The Arizona Immigration Law

There’s been quite a fuss over this law passed in the state of Arizona concerning illegal immigrants. There’s been a knee-jerk reaction by those on the left, who automatically assume the law is wrong. I haven’t read the law myself, but as I understand it, the law was designed to pass any constitutional tests.

I’m certainly against any law that goes against the freedoms we have as guaranteed in the Constitution. However, we have to remember that any right guaranteed in that document is subject to limitations. That goes for free speech, freedom of assembly, and all the others.

Most of the people protesting this law don’t live in Arizona, which is on the front lines of the illegal traffic in drugs, contraband, and people. The flood of illegal immigrants into the state is a problem, and Mexico itself has far more restrictive laws against immigrants and what they can do than the Arizona law.

There has to be a balance between protecting the citizens of the United States against crime and other problems, and not trampling the spirit of the Constitution. We have to remember that the Constitution was established for the general welfare of the people and not to protect criminals, illegal trespassers in the United States, and others who may want to do us harm.

I’m not saying the ends justify the means, but I am saying that the government has a right and a duty to protect its people. We are a nation of laws, and people entering any country illegally are breaking the law and possibly putting its citizens in danger. We live in a post-9/11 world in which hidden enemies wish to do us harm. While we can’t close our borders, nor would that be desirable, we must control them.

Finally, those opposed to illegal immigration are not “anti-immigration.” Those on the left throw around the term “anti-immigration” very liberally, but there is a big difference between controlled and legal immigration, and the illegal crossing of our borders. Don’t be fooled by the careless rhetoric and name-calling.

Pray for Arizona and the federal government to have wisdom in dealing with the immigration issue. After all, these are human beings we are talking about, both U.S. citizens and the illegals who are searching for a better life.