Truth and reality must prevail in immigration debate

With respect to the wisdom of old adages, repeating a lie doesn’t make it the truth. A lie is a lie. The uninformed may accept the lie as truth, but it’s still a lie. And the lie is the preferred tactic for opponents of Arizona’s immigration law.

Arizona’s law neither encourages nor condones racial profiling. Claims to that affect are fabrications. Section 2(B) of SB 1070 states that police must make “lawful contact” with an alien before “reasonable suspicion” of legal status can be established. According to Section 2(E) officers can arrest suspects only when there’s probable cause to believe that a deportable offense has been committed. Police are granted no authority to demand “papers” from Hispanics simply because of their race.

Verifying identity is standard procedure when police interact officially with civilians. Anyone who has been stopped for a simple traffic violation has provided “papers” (identification) to an officer. This is where probable cause and reasonable suspicion come into play; it’s nothing more than common sense. Under Arizona’s law, if a detainee behaves in a manner common to an illegal alien their immigration status is investigated. That’s not racial profiling. That’s behavioral profiling.

Facts and reason are inconsequential to opponents of Arizona’s law, who dutifully repeat the talking points until the lie is considered truth. Even Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon joined the chorus, echoing the sanctimonious twaddle that passes for a defense of illegal aliens.

Calderon stood in our nation’s capital, before our congressional representatives, and belittled any attempt to control the US-Mexico border. Basically, he said that anyone opposed to an open southern border is a knuckle-dragging bigot. Worst of all, our Congress gave him a thunderous ovation for his criticism of Arizona and border control, especially when he addressed them in Spanish.

President Obama also embraced Calderon. Obama will shun the Dali Lama, ditch the Israeli Prime Minister and offend the British without a second thought. But when a foreign dignitary criticizes our country Obama welcomes him like a long-lost brother.

Yet for all this distortion, the lie still hasn’t become truth. What it has become is an effective tool for constructing a political coalition of the ignorant. Democrats are betting that supporting amnesty, open borders and Felipe Calderon while denouncing immigration enforcement measures will enhance the party’s standing with Hispanics.

So, can immigration law please everyone? Only if it doesn’t promote America first, promote cultural superiority, or offend aliens. Reform must also be acceptable to Mexico and Calderon. That’s a tall order, but not impossible. We simply treat aliens and immigrants with the same warmth and courtesy found in Mexico.

Mexico’s immigration law is a constitutional matter. Chapter 1, Article 11 recognizes a right to enter, leave and travel freely inside Mexico. However, that right doesn’t apply to immigrants and “undesirable aliens.” Chapter 2, Article 32 reserves preferred occupations for natural born Mexicans. Chapter 3, Article 33 authorizes the Mexican President to deport foreigners without regard to due process or legal status. That same article bars foreigners from participating in Mexico’s political affairs.

Suppose America amended its immigration laws to mirror those in Mexico’s Constitution? Would Calderon then declare his reverence for our laws? Would Congress reward his support with fervent applause? Don’t hold your breath on either count. Hypocrisy would swell and America would be reviled as even more racist, xenophobic and intolerant than now.

Neither our Constitution nor our Congress exists to alter society for the benefit of illegal invaders, or to cater to smug windbags like Felipe Calderon. Arizona’s immigration law is just what the doctor ordered. It should become the model for every state in the union, opponent’s lies and prevarications notwithstanding.