One Reporter's Opinion - "Close the Borders!"

By George Putnam

It is this reporter's opinion that California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has created a firestorm. Recently, in an appearance before a newspaper publishing group, he stated, "Close the borders! Close the borders in California and all across Mexico and the United States. It is unfair to have all those people coming across and to have the borders open the way it is. We in California have to still finish the border. That is the key thing - to have borders and to keep the law. Enforce the law."

The governor's press agent immediately explained that Schwarzenegger has long supported border security and his statement to close the borders did not mean to suggest that the governor - himself an immigrant to the U.S. - advocates an end to LEGAL immigration. His staff further attempted to explain that Schwarzenegger spoke little English when he arrived in the U.S. and often had trouble explaining himself.

It is this reporter's opinion that Arnold knew exactly what he was saying and that at least 80 percent of Californians agree with him. Close the borders until we can sort out who is here, who belongs here, and can put a stop to the 3 million crossing our porous borders every year.

Let's take a look at the Constitution. Article IV, Section IV states: "The United States shall guarantee to every state in the union a republican form of government and shall protect each of them against INVASION." (my emphasis)

The following is added to Article V, Section VII of the California Constitution: "The governor may by all fitting ways, enterprises, and means, resist, exclude, and repel INVASIONS of the territory of the state by all alien persons as shall forceably enter without consent of the United States and pursue and expel such INVADERS." (my emphasis)

There are countless examples. For instance, the Massachusetts State Constitution: "The governor has the power to encounter, repel, resist, expel and pursue all and every such person and persons as shall attempt or enterprise INVASION of the commonwealth." (my emphasis)

The Connecticut Constitution also calls for the governor to "encounter, repel, resist, expel and pursue all and every such person or persons as shall attempt INVASION." (my emphasis)

The same goes for Rhode Island and other states.

The point to be made is that the governors of our states have more power by law than we realize. When Governor Schwarzenegger calls for closing the borders, he can bring to a halt, even as the Minutemen have, the daily invasion of his border with Mexico. The governor is well within his authority when he at long last calls out, "Close the borders!" The governor need not apologize to anybody for carrying out his sworn duty.

Michael Savage has it right: "Borders, Language, Culture!"