The Difference a Year Can Make
On April 30, 2005, the San Francisco Chronicle ran a story entitled “Governor signals he’d welcome Minutemen on California border”:
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger responded to harsh criticism about his support for armed volunteers who are patrolling the Arizona border with Mexico by praising the effort further Friday — and an aide said they are welcome to operate in California.
Today, in the Wall Street Journal, Governor Schwarzenegger writes, “Government officials, not private citizens, are responsible for our borders.”
I salute the members of both parties in Congress who are conducting a civil, serious discussion on this issue. I urge them to agree on legislation based on a simple philosophy: control of the border . . . and compassion for the immigrant. These are the twin pillars around which we must construct a new immigration policy. They are both essential elements in our overall immigration strategy. Without both, our strategy is destined to collapse.
