You just can't use the terrorism argument

Interesting contrast in today's paper:

A story about the leader of the Minutemen, who realized his calling after 9-11:

"Immediately afterward, he made phone calls recorded by ex-wife Kim Dunbar. According to transcripts filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Simcox talked about stockpiling firearms. Court records describe a message left two days after the attacks: "I purchased another gun. I have more than a few weapons, and I plan on teaching my son how to use them. I will no longer trust anyone in this country. My life has changed forever." Dunbar sought sole custody and got it. His students quit as word spread about his apocalyptic diatribes.
With no more family or job, Simcox made a clean break. It began with a weeklong trip to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument on the southern Arizona border. There, Simcox says, he watched undocumented immigrants and smugglers stream across from Mexico. "At that moment, it clicked," he says. "The borders were wide open. It shouldn't take a kindergarten teacher to figure out that terrorists could come through.""

But yet, on another page, another view:

"Hayworth tells the stories of several terrorists who were found to have operated out of Canada. For instance, he notes: "We all remember the case of the alert Border Patrol agent who caught Ahmed Ressam trying to cross from Canada into Washington State in a car packed with explosives. Ressam's plan was to blow up Los Angeles International Airport during the millennium celebrations." Ressam was later convicted on nine counts, including conspiracy to commit an international terrorist act.
And yet over the past many months and the passage of competing bills from the House of Representatives and the Senate, the last one meant to appropriate roughly $2 billion dollars, have you heard any politicians talking about Canada?

Me neither."

"...At the same time, the State Department terrorism report that warns about Canada had complimentary things to say about Mexico. And yet we don't talk much about both borders, but instead spend our time and money on plans to stop carpenters, bricklayers and landscapers from entering from the south. Not because our politicians believe that it's the best thing to do but because they believe that it's the best way for them to get re-elected.

I wrote a blog item (montiniblog.azcentral.com) about this a few days ago, to which one man responded: "First they send Labatt's, William Shatner, Bryan Adams and Celine Dion. Now this? I demand action!""


So until we can admit what the real issue with immigration is, maybe we should not try to invoke any unnecessary fear by claiming terrorist can get in.

The ones we need to worry about are all ready here, and I'm not just talking Washington either.