by Jan Brewer
So much for hope and change.
Our problems were greatly compounded in August 2011, while Congress was on summer recess and President Obama was on his Martha’s Vineyard vacation, when Janet Napolitano announced the administration’s plan to “review” 300,000 illegal alien deportation cases. The review would be based on nineteen guidelines, many of which came straight out of the DREAM Act, which Congress had already refused to pass. Napolitano dressed this up as “prioritizing” the federal government’s resources against aliens who are criminals or pose a threat to national security or public safety. This went right along with the memorandum that ICE director John Morton had issued in June, instructing agents on how to use “discretion” when deporting illegal aliens.
Let’s call this what it is: backdoor amnesty for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of illegal aliens.
President Obama is encouraging more illegal immigration by telling illegal aliens they won’t be deported as long as they don’t commit a crime or overstay their visa. By doing so, he is making fools out of all the law-abiding immigrants who do obey our laws. Most important, he is effectively saying that our nation does not get to decide who enters and stays in our country—the illegal aliens do.
Just three weeks earlier, in a speech before the Council of La Raza, President Obama had rejected the call to bypass Congress and implement immigration reform on his own. He said, “I know some people want me to bypass Congress and change the laws on my own. And, believe me, right now, dealing with Congress, the idea of doing things on my own is very tempting. . . . But that’s not how our system works. That’s not how our democracy functions. That’s not how our Constitution is written.”
Obama got it right in his speech and really got it wrong three weeks later. By implementing immigration reform on his own, he is violating the rule of law. President Obama needs to remember that we elected a president who serves under the law, and did not anoint a king who is above it.
You see, the broken campaign promises of 2008 are really making immigration a difficult topic for President Obama in 2012. Originally, candidate Obama had promised that he would make comprehensive immigration reform a top priority during his first year as president. But once in office, with a Democratic majority in the House and Senate, he made Obamacare the top priority. Comprehensive immigration reform quickly became a talking point as a “second-term” issue. Now, with his poll numbers plummeting, especially among Latino voters, President Obama is pandering to a key constituency and trying to redeem his broken promise by executive fiat.
After the announcement of Obama’s backdoor amnesty plan, I posted a press release on my Facebook page denouncing it. I also included Linda Eddy’s poster of me as Rosie the Riveter, flexing my muscles, next to the words ARIZONA: DOING THE JOB THE FEDS WON’T DO! Within hours I had over 10,000 “likes” and comments. This was one of the largest responses I had ever received on Facebook. As I went to bed that night, I wondered how much the response would grow by morning.
Unfortunately, I’ll never know. Because Facebook censored the post.
The next morning, the post was missing. Not until I read my e-mail did I know exactly what had happened. Facebook had e-mailed me at 5:12 A.M. telling me that the photo I had posted along with my comments violated their community standards.
Really? That image? The one I had been using on my Facebook page for more than a year? It didn’t make sense.
So I did what I thought was right. I reposted the statement and image with an explanation that Facebook had censored my first post. That set off a firestorm. I received over 35,000 “likes” and comments that afternoon, and the media was all over the story. Facebook later apologized, claiming the post was removed “in error.”
In the midst of my campaign for governor, I made a statement about law enforcement finding beheaded bodies in the desert. My political opponent and the mainstream media quickly pounced on the claim, saying that Arizona coroners couldn’t find any evidence of headless bodies having been found. I was, of course, trying to make the larger point about the uncontrolled, drug-fueled violence on the border region, giving the impression that we’d found headless bodies in our desert, the Arizona desert, when what I meant was that we didn’t want that sort of depraved violence to spill over into our own towns and cities. All that the media and my political opponents could talk about, of course, was how I had misspoken. The ongoing suffering and horrific violence on the border—the point I was trying to make—was completely ignored.
I thought about all the fun the media had had with that story recently when I saw a report that the bodies of eight decapitated men had been dumped along the road in Durango, Mexico. It was the second find of decapitated bodies that week. Earlier, eleven headless bodies had been discovered, six of them strategically placed across the street from a middle school.
When I see these kinds of reports, I worry about how history will judge us. Mexico is on the verge of collapse. Almost 40,000 of its citizens have been murdered in the drug wars there. And despite the desperate claims of the administration to the contrary, the violence of these wars is coming to America. What our national leaders have offered in response is a do-nothing policy cloaked in blame shifting and name calling. The president promised action in his first year in office. When he failed to deliver on that, his only response was to point fingers of blame. To please his rabid political base, he accuses those who want the border secured of racism and other ugly motives. For the majority of Americans who want the border secure, he blames Republicans for his failure to act. It’s all an elaborate Kabuki theater designed to conceal a concerted policy of doing nothing.
Securing the border isn’t rocket science. We’ve already made great strides in California and Texas. As I said at the beginning, border control can be achieved. To deal with the illegal traffic that these partial solutions have channeled into Arizona, we need to do a few relatively simple things.
We need a real border fence, particularly where the traffic is heaviest, along the Tucson sector of our border.
We need a robust National Guard that sticks around to get the job done.
We need to reimburse border states for the costs illegal aliens place on them, especially in terms of incarceration.
And, of course, we need to enforce our laws against illegal immigration. We need to send the message to would-be crossers that the risk of death and torture that is so frequently associated with illegal immigration just isn’t worth it. We need to send the message to people in other countries—and our own—that we take our laws seriously. That we honor them. That we enforce them fairly, without regard to the color of one’s skin or the accent of one’s voice.
This is what we’ve tried to do in Arizona. And we’ve run into a buzz saw of unions, liberal activists, civil rights groups, and the Obama reelection campaign. The virulence of their reaction has been eye-opening, to say the least. I know now that I could have spent half a year refining SB 1070 to add protection after protection against racial profiling and it wouldn’t have made a lick of difference. This isn’t a battle about immigration. It’s a battle about something much bigger.
I keep coming back to the Krentz family’s statement after Rob was murdered.
“We hold no malice toward the Mexican people for this senseless act but do hold the political forces in this country and Mexico accountable for what has happened.”
The Obama administration and the liberal media have been in overdrive since I signed SB 1070 to portray people like the Krentzes—people who support the law and support enforcing all our immigration laws—as racists. But Rob Krentz wasn’t a racist. He had compassion for the illegal crossers who were trashing his land and sapping his livelihood and who probably killed him.
Since I signed SB 1070, the media and the lawyers in the White House and the federal courts have been full of talk about justice for immigrants, both legal and illegal. I’ve listened as judges hav
e opined about fairness for Swedes in America who didn’t have documentation of their legal status and asylum applicants who haven’t received their paperwork yet. But where is the justice for the Krentz family? They looked to their government for safety and all they got was silence. They said there was a problem and were told by an arrogant Washington that they didn’t know what they were talking about. Rob died, and they were accused of exaggerating the problem for political ends. Where is the justice in that?
They say America is a place that is always in the process of becoming, a country that is never finished. I think that’s largely true. Legal immigration is one of the things that keeps America vibrant and innovative. My vision of the border is one that is safe and accessible. It’s one that fosters trade and free enterprise and cultural exchange. We need to preserve and protect legal immigration in America.
America keeps changing, but there are some American values that are concrete and timeless. The Krentz family embodies these values. They are hardworking, caring for their neighbors, and committed to their communities. All they want from their government—all Rob wanted—is to be left alone to work their land in safety and security. That’s all. But they rightly acknowledged that there are forces on both sides of the border that won’t let them do that.
I keep returning to the Krentz family’s statement because I worry about what motivates the forces they referred to. I wonder whether they share the same vision of America that Rob had—that I have and I think most Americans have. Multiculturalists will deny it, but being an American means something. It means embracing American values. It means being free to create your own destiny. It means respecting the freedom of your fellow Americans to do the same. It carries responsibilities as well as rights.
I ran into Sue Krentz recently and she gave me a key charm she had been wearing since shortly after Rob was killed. For her, it was a loving and, I think, hopeful gesture. She said she had worn it to remind herself to pray to Saint Anthony, the saint not only of lost things but of miracles.
“I want you to find the person who invaded my life and ruined my safe haven,” she told me. “Because if they are willing to kill someone like Rob—minding his own business on his own land—then we are all in danger.”
Sue prays for justice for her husband, safety for her family, and security for her country. Her family, which has been through so much, harbors no ill will toward law-abiding people of any color or nationality. They reserve their anger and contempt for the criminals who have invaded their lives, and the governments that are unwilling to do anything about them.
This, in the end, is what the debate over SB 1070 is really about: whether we honor families like the Krentzes, who want some measure of control over their lives, or whether we surrender to an arrogant and arbitrary federal government.
Let me settle the debate: We are a free and striving people, not the subjects of an overbearing government. Call me biased, but I believe this is true in Arizona more than just about anyplace else. We used to be a country that was proud to assert that. These days, you get called names for saying such a thing. But if our critics have learned one thing by now, it’s that we can take it. We won’t be intimidated, and we won’t back down. So bring on the scorpions. And God bless the USA.
Acknowledgments
I can say without hesitation that I’m glad this exercise of writing the book has come to an end. The writing, the interviews, the research, the photo selection, and the editing have been a lot of work. More than I first imagined!
To begin, I’ll acknowledge those who made this book possible. Thank you, Roger, for all your hard work from the very beginning. I truly appreciate everyone who supported my efforts: my agent, Mel Berger, and everyone at Broadside Books and HarperCollins, including Jonathan Burnham, Adam Bellow, Kathryn Whitenight, Tina Andreadis, and others who helped with the book. I’m deeply grateful for Jessica Gavora and the excellent job she did in helping me share the truth about SB 1070, the immigration crisis, the liberal media, and union influences that Arizona and our country face. And, Michael—thank you for your diligence and for working with everyone throughout the entire process to make this happen.
This book would have never happened without the influence of my family. Let me begin with my parents, Wilford and Edna Drinkwine, who gave me unconditional love, guidance, and a strong sense of security. They taught me American values, pride in my country, and the importance of patriotism. My brother, Paul, who mercilessly teased me growing up and constantly challenged me, helped make me tough and strong. He held me accountable for my actions and taught me that my word is my bond. Thank you for your sense of humor, fun spirit, and always being there throughout my life. Thanks also for the steadfast support from my sister-in-law, Petra, who came to America legally!
My journey in life would not be the same without my loving husband, John, who has always encouraged and supported me. Thank you for never holding me back and for stretching me. Ron, John, and Michael are God’s greatest gifts to me. My three boys taught me unconditional love, patience, sacrifice, and that there is always a different side to a story. I’m also grateful for my extended family and all of my nieces and nephews.
I’m indebted to staff who have helped me through all the battles—beginning with Kevin Tyne, who arrived with me at the governor’s office, facing an almost impossible task. I know Arizona is also grateful for Eileen Klein’s sacrifice to serve our state. Her energy, steady hand, decisive decision making, and judgment have made an enormous difference to our state. She doesn’t ask anyone to do anything that she wouldn’t do herself. And where would I be without my loyal and ready combatant and warrior, Richard Bark? I’ve been able to count on you, RB II, since you were an intern with me in the state senate.
I wouldn’t have been able to survive the media onslaught without those on my communications team. Paul Senseman’s ever-present smile and contagious laugh always brightened the toughest days. Thank you, Kim Sabow, for keeping me focused, organized, calm, and collected and above all making me feel comfortable.
I want to recognize my legal counsel, Joe Kanefield, who faces every challenge with an upbeat attitude and who has provided me with solid legal advice for the past eight years. I want to also thank John Bouma and the legal team at Snell and Wilmer for stepping up and defending Arizona.
I’m not sure what I’d do without Susie, who is my sounding board. I appreciate her always kind and sweet attitude, no matter the circumstances.
Thanks to the rest of my team, including Scott Smith, Brian McNeil, John Arnold, Tim Bee, Colin Shipley, Kelsey Bullington, Page Gonzales, Mark Genrich, and others in my administration, and to Tom Manos for his service to our state during very difficult times. I also want to acknowledge all those in my constituent services who have been inundated with thousands of phone calls, e-mails, and letters.
I’m extremely grateful to my DPS director, Bobby Halliday, and to all of the DPS officers who keep us safe on a daily basis. I appreciate Mike Bush and everyone on my security detail—Brian, Bob, Danny, Kevin, Kristi, Mark, Pete, Randy, Ray, Roger, Stanley, Scott, and Todd—for their professionalism and for keeping me and my family safe during some difficult days and nights. I’m thankful for all officers from across the state for working along with my security.
I’ll never forget the law enforcement officers who stood behind me the day I signed SB 1070. Thanks to the Arizona Police Association, the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and all of the other law enforcement organizations and officers who have supported me and the rule of law.
I appreciate Director Gilbert Orrantia of the Arizona Department of Homeland Security and his service to our state. I especially want to recognize the men and women of the Arizona National Guard and Major General Hugo Salazar, who serve and protect us.
Numerous others helped me fight the battles. Grant Woods, whom I’ve admired for years, t
hank you for keeping me balanced and always sharing the other side of the story. To Mary Peters, I appreciate that you’re a feisty fighter who also tells it like it is and can fearlessly deliver a message. Your phone messages always made me feel better!
I’m thankful for Chuck Coughlin and Doug Cole, who have been my friends and advisers during the best of times and during the difficult times. Thanks to Paul, Ryan, Kate, Megan, Steve, and Tim, for their creativity and dedication. I appreciate Jay Heiler, who always provided the right words for the right occasions, and Lisa Hauser for keeping all of us in line and for all of your hard work in so many aspects. We won’t miss those Thursday meetings, but thanks to everyone else who faithfully attended, including Pat, Kelli, David, Max, and Sarah. There are so many people to thank and there isn’t enough room to mention everyone, and I apologize for those who aren’t listed.
A special thanks to Sue Krentz for her help and for her stark reminders that our border is not secure, regardless of what the federal government is telling us.
Finally, the prayers and encouragement from everyone at Life in Christ Lutheran Church have meant so much to me during these past couple of years. Words can’t express how grateful I am to all of you.
My job would be impossible without all the support and encouragement from people all across the country. Thank you! You all know who you are!
About the Author
JAN BREWER became Arizona’s twenty-second governor in January 2009, upon the resignation of then-Governor Janet Napolitano, inheriting one of the worst fiscal crises in the country for any state. Born to a close-knit family during World War II, Governor Brewer aggressively confronts the trials of life and government with conservative common sense. Governor Brewer is now serving her second term, after winning a convincing 2010 election victory.
Few if any elected officials in Arizona have a broader range of productive experience in public service than Governor Jan Brewer. She was first elected to public office in 1982 to the Arizona House of Representatives and later to the State Senate. She also served on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and was elected twice as Arizona’s secretary of state. A tough leader, Governor Brewer has always fought for her fellow citizens during her twenty-nine years of public service.