Eugene Robinson has struck again. Tuesday, he published an Op-Ed piece in The Washington Post demonizing John McCain, the state of Arizona and, somehow, the Tea Party?
Arizona has just passed new legislation which deals with residents’ legal status, making it a crime to be in the United States illegally.
Eugene Robinson asserts that “Arizona’s draconian new immigration law is an abomination — racist, arbitrary, oppressive, mean-spirited, unjust.” The problem with this assertion is that an estimated 560,000 illegal immigrants reside in Arizona and the federal government has not responded appropriately in dealing with the situation. Robinson would have us believe that they are questioning the legality of every person that looks Hispanic. In reality, Arizona’s state law enforcers are trained to look for reasonable suspicious acts before they can question an individual’s identity. This is similar protocol to law enforcement nation-wide pertaining to criminal activity.
Arizona has become the main entrance point for illegal immigration; and many Arizonans support this legislation because of the recent influx of drugs and drug related crimes. Most illegal immigrants are not here to cause problems, only to create better lives for themselves and their families. The few that due cause problems — drug trafficking, violent drug crimes and, yes, in some instances terrorism — need to be stopped in a reasonable manner.
Robinson, as always, wasted no time casting the first misdirected stone. I seriously doubt he actually understands the needs and circumstances surrounding Arizona as a state.
If the federal government cannot respond to a state’s needs responsibly, the state must do what it feels is necessary to solve its problems.
Robinson is right; the law is directed towards Hispanics. But be logical, of course the legislation is directed towards Hispanics when Arizona has become a super-highway for illegal immigration from Mexico. If someone is here illegally, they are here illegally —no ifs ands or buts about it. If they are here illegally, they are breaking the law. If they are breaking the law, necessary action must be taken to prevent more violations.
Last year, I conducted a study to find what determines people’s attitudes towards immigration as a whole. The biggest factor was not drugs or crime, but economic well-being of the individuals and the country as a whole. Obviously in this economic climate, there are not going to be many proponents of immigration —illegal and legal. That being said, Americans should think long and hard about immigration. Most every person in the United States is a product of immigration. As much as Americans hate to admit it, our Bill of Rights is designated for everyone —not just American citizens. Immigration is important to our society —it always has been. However, there has to be a line drawn; and it must be drawn with illegal immigration. While everyone should have an equal opportunity to seek a better life, there is a process; a process that must be respected.
There are all sorts of issues that go along with illegal immigration; they can affect individuals, states and the nation. The naturalization process needs to be relevant; and it is the responsibility of the federal government to secure our borders. It is not unreasonable for a state to respond when the federal government falters.
The constitutionality of the legislation will probably be challenged and a higher court must decide whether or not the actions taken by the state of Arizona are constitutional, not an Op-Ed columnist. If the federal government does not agree with this legislation, then it is their responsibility to find an acceptable solution.
