Not sure it's the best way

I'm with the "Swillers" on this: about the new Arizona immigration legislation.

Look, I hate the idea of people coming here illegally. I hate the fact that a lot of the crimes committed in my town right now seem to be linked to people who are here that aren't here legally. I fear the whole Mexican drug-gang activity that has essentially destroyed Nuevo Laredo and some of the other border towns.

But I'm not sure that this new legislation is going to work to stop it.

I'm thinking, you get a few activist judges, who go, "OK? You wanna ask for proof of citizenship? Well, you're NOT allowed to profile. You have to ask everyone you stop."

And so then, anyone going to Arizona would be well-advised to carry a copy of their birth certificate. If they're a native-born citizen, that is.

Also, I suspect the forgers will just get better, and will charge higher prices, for forged documents.

The big problem is that the Feds aren't doing squat. They didn't do much during the Bush years, either: it was like it was an out-of-sight, out-of-mind problem to them. The Texas border is too far from DC, I guess, to register.

I personally think the best solution is some combination of far stricter border security and really steep penalties for businesses that employ people here illegally - and extremely steep penalties for people caught in identity theft who are here illegally (stolen Social Security numbers are a common reason why businesses claim, "I didn't know this guy was illegal).

I don't know. I don't think the Arizona system will solve much other than maybe sending a message and getting people upset. But I do agree something needs to be done - if we don't want to see the violence and the drug gangs slowly infiltrate US cities. But I think stopping the problem is complicated by the fact of the sheer level of corruption in the Mexican government and other forces.