Before we begin, let's set some ground rules. We will be discussing principles here. There are no feelings. Let us instead look at the issue of immigration from a principle stand point and not from the smoke and mirrors of human emotion, empathy, or motive.

"We may or may not agree on this issue, but somewhere in the journey of debate we may be able to find wisdom that will help us all. I may or may not agree with you. You may or may not agree with me, but somewhere along the way, maybe our knowledge will show us some wisdom that will allow us to grow as a community, a people and a nation."

Most of you who have been on the OPP know me. I have written many topics and my most successful topic was "Praying for America-- Through the Psalm of David"

For those who don't know me, I am a moderate Conservative with strong principles based in God and Country. I am Roman Catholic, on my father's side I am a Greek Lithuanian. On my mother's side I am an Irish-Italian. However, first and foremost, I am a Roman Catholic American. I am the grandson of two immigrant families. Both my dad's side, and my mom's side came over to America through Ellis Island in the early 1900s. With that being said, here is my stance on immigration:

The whole purpose of traveling such a lethal deadly journey to the United States is in the end to join America and make it greater than it is. America is the only country in the world that exercises true freedom and the only country that a poor man can become rich and then poor again, then rich again. Just ask Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.

With that being said, there are rules to join the family of Americans. No true immigrant, wants to be deported. However, just like everything else in life, there is a right way to be a citizen and a wrong way. Damage to us, our families, our communities come with the wrong way. It is here we need to have our conversation. I have done extensive research on the Constitution of the United States and found that that document is just as close to my heart as the Bible is.

I was born in Newark, NJ. One of the original thirteen colonies of this great nation. We moved from that immigrant state to another immigrant state, Arizona. In New Jersey, I watched during the 70's and 80's how communities would make their governments work. Let's face it, it is the people that make the government work for us, not the government making us, the people work for them. This must be understood. In the mid 80's we moved to Arizona, and I live in a town here called Tombstone.

Tombstone, Arizona has a rich history of attempting to keep Law and Order. It is here, in Cochise County that I learned of the Indians and a great marshall, Wyatt Earp. Of all that I learned from the great Chief Cochise, and the experiences of Wyatt and Virgil Earp there was one theme that stood out. That is honor, integrity, honesty, but above all---Law and Order.

We are a nation of Laws. This nation p***es itself on the Law. But in order for the law to be effective, we as citizens must also believe in the rule of Law. Which I do. From 1991 to 1996, I was enlisted in the United States Navy. In 2001, I joined the National Guard for Iraqi Freedom. But in all that time, I learned about law and the rule of Law, keeping with my religion and patriotism of this great nation of ours.

Principle, If you are free then you can become equal. The government of the United States protects both freedom and e******y. I have already on the OPP, defended the First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth amendments. I continue to defend the Constitution against anyone who attempts to violate its mandate. It is not only my favorite document, but it is also the Law of the Land.

Enough about me, the matter at hand is immigration, and here again I will defend the Constitution. The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution reads like this,
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

I believe strongly in this amendment. I have also seen the discrimination results of legal and i*****l i*******ts. Legal immigrants have been naturalized. Therefore, by this amendment they are citizens. They have given up their sovereignty of the old country and now claim as their own the United States as their country. However, it seems like i*****l i*******ts have not given up their country of origin's sovereignty. For these people have become a de facto society living with in our borders. By definition, the i*****l a***n is not subject to the jurisdiction as protected by the 14th amendment. Which means their children if born here are not automatically American citizens. However, if the parents are here legally, then yes their children if born here are legally citizens.

The i*****l a***n is a new concept that the Supreme Court has yet to rule on. This de facto society came about around the depression years from about 1927-1940. The rule seems to be when the economy is good, America welcomes all people, but when the economy is back, America kicks them out. This cycle appears to be about a ten year cycle. In good times, no one is deported, in bad times everyone is deported. Thus the de facto society is developed, and is a multi-billion dollar business exploiting the lack of action by Congress the President and the Supreme Court.

Our President Donald Trump has taken the bull by the horns and is cracking down on i*****l i*********n. Almost immediately, progressives and democrats condemn his actions. Article II of the Constitution grants him the power to do this however. In the case of Donald Trump vs the State of Hawaii, the Supreme Court ruled that the president is well within his power as protected by Article II, to control who can enter this country. Currently there is a caravan heading my way, here in Arizona as well as California and Texas. We do not really know who is in the caravan. A lot of talk of fear is being communicated. Some of that fear is real, some is overblown. But the principle remains, the President has the power to turn away the caravan.

I support the president on this decision and believe he is well within his right as President. This is the first time a president has taken on the immigration issue. Sheriff Arpaio, Jan Brewer, John McCain, Barry Goldwater, Deconcini, and other political figures of Arizona have been complaining about immigration in Arizona for many decades. Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush and Obama, never directly addressed the issue. But Trump is. In a heated exchange from the Democrat party to the state of Arizona, Californians were ordered to boycott Arizona during the Obama administration for the passing of SB1070 that was mostly upheld by the Supreme Court. Amnesty does not work, so law enforcement in this state needed 1070 to protect American Citizens.

The immigrant is really not the problem, the coyotes are. Living here on the border, the coyotes are involved in human trafficking, drugs, and other exploitation of immigrants. Two immigrants were crossing the border in a pickup truck with a girl who seemed to be sleeping in the pickup. Turned out, the girl was murdered, her body was filled with bags of drugs, and the i*****l i*******ts were used as mules to take the drugs across the border. Stories like these occur on a daily basis down here.

Obama attempted the operation of Fast and Furious that k**led many citizens. Among them a ranch whose ranch sat on the border. He was murdered on his ranch by i*****l a***ns and coyotes. An elderly neighbor of mine, he and his wife were tied up for three days in their home by these people, until border patrol, ICE and the Cochise County Sheriff's department found them. They are alive today but the experience has distilled fear in them. The criminals had to be released because of the Obama administrations policies.

Still more corruption between the big money made from exploiting the law, and the true patriots combat each other until in 1993 in the small Arizona town of Elfrida there was a war between the "Mexicans" and the "Mormons". My brother and two sisters managed to escape the r**ts as they were going to high school in that town. I provided this evidence to show what has happened when Washington does nothing.

In 2016, President Trump ran for president and spoke out against these atrocities. Finally a candidate was determined to do something about the problem. Since he has been in office, I watched how the crackdown against i*****l i*********n, has taken effect. The evil element still crosses the border, but they were pushed underground. ICE and border patrol are defending us, and protecting us. Rather then us, protecting us. Gun fights worse than that at the OK corral have occured here in the border.

I wrote in my signature line that I live in the DMZ. The reason for this, is because Obama's theory was to place border patrol fifty miles from the border. So all the cities from Ft. Huachuca and Sierra Vista, Tombstone, Bisbee(the county seat), Naco, Douglas, Hereford, Elfrida, McNeal, Gleason, Sunizona, were all surrendered to Mexico, or so it seemed during Obama's presidency. The residents here in Cochise County were up in arms. Why were we cast out of the Country. We were upset. We all v**ed for Trump. For the Democrats abandoned us.

Now, I have witnessed Trump keeping his promise. He has sent the military down here. I see the Blackhawks, humvees, and other military equipment coming in the County. I have also witnessed the Base, Ft. Huachuca mobilizing. Thank God for President Trump. We are no longer forgotten Americans! How would you in Kentucky, or Georgia feel, when you get your family together for a picnic in the C****ado National Forest and see a sign erected by the Obama Administration that read, "Use at your own risk, this area is known to have i*****l a***ns, human traffickers and drug smugglers pass through here."

This sign stands in the Chiricahua National Monument, home of Chief Cochise and the Chiricahua Apaches, and also the home of Geronimo. Imagine what Chief Cochise would do if he were alive. He's turning over in his grave. Even deep into the D**goon mountains at the Cochise Stronghold, there are such signs. Same with Turkey Creek. I thought after 911 that we vowed not to be terrorised.

Trump is at least doing something about it. He's sending troops. Its about time. However, there are some, who I might add do not live here, who say, "He can send the troops, but they cannot do anything." If that's the case I believe that the troops should give us their weapons and we will handle the situation until Congress gets off their ass. I am sure that the community here will be glad to assist the military and will fight with the military to keep the caravan out.

For too long immigration has been a major problem. It is not a Mexican problem, it is an American problem. The Federales of Mexico are known to help us in Cochise County against the Cartels. They have aided us when Obama failed to protect us. But the Mexican authorities are outnumbered and outgunned. I hope Trump is smart enough to ask Mexico if we can go into their country and clear out the Cartels and Coyotes. If Mexico allows this, we can solve this problem quickly. The caravan already ran over El Salvador police, Guatemalan police, and Mexican police, just wait till their on the wrong end of an army M16 rifle held by the greatest fighting force in the world.

This is the reality. Believe it or not this is the reality. Therefore, God Bless Donald Trump, and I hope he is successful in his Immigration reform. We need it.

If Democrats and Republicans get together with Trump, this problem will be solved permanently. So why haven't the Democrats got the hint yet?