By Dr. Harold Pease
A country ceases to remain a country when it ceases to protect its borders. The Roman Empire ceased to exist for that very reason, coupled with moral decay.
Two places in the Constitution reference the need to protect our borders: the Preamble identifies as a purpose of the federal government to “provide for the common defense” and Article IV requires that they ”protect each of them (the states) against invasion.” With more than half a million illegals crossing the border a year, this is an invasion, and the federal government is not doing its job. Too many people who are totally ignorant of their governing document want to weigh in on this issue. Fortunately, Arizonians understand. Arizona did not make illegal immigration illegal, the federal government did.
The new bill, “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act,” is the direct result of the Federal Government not protecting its citizens from invasion. It has nothing to do with race or any other subject. It has to do with enforcing an already existing law. It simply codifies federal law into state law. If the feds won’t protect us, the state government will. Thank you Arizona for protecting our Constitution, and other states should follow.
For a person to be stopped, he or she must already be offending the law. Once stopped, those suspected of being illegal immigrants are asked to provide papers. But the stop itself must be for other reasons. The actual law reads: “For any lawful contact made by a law enforcement official or agency of this state or a county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person, except if the determination may hinder or obstruct an investigation.”
This procedure is similar to that followed when a driver is weaving from one side of the road to another. The stopping officer demands a breathalyzer test and asks to see a drivers license and vehicle registration papers. If something does not feel right the officer may also check the vehicle against those that have been reported stolen or the individual against a wanted list. The Constitutionally ignorant have made a case for the unconstitionality of the law on the basis of the 4th Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. Such could be argued for any of the regular aforementioned police activities. But as noted the law prohibits unreasonable searches.
For individuals or cities showing sympathy for those breaking federal law, Arizona would remind them that they are accomplices to a crime and now break state law as well. The bill reads: “No official or agency of this state or a county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state may limit or restrict the enforcement of federal immigration laws to less than the full extent permitted by federal law.” All this could be avoided if the federal government did its Constitutionally mandated function and provided for the common defense by protecting us against invasion.
Under pressure, President Obama has finally agreed to send 1,200 National Guardsmen to the border. However, that is about one seventh of what is needed. The phrase too little too late comes to mind.
All are encouraged to spend their vacation time in the lovely state of Arizona to soften the blow of the boycott against them.