"They are our neighbors and friends"

This is gonna be a quickie, but I wanted to get this quote out there that I think is very important to the immigration debate, especially as it relates to the militarization of the U.S./Mexico border.

Maj. Gen. David Rataczak of the National Guard questioned what role they would have and noted that the militarization of the border could spur immigrants to take up arms and could lead to gunbattles.

"What do you want 'em to do?" he said, adding that most guardsmen aren't trained for this style of border enforcement. "It would put our people in some really serious, significant decisions."

Allen countered that military personnel enforce borders all over the world, including those stationed in Iraq. But Rataczak said the comparison is inaccurate.

"We're not at war with Mexico," he said. "They're our neighbors and friends."

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Neighbors and friends. I think that point is lost on those who vehemently oppose a workable solution to the broken immigration system.

[UPDATE] The Governors have been gathered this week to discuss their common issues and are calling out the White House for the utter destruction of the National Guard. You see, with the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan circulating their troops, they are concerned that the force won't be strong enough to hold back the brown invasion.

They also are pushing for federal action on illegal immigration, which governors from border states and beyond say is long overdue.

"This is a national issue," said Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona, where 500,000 attempts to illegally cross the border were turned back last year — let alone those that get through. Nationally there are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants.

"We're absorbing through taxpayer dollars the incarceration costs, health care costs, education costs," Napolitano said.

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Sigh, there she goes again, playing the populace card again, sounding off on right-wing arguments against a reasonable reform of immigration policy. Keep digging, Janet, you're going to find your Pima County vote lacking next time around if you keep it up.