And why will it continue to have so much attention on this blog?
It is a correct statement to say that the immigration law signed last week in Arizona has really cranked me off. This is not the United States that I know and love. Instead the mean angry side of the country broke wide open. Usually these ugly moments are smaller and less publicized. But when a state-wide law of the type signed last week by Governor Brewer is seen in the full light of day, one can then truly see the underbelly of the beast.
To pretend that this law is constitutional is utterly nonsense. It is not, and I will outline why below. Those who rant about the ‘treason’ in government, and blame all the ills on President Obama, are the same ones now pressing this law as some natural right for a state to take when they have a policy dispute with the federal government. They have it all wrong! Those who profess to have a copy of the United States Constitution in their back pocket at all times so to follow along with the readings on the Glenn Beck Show, might read it sometime without the case of beer.
Under our constitution, Article One clearly makes citizenship and naturalization a congressional matter. There is no debate about this matter. NONE. Furthermore there is no ambiguity in the placement of matters of citizenship and immigration policy in Article One making this a federal matter. There just is no room to argue the matter. In addition, the federal nature of immigration matters is dealt with in the Fourteenth Amendment, which means that no state can retract privileges and immunities, or rights that are dealt with under the federal government. The Fourteenth Amendment federalizes these matters, and again there is no argument to be made by the other side.
There are those who will still argue the police are doing their sworn duties under the Arizona law, but I firmly stand on the side of those who claim the high ground knowing that the immigration law contradicts federal policy in the area of privileges and immunities, and citizenship and naturalization laws.
There will continue to be a loud and harsh outcry over this matter from little outposts on the internet such as mine, to the major legal offices in the land who will fight this matter. In the end our country will see this law removed. The stain of the meanness, however, will linger and be remembered as a sad chapter in our nation’s history. The only thing one can do now is to stand tall on the correct side for the history books.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 
The Arizona Law criminalizes as a misdemeanor something that is already illegal–being in the United States in violation of Federal Law. The Arizona law requires that law enforcement officials enforce the law. I assume that were Arizona officers to detect viloation of Federal securities laws, you would expect those officers to turn the suspect and the evidence over to the federal government. As a matter of law, and not emotion, how is this different? Arizona has every right to uphold Federal Law.
The Arizona law requires that immigration status checks be “reasonable” and “practical”, meaning police officers cannot detain suspects for long periods of time while they wait for ICE or a border patrol station to respond to an inquiery. Police Officers may not stop people they suspect of being illegal, but they may check the immigration status of those they detain or stop for the violation of some other offense–if it is practical to do so. I assume this would mean that performing such a check would not interfere with other police work. The last time I was stopped for a traffic offense, the officer asked to see my driver’s license and I waited 15 minutes while he ran my name through his computer. Was that unreasonable?
This is a country of laws and included in those laws are immigration and how it is to legally be done. I just don’t understand why supporters of illegal immigration do nit understand that simple concept. All that MOST Americans are asking is we welcome you yo join us, just do it by the way our laws ask you to and the way the MILLIONS of immigrants who came before you and built this country into the superpower it is did. The Pro illegal immigration supporters must understand that they are wrong 100% wrong to support open borders, until they do this problem they have created will never be resolved.
GB,
I am glad that you finally agree with me that this nation is “a country of laws”; that is after all what this post was all about.