I was born in Franklin D. Roosevelt's third term of office and have never known any president, former or sitting, to side with a foreign government against one of the States —until now. The utter arrogance and despotism of the federal behemoth, personified in the current presumed president, is beyond comprehension.
Not only did the Mexican president have the unmitigated gall to enter this country and criticize Arizona's anti-illegal alien law, saying that "Mexico would reject any effort to 'criminalize migration,'" but the presumed U. S. president "showed solidarity with his guest of honor, Mexican President Felipe Calderon" ("Migrant Solution Pushed By Obama," The Oklahoman, May 20, 2010, p. 5A).
Such attacks from foreign enemies on the sovereignty of our States are not unusual, but for one who presumes to be president of the United States to concur in those attacks is unprecedented. The American Republic was founded upon State sovereignty and the current presumed president is accelerating the erosion of that sovereignty that began 150 years ago. His efforts will eliminate the liberty of the States and their people, guaranteed in the 9th and 10th amendments to the Constitution of 1787.
The union did not create the States. Sovereign States created the union for their own protection. Governments are instituted among men to protect life and liberty — the position taken by the sovereign State of Arizona. The federal government has utterly failed in its responsibility to protect against illegal hordes who ravage the land like a plague of locusts and Arizona acted in self defense.
This is not the first time a State has taken such a position. One of the grievances listed in the Texas Secession Ordinance, ratified Feb. 23, 1861, was that, "The Federal Government has failed to accomplish the purposes of the compact of union between these States, in giving protection either to the persons of our people upon an exposed frontier, or to the property of our citizens..." According to John Locke, whose Second Treatise on Government influenced Jefferson when he penned the Declaration of Independence, the failure of the federal government to protect the border constitutes a de facto state of war against the States. When that occurs, Arizona — and every other State in the union — has the inherent right to protect itself, despite the cantings of foreign presidents or one who calls himself President of the United States.
The people of Arizona are to be commended for exercising their sovereign rights.
Jerry C. Brewer
