were a cheerleader or a peace protester during the run-up to these wars, this doesn’t pass the laugh test.  Imagine you have a terrible threat to your home- and to defend it, you leave your wife and children there, alone and unarmed……. to go beat the tar out of your neighbor (for a couple of years – while your home and loved ones are being ravaged).  What we are doing is no less ridiculous.

Federalism

What Arizona is doing is actually the way a properly functioning federalist system works. If this law works for Arizona other states will follow, and unlike most issues- once a system arises that works well and is not overly intrusive, the Federal Govt. can follow on with federal legislation without the usual sticky issues such as “unconstitutionality.”

Civil Liberties

I would be remiss not to mention civil liberties.  The legislation has been improved to specifically ban racial profiling, so it is simply a check on people who have committed a “primary infraction.”  In other words, if you get pulled over for speeding they can check your immigration status, but you cannot be pulled over for “driving while brown.”  Now that the law has passed……… being an Illegal immigrant is actually “illegal,” imagine that!

cross-posted from the Oregon Tenth Amendment Center

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