Amnesty, border security, and swine flu... oh my! (Updated Arizona Edition, 4/24/10)

The Constitutional Alamo ^ | 04/24/10 | Michael Naragon

[Publius772000]

UPDATE (4/24/10): Nearly a year to the date that I originally wrote this piece, Arizona has agreed to begin checking on the immigration status of its residents and arresting illegals. Barack Obama, champion of illegal immigrant rights, has vowed to fight the law, which has around 70% approval among Arizona's legal population.

Tonight, on the Mike McConnell radio talk show, McConnell's fill-in host was lambasting the Tea Party activists for their apparent support of the Arizona law, saying it was one of the most restrictive moves against individual liberty imaginable, a frightening "slippery slope." According to the host, if you support limiting government's influence concerning taxes, health care, and the like, then you must be against the government's ability to check on the legal status of its residents. He then went through the litany of arguments used to show that illegals are no real threat to the country, and that moves to restrict them or remove them are really moves against the free market system and individual liberties:

1) Illegals do jobs no one else wants to do. Really? In an economy with over 10% unemployment? Unlikely these days, which is why some illegals are beginning to leave of their own accord.

2) Illegals are a drain on public services, but we should ignore this and just figure out a way to make them pay taxes. If this were a feasible strategy, it would have already been proposed and taken hold. I don't buy into the proposal that things will be economically wonderful if only the illegals would pay taxes...

[Publius772000]

Full original article, including a discussion of the original debate among the Founding Fathers regarding immigration and naturalization, is accessible at http://theconstitutionalalamo.com

[FlingWingFlyer]

"...then you must be against the government's ability to check on the legal status of its residents."

I am. Just as I am the government running a check on my vehicle plates and checking to see if I have any outstanding warrants when they stop me on the roads. We decided to have laws in this country! If we are going to insist on having laws, the least we can do is ENFORCE them.