Arizonitis

Ahhh, illegal immigration. The protests, the marches, the pictures of huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

I have to say, I wasn’t surprised at the recent brouhaha in Arizona, when, at the most dramatic last hour, a judge blocked certain portions of a bill designed to deal swiftly and decisively with Arizona’s monumental illegal alien issue. These things happen like the latest episode of The Bachelor- tears, hugs, and a last-minute save. 

The main issue under consideration (at least legally) here is the issue of whether states should be able to set immigration law, or whether it falls under the discretion of the federal government. Arizona’s judge basically passed the buck, and said it was Washington’s jurisdiction. While I agree that Obama has got to come up with something, I have to disagree with the judge, and contend that each state should be able to have some rights for dealing with the specific immigration issues they face. The immigration problems of Vermont are surely somewhat different than, say, Texas. Why shouldn’t states decide on their own way of dealing with them?

Loved this: “Arizona is the nation’s epicenter of illegal immigration, with more than 400,000 undocumented residents. The state’s border with Mexico is awash with smugglers and drugs that funnel narcotics and immigrants throughout the U.S., and the influx of illegal migrants drains vast sums of money from hospitals, education and other services.”– and we’re really going to sit back and say, “It’s Arizona’s problem”? Really?

It begins in Arizona, but, my friends, it ends in my back yard. And yours.