Arizona Kool-Aid

Arizona Kool-Aid
Kevin Bryant

I wasn’t going to get into the Arizona Immigration Law debate. I seriously thought that people had enough common sense to know that if the Federal Government wasn’t going to do a job that they are responsible for, then the state has the not only the right to do it for them but the responsibility to their citizens to see that the job is carried out in the manner that it is supposed to be.

Kris Kobach, a lawyer in the Kansas City Metro and a candidate for Kansas’s Sec. of State is a frequent guest on Chris Stigall’s morning radio talk show here in KC. And sometimes fills in for Chris when he is on vacation. Kris Kobach helped draft the Arizona legislation and has repeatedly stated and backed up the claim that the Arizona Law is almost a mirror image of the federal immigration enforcement law.

If the federal immigration law is constitutional then why, under the 10th amendment isn’t a state law that only reinforces a federal law constitutional if it does not exceed the federal law or in violation of any other existing law? My favorite RINO Lindsey Graham (RINO-SC) can’t even answer that question. You would think that someone from South Carolina would be able to easily answer that question. The Civil War started in South Carolina. The Civil War was fought over in the idea of “State’s Rights.

The far out left is portraying this as some sort of “American Holocaust” only without the actual murdering of 6 million innocent people. Then you have those that want you to believe that this will lead to profiling, unlawful detention and illegal search and seizure. If anything, the Arizona law is more humane and protects the rights of individuals more than the federal law. The state law specifically states that you can not be sought out simply because of your nationality. You actually have to be in violation of an existing ordinance or law BEFORE your legal status can be questioned. The highest probability of a person here illegally being caught by state law enforcement is in a routine traffic stop. One of the first things a cop asked for is: License, Registration & Proof of Insurance. If I get pulled over for speeding and I do not have my license on me, the police have every right to take me into custody and hold me until I can satisfy the requirements of proving that I am who I claim to be. I am an American citizen and this is not violating my civil and constitutional rights. Sorry, but the federal law is specific. People who are here illegally do not have civil or constitutional rights. Law enforcement has the duty to treat that person with respect so long as they do not pose a threat to the officer. The officer also has the duty to keep that person safe from harm while in their custody and afford them the same rights and privileges as they would any other detainee.

You would think there would be a major uprising from Hispanics if they thought the Arizona law was racial. I have an acquaintance at work. His name is Carlos. Carlos works for a moving company here in KC that my employer frequently uses. He is the lead crew boss for this company and the company hires a lot of Hispanics. Carlos came to America when he was 19. He could barely speak a word of English. He applied for and received a work visa, primarily taught himself English and 6 years later became a legal citizen of the United States. Carlos is now in his upper 30’s, has a wonderful family, nice home & good income. He is living his dream, and that which many come here seeking. He, like so may others of his nationality, believes that Arizona is fully within their rights to enact this law and supports the law. After receiving his citizenship, he sponsored his parents and a few relatives, all of whom have since become citizens of this country. He will be the first to tell you that anyone who does not come here legally does not need to be here.

It’s OK for Carlos to think this way but if I or anyone who is not Hispanic believes as Carlos does, then we are called racist, bigots and Nazi’s.

Since when did enforcing the law itself become a crime? The federal government is quick to give constitutional rights to those who are not legally covered by the constitution but wants to strip the citizens of this country of their constitutional rights. The fed wants to impose more laws and restrictions on its citizens but is not willing to enforce the laws when it comes to non-citizens. There is something wrong here in the United States. What happened to the land of the free and the home of the brave? It has become the land subject to confiscation under eminent domain and the home of a government that thinks rights and freedoms are granted by the government and the government can take them away.