WASHINGTON TIMES–‘Toughest sheriff’ recruits big names for border ‘posse’
“America’s toughest sheriff,” Phoenix’s Joe Arpaio, is creating an armed “Immigration Posse” to combat illegal immigration, and Hollywood actors Steven Seagal and Lou Ferrigno, along with Dick Tracy and Wyatt Earp, have signed up.
This is real, even those last two names, who are a Chicago cop and the nephew of the real Wyatt Earp. The sheriff says he and his state are the new whipping boys of Washington bureaucrats.
I like this idea. It’s a little scary, but I don’t know how it else the problem can be contained. I want immigrants, whom I assume have the best intentions, to be treated with mercy, but I think the traffickers should be shot. They are no better than the slave traders who dehumanized and profited from unwilling immigrants to the American colonies and the southern states.
It looks like Mexico is heading towards civil war. Unfortunately, if that happens we’ll be drawn into it.
The real risk isn’t immigrants, even though we might not be doing as good a job as we should assimilating them. The real risk is a failed state that would allow somebody who doesn’t like the US to set up shop and start shelling Phoenix, El Paso, etc.
Where are they shelling? Over the Mexican border? From within Arizona?
Phil, they aren’t. This isn’t happening it. But if Mexico degenerated into civil war, it is likely to happen.
I’m sorry I misunderstood. I have read of crime, of people being killed because they tried to protect their property which was too close to the border without help from the law.
I wasn’t clear. Basically, instances of violence can be divided into two types:
1. Normal crimes, which are susceptible to the law enforcement model. This allows for such desirable qualities as separating the guilty from the punishment.
2. Crimes that are too big for law enforcement to handle. Stopping these crimes requires collateral damage, killing people just for being on the other side, etc. The term used for the biggest of these crimes is “war”.
The current Mexico situation is at #1, but it is edging towards #2.
Yes, I’ve heard the Mexican military doesn’t care to fight criminals, but I don’t see how an immigration problem will escalate into war for us, and if a civil war starts in Mexico, how are we obligated to step in? Guard the border against criminal refugees, I understand, but fight the drug armies or whoever the bad guys are down south?
It’s not a matter of being obligated. It’s a question of whether something bad will happen to us if we don’t.
I’m probably biased because I grew up in Israel. However, I can see an anti-US government (Iran, for example) spending money to get a piece of land within a war-torn Mexico as a base for attacks. They’d do it to draw the US military away from places where it is more dangerous to their interests. Iran doesn’t like having US troops on both borders.
I live in southern Arizona, not far from the border. This is being blown WAY out of proportion to what is actually happening here.
Also, I’m not sure having Hollywood types–especially Seagal, who is facing some serious sexual harassment lawsuits–is the best way to go about handling the situation. Please.
I shouldn’t be surprised that it’s being blown out of proportion–now that I type that, is the posse or the border problem being exaggerated? What do you think about Arizona saying they will guard the border if the Coast Guard will not?
The “Coast Guard”? We have some National Guard.
The idea of a “posse” with Steven Seagal borders on the ridiculous.
I knew if I wrote it I’d get it wrong. Sorry about that. On the posse, I think the sheriff is quoted saying he thought Seagal and Ferrigno would be better at publicity that actual patrol. Still, if they can win some fear points from traffickers, it would be worth the hype. You’re right that this is sensational. It would be news if they captured some people and turned back immigrants trying to cross.