The Arizona Experiment

Well, the Arizona immigration bill may be a hoax, we shall see. Isn't it interesting that Mexico itself is pretty tough on its own illegal immigrants. And isn't it odd that many protesters of the law (though balanced coverage has been slim) have acted in particularly offensive and uncivil ways--even to the point of throwing rocks at police.

This is not reassuring to most Americans.

And obviously if Arizona police willy-nilly arrest everyone based on the color of their skin that would be wrong. It would also overwhelm the system. Because there are thousands and thousands of people entering the state illegally, often treading over the same ground, the same ranches, the same no longer pristine stretches of desert, the same homes, the same stretches of road where children can no longer safely wait for school buses. What would you do, as governor, when the federal government refuses to act. What would you think, as a citizen, when this lawlessness goes on for years and years.

As it turns out, apparently the numbers are down because the economy is down. But also, those who do come are more likely to be armed, more likely to be involved in the illegal drug trade.

So what's the solution? Open borders? Legalize drugs?

I'm actually in favor of closing the border, building a fence, increasing legal immigration, and legalizing drugs, to take away the profit. And yes, tax it.

In the meantime, it's an election year, and Democrats are playing politics hard with this volatile issue. But let's not forget the incident that really sparked the Arizona law--the murder of a rancher on his own land, who was in the habit of offering water and helping injured migrants.

It's an experiment in Arizona. Let's quiet down and see if common sense prevails.

More. Kathy Barkulis, Smart Girl Politics, Illinois. Show me your papers. As Kathy reminds us, there is no photo-ID for voting in Illinois. (Chicago, sanctuary city) Golly gee.

More. Via Potluck, Jennifer Rubin quotes Lynn Sweet on our President Barack Obama's uselessness the last time immigration reform came up and failed.

More. Video, via RCP: Arizona Gov. Brewer On Immigration Law: "We Have No Other Choice"

...and while further away from the border we may not have noticed the recent brutal murders and beheadings in the resort town of Acapulco, and the killings in broad daylight of an American consular official and her husband just south of the border, most Arizonans probably have.