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SIERRA VISTA — No amnesty, no guest worker program, no foreign countries running American ports was part of the litany Arizona U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth ticked off Friday.
Speaking with nearly 240 people who attended the Cochise County Republican Committee’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner, the 5th Congressional District representative said Americans are facing an assault on their liberties.
Generally, the Republican’s comments were received by an appreciative audience.
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Not only is the nation being attacked from outside sources, such as illegal immigrants entering the United States, but from within by Americans being apologetic for actions taken throughout the world in the name of freedom, Hayworth said.
The future history of America is being written by today’s citizens, the congressman said, and what will be told will either be a story of failure or of success.
Failure will gut the beginning phrase of the Constitution, “those three practical and poetic words ‘We the People,’ into meaning nothing,” Hayworth said.
Most of his speech centered around border issues.
Saying Americans are living through an invasion that the federal government is not willing to address, Hayworth commented it may be the average American citizen who may have to rise up again and do the leading, he said.
Although the Constitution outlines the responsibility of the federal government, which succinctly boils down to the job of the government is to protect the citizens, the states and the country from invasions, that is not being done, the Arizonan stated.
Nightly, between 6,000 and 6,500 illegal immigrants cross the border from Mexico and almost 4,000 to 4,500 make it without being stopped by the Border Patrol, he said.
Such numbers cannot be allowed to continue, Hayworth said.
To him, it appears that Congress is about to fold under pressure to establish a guest worker program that will lead to amnesty for the millions of illegal immigrants in the country.
What has to be done first is to secure the borders and until that is done, Hayworth promised he would fight against any program that doesn’t stop the flow of illegal immigrants.
Pressure is coming from Mexican President Vicente Fox, and sadly it appears the U.S. Senate is about to cave in and provide amnesty and a guest worker program, the congressman said.
“No amnesty, no guest worker plan,” Hayworth said to resounding approval by most of the audience.
Arizona Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe, who represents Congressional District 8 that includes a large swath of border area, said Hayworth is wrong about not having a new guest worker program. Hayworth’s district does not include border areas, but problems caused by illegal immigrants are found in his district that includes Scottsdale and other urban Maricopa County regions.
Saying he does not agree with Hayworth on the guest worker idea, Kolbe said without such a new plan “there is no solution, so that means J.D. Hayworth is wrong.”
Kolbe made his comments Sunday before boarding an Air Force plane at Fort Huachuca for a trip back to Washington, D.C.
The day Hayworth was in Sierra Vista speaking with the county committee, Kolbe was in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, leading a congressional delegation to the Mexico-U.S. Interparliamentary Meeting.
Hayworth said the American taxpayer is being asked to shoulder the costs to provide medical care, education and other social programs for illegal immigrants.
When it comes to education, he sees no problem in requiring people to speak English, without denigrating their native culture.
It was President Theodore Roosevelt who said the “crucible for citizenship is English,” the congressman noted.
The national security of America is in danger on many fronts, Hayworth said.
There is no reason America’s armed forces, and the National Guard cannot be placed on the border, something he continues to support.
The military, active duty and reserves, has the capability of protecting the borders as well as to continue fighting the war on terrorism, he said.
But, the federal government must also be wary in how they do things, the congressman said.
An example of not looking at the consequence of an action is deciding a foreign government should be allowed to operate ports in the United States.
The body politic failed, Hayworth said.
To him it makes no difference if “it is our British cousins, Chinese communists” or others like Dubai who are allowed to run ports — it shouldn’t be done, Hayworth said.
But, there are too many in and out of government who are afraid to step on some toes. “Who cares?” he asked.
The war of terrorism is far from over, and it will be citizen soldiers, in and out of uniform, who will be called upon to defend America, Hayworth said.
The first action taken on the Global War on Terrorism was achieved by citizens who became soldiers while flying on United Flight 93, over Pennsylvania, Hayworth said.
Those American airline passengers learned about unfolding terrorist actions against the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon, but they were not going to allow their aircraft to be used to kill more people.
The hijackers’ confidence was shattered when they heard the passengers preparing to attack because microphones picked up the last moments of that story, Hayworth said.
When the word from the passenger compartment went out — “Let’s roll!” — panic was heard from the hijackers, he said.
“Fear crept into their voices,” Hayworth said.
For those who live in the border area, where the nation’s back doors and windows are open and unprotected, the call is out to help to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and potential terrorists, the congressman said.
“It is an invasion that must be stopped,” Hayworth said.
Herald/Review senior reporter Bill Hess can be reached at 515-4615, or by e-mail at bill.hess@svherald.com.
Joe Hicks wrote on Oct 8, 2007 2:22 PM: