It is time for our country to act to resolve our border security problem --- I agree.
we know those who are encouraging open borders - mostly catholics, jews, and minorities the issue should be excalated over the top let the population choose sides then let the killing begin On May 7, 12:49 pm, Daniel Seigler <[email protected]> wrote: > Arizona governor: Boycott is misguided > Jan Brewer, the governor of Arizona, responds to calls for sports boycotts of > her state > > Email > Print > Comments3910 > Share14K > Retweet341 > > By Gov. Jan Brewer > Special to ESPN.com > Archive > In my 28 years of public service, I have made a lot of tough calls. But with > a federal government unwilling to secure our border for years and years, > Arizona is left with little choice. Imagine a sporting event in which rules > have been agreed to for 70 years, but the umpires refuse to enforce those > rules. It makes no sense. Although I recognize that Arizona Senate Bill 1070, > as amended, is not the entire solution to our illegal immigration problem in > Arizona, most people are united in the hope that it will finally inspire the > politicians in Washington, D.C., to stop talking and to start action now. > > By now, sports fans everywhere have heard something about the passage of > Senate Bill 1070, a measure I signed into law. It has resulted in protests > outside ballparks hosting our Arizona Diamondbacks and has led to calls on > Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig to strip the City of Phoenix's > opportunity to host baseball's Midsummer Classic in July 2011. > > Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesArizona Gov. Jan Brewer took in the > Diamondbacks-Phillies game a couple of days after she signed SB 1070 into law. > > Urging Major League Baseball to take away next year's All-Star Game from > Phoenix is the wrong play. In Arizona, both proponents and opponents of > Senate Bill 1070 have stated that economic boycotts are an inappropriate and > misguided response to an issue that is clearly worthy of proper public debate > and discourse. Put simply, history shows that boycotts backfire and harm > innocent people. Boycotts are just more politics and manipulation by > out-of-state interests. As a border state, Arizona has already paid a heavy > price for the federal government's failure -- hundreds of millions, if not > billions, of dollars in unreimbursed costs -- and its citizens should not be > punished further. > > It is critically important that all Americans understand the impetus for this > new law and have a clear understanding of the law itself. Our neighbor to the > south, Mexico, is in a massive battle with well-organized drug cartels. > Because of Washington's failure to secure our southern border, Arizona has > become the superhighway of illegal drug and human smuggling activity. In > December 2008, the U.S. Justice Department said that Mexican gangs are the > "biggest organized crime threat to the United States." In 2009, Phoenix had > 316 kidnapping cases, turning the city into our nation's kidnapping capital. > Almost all of the persons kidnapped were illegal immigrants or linked to the > drug trade. > > Essentially, our border leaks like a team with a last-place defense. The very > same week that I signed the new law, a major drug ring was broken up and > Mexican cartel operatives suspected of running 40,000 pounds of marijuana > through southern Arizona were indicted. > > While drug smuggling is the principal cause of our massive border-violence > problem, many of the same criminal organizations also smuggle people. Busts > of drop houses, where illegal immigrants are often held for ransom or > otherwise severely abused, are not uncommon occurrences in Arizona > neighborhoods. > > Today, Arizona has approximately 6,000 prison inmates who are foreign > nationals, representing a cost to our state of roughly $150 million per year. > Arizona taxpayers are paying for a vast majority of these incarceration > expenses because the federal government refuses to pay what it owes. Homeland > Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, as governor of Arizona, sent numerous > requests to the federal government to pay for these prisoners -- only to be > given the same answer she and President Barack Obama are now giving Arizona: > They will not pay the bill. > > The Immigration Issue > Arizona's new immigration law has become a hot-button topic in the world of > sports. Over the past several days, ESPN has presented a number of > perspectives on the controversy. > > • Jeff MacGregor: Razing Arizona > • Steve Nash: Opposed to law > • J.A. Adande: Suns make a statement > • OTL debate on Arizona law > • Fay Vincent's advice for Bud Selig > • SportsNation: Your thoughts > > When I signed the legislation, I stated clearly I will not tolerate racial > discrimination or racial profiling in Arizona. My administration worked for > weeks with legislators to improve SB 1070, to specifically clarify and > strengthen its civil rights protections. I issued an executive order to > implement proper training and enforcement protocols for our police so that > the intent of the language could not be misconstrued. Although it is already > against the law, the new law undeniably prohibits law enforcement officers > from considering race, color or national origin in implementing the new > statute. > > I have worked for years without fail to solve problems diligently and > practically. I have done so always with an eye toward civility, and always > with the greatest respect for the rule of law. > > This new law is no different. As committed as I am to protecting our state > from crime associated with illegal immigration, I am equally committed to > holding law enforcement accountable should this statute ever be misused to > violate an individual's rights. > > There have been countless distortions, honest omissions, myths and bad > information about Arizona's new law -- many, undoubtedly, spread to create > fear or mistrust. > > So here are the facts: > > 1. The new Arizona law creates a state penalty to mirror what already is a > federal crime. Despite the most vile and hate-filled portrayals of proponents > of the law as "Nazis," actions that have been condemned nationally by the > Anti-Defamation League, it is ALREADY a federal requirement for legal aliens > in the United States to carry their green card or other immigration document. > The new Arizona law enforces what has been a federal crime since before World > War II. As anyone who has traveled abroad knows, other nations have similar > laws. > > 2. Contrary to many of the horror stories being spread -- President Obama > suggested families risk being pulled over while going out for ice cream -- > law enforcement cannot randomly ask anyone about their immigration status. > Much like enforcement of seat belt laws in many states, under SB 1070 there > must first be reasonable suspicion that you are breaking some OTHER > non-immigration law before an officer can ask a person about their legal > status. Only then, after law enforcement officers have a "reasonable > suspicion" that another law has been broken, can they inquire about > immigration status -- but ONLY if that individual's behavior provides > "reasonable suspicion" that the person is here illegally. > > "Reasonable suspicion" is a well-understood concept that has been thoroughly > vetted through numerous federal court cases. Many have asked: What is > reasonable suspicion? Is it race, skin color or national origin? No! Racial > profiling is prohibited in the new law. Examples of reasonable suspicion > include: a person running away when approached by law enforcement officers, > or a car failing to stop when the police turn on their lights and siren. > > 3. Arizona's local law enforcement officers, who already reflect the great > diversity of culture in our state, are going to be trained to enforce the new > immigration law in a constitutional manner. It is shameful and presumptive > for opponents to question the good will and the competence of Arizona's law > enforcement personnel. The specter that is raised of rogue, racist police > harassing people is insulting to those in Arizona who risk their lives in the > name of law enforcement every day. > > President Theodore Roosevelt said, "No man is above the law and no man is > below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we require him to obey it. > Obedience to the law is demanded as a right; not asked as a favor." Arizona > has been more than patient waiting for Washington to act. Decades of federal > inaction and misguided policy have created a dangerous and unacceptable > situation. Arizona has acted to enforce the rule of law equally and without > bias toward any person. > > It is time for our country to act to resolve our border security problem; an > economic boycott in Arizona would only exacerbate it -- and hurt innocent > families and businesses merely seeking to survive during these difficult > economic times. > > A boycott that would actually improve border security would be to boycott > illegal drugs. Dramatically less drug use and production would do wonders for > the safety of all our communities. > > Jan Brewer is the governor of Arizona. > > _________________________________________________________________ > The New Busy is not the too busy. 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