Protecting California’s Border
On a visit to San Francisco yesterday, Gov. Schwarzenegger made some strong remarks on the hot topic of immigration that his opponents are seizing upon to stir controversy. We can only imagine that they will increase their volume of criticism, inflaming a certain demographic which they generally pander to, while distorting the governor’s real message.
With this week’s earlier news about the MinuteMan Project demonstrating great success at stemming illegal immigration along the Arizona/Mexico border, the governor’s remarks are entirely contemporary.
As the S.F. Chronicle reports: “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged federal officials to beef up enforcement and secure the state’s borders against illegal immigrants, saying Tuesday they must clean up a “lax situation” instead of “trying to run the other way.”
“Close the borders. Close the borders in California, and all across Mexico and the United States,” Schwarzenegger told hundreds of newspaper publishers at Newspaper Association of American convention the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco.“Because I think it is just unfair to have all of those people coming across, and to have the borders open the way it is,” the California governor said. “We in California have to still finish the border. That is the key thing — to have borders and to keep the law, enforce the law.”
In context, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with those remarks. “Close” the borders can surely be said about our existing borders which our virtually “open,” because they are so porous, unguarded and uncontrolled, thus allowing a steady traffic of illegal immigrants entering our state.
Democrats were quick to react to the governor’s statement with outrage. Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez issued a statement saying Schwarzenegger should “ratchet down this rhetoric and retreat from this narrow-minded approach to immigration.”
Of course, Mr. Núñez is not one without his own bias. As AmericanPatrol.com points out: In 1998, “Fabian Nunez [was] an activist with ONE STOP IMMIGRATION, headed by Juan Jose Gutierrez. ONE STOP is one of the most vocal pro illegal alien advocacy groups in California and is under investigation by the FBI for misappropriation of federal and state grants. They coordinated the massive Los Angeles “Grande Marcha” against Prop 187 in October 1994, where thousands waving Mexican flags outraged Americans throughout the country. Nunez was on stage much of the time, directing speakers.”
While the governor’s political foes exaggerate reactions and eagerly cry out allegations of “extremism,” it is they who perpetuate a cultural divisiveness by manipulating his messages and antagonizing special interests against him.
Chris Kelly has more details.
RELATED:
Can We Stop Illegals?
April 22nd, 2005 at 10:19 am
[...] Deserters Looking To Canada » Smugglers In The Sand » Truth In Humor? » Protecting California’s Border &raq [...]
August 19th, 2005 at 5:41 pm
[...] ornia’s border.” Tisk, tisk, Arnie. That’s not what you said in April. “Close the borders. Close the borders in California, and all across Mexico an [...]
August 20th, 2006 at 4:48 pm
[...] As reported earlier, speaking to reporters on the topic, Arnold called for “closing the border” between Mexico and America. Which, by contrast, suggests that our borders are currently “open.” Indeed, open to illegal immigrants from south of the border, which have been breaking the law and entering our country by the millions. [...]