DelGiorno Full of Beans Defending Been

Radio personality Michael DelGiorno declared today that the illegal immigration problem in Tulsa is George Bush’s fault rather than Chief Dave Been’s. His argument is a sophistry. He attempts to prove the truth of a known falsehood by combining it with a true statement.

Let’s start with the true statement. George Bush has failed miserably to control the borders and deal with illegal immigration. But, the second statement needs to be carefully analyzed. Chief Been has made material representations of law to the public. Binding legal precedent holds that local and state law enforcement agencies DO have the authority to enforce federal immigration laws. Despite George Bush’s failure to enforce these laws, they are still the law of the land. Been refuses to enforce them. Consequently, DelGiorno is really saying that if George Bush refuses to enforce the law Chief Been should also be excused from it.

I am deeply disappointed in DelGiorno. Logically, his argument is precisely the same as that of the left wing nut cases who blame the potholed pavement in their towns on the President of the United States instead of their local Mayor and Councilman. Granted, the President might have vetoed the road bill but that doesn’t keep the local road crew from showing up with a few scoops of asphalt to repair the roads. And, that is precisely what local citizens are asking Chief Been to do, make the appropriate local response to a local problem.

One of the primary principles of American politics has always been to do what you can where you can about a problem while you continue petitioning the federal government to do its job properly. If you don’t, the feds rightly assume that you don’t really have a problem. And that is precisely what has happened in Tulsa thanks to Chief Been’s don’t ask don’t tell policy on illegal immigration.

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