Christopher G. Adamo
Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2005

Story Continues Below

  Derbez plans to initially use the "legal capacities" of the United States to achieve his goal. But if that doesn't work, he will resort to the intervention of "international tribunals."

Momentarily sidestepping the absurdity of granting any legal capacity to an international organization regarding strictly internal issues, consider the larger picture of what is actually being attempted as a foreign power now makes threats against an individual American state.

The Constitution, in its original form, was never designed to put the federal government in charge of regulating minute details in the lives of Americans. Basically, it had two purposes: to act as an arbiter between the individual states, and to collectively represent those states in the face of foreign challenges, whether diplomatic or military.

Yet the federal leviathan, which grew monstrously beyond its original boundaries, has become an overwhelming burden of bureaucratic entanglements to the citizenry. Meanwhile the Mexican government, a foreign entity, seeks to intimidate and ultimately dictate the policies of an individual American state.

Thus far, it has done so with little or no official backlash from the United States. So, just as those in government are increasingly ignoring the constitutional limitations to their authority, so are legitimate constitutional responsibilities to protect the people from foreign incursion being abandoned, and American citizens are being left defenseless.

Prior to the recent Iraqi elections, it became apparent that foreign insurgents were causing much of the disorder and mayhem plaguing that country. Thus the major thrust of American and Iraqi military action focused on securing that nation's borders.

Yet when a similar incursion threatens to undermine the security and sovereignty of the United States, this country's government sees fit to respond with indifference and platitudes.

Of course, Derbez is not acting alone. Mexican President Vicente Fox has long rejected the term "illegal alien," claiming instead that the invaders are "undocumented workers" and thus displaying a complete disregard for American law.

Fox has been unrestrained in his contempt for the very concept of American sovereignty, promoting the concept of "dual citizenship" whereby Mexican immigrants would conceivably be eligible to vote in both countries.

Increasingly, his long-term goal appears to be an effort to transform the American Southwest into a Mexican "Sudetenland," which was the heavily Germanic region of Czechoslovakia that Hitler exploited as an excuse to invade and occupy that country.

Though nobody is suggesting a full-scale invasion by Fox's armies, he increasingly seeks to dictate and define laws and regulations on this side of the border, so as to maximize his ability to siphon and bleed as much as possible back into his own nation's economy.

A proper response to such audacity would be to warn Fox that America is just as likely to bend under his diplomatic pressure as it would from the terrorist acts of al-Qaida. Unfortunately, President Bush has already given far too much ground, even embracing the term "undocumented worker" and advocating amnesty for those who have flouted U.S. law to enter the country.

Such a stance completely ignores the degradation to American society that results from the mass influx of illegals. Among Arizona's Hispanic population, 40 percent supported Proposition 200. Clearly, these citizens realize that they have every bit the vested interest in the future of America as does the rest of its population, and they comprehend the threat posed to it by the unrestricted invasion of illegals.

It is altogether an abomination of constitutional principles that Arizona should be left on its own, fighting to maintain control of its destiny. If Arizona can be isolated and pressured in such a manner, what other state anywhere in the nation can consider itself safe?

Christopher G. Adamo is a freelance writer who lives in southeastern Wyoming with his wife and sons. His weekly columns have appeared on AIM.org, GOPUSA.com and CNSnews.com. He has been involved in grassroots politics for many years, and has served on the Wyoming Republican Party Central Committee. His archives can be found at chrisadamo.com.

Editor's note: