When Governor Huckabee compared apples and tomatoes in trying to justify his stand on illegal immigrants it wasn’t one of his finest hours. Then along comes Mike Masterson with his article Souls on trial in the Tuesday, February 8, 2005, issue of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.  Like the governor, he uses comparisons that won’t pass inspection to prove his points. But it isn’t surprising that Mr. Masterson would support  the governor’s positions since it is right down his liberal alley of ignoring the law.

Masterson confuses compassion and legal throughout the article and ends in an illogical mess he apparently thinks is clear reasoning.  He can’t understand that enforcing the law is part of being compassionate. He took Jim Holt to task for saying,  "I would be doing a disservice to my children as a father to continue to let them do things illegal or wrongly without correcting them," Holt said. "That is really and truly compassion, because we’re teaching them to be better citizens."  Masterson in his own words said, “Well, it’s certainly the most novel definition of compassion I’ve heard.” Would Mike please explain how not enforcing the law is compassionate?  This nation was built on the rule of law and adherence to that law. How can people learn to be better citizens if they don’t respect the law? Certainly the people here illegally do not respect our laws. If they did, they wouldn’t be here illegally.

The children of the illegal immigrants he says will benefit from being here and will become the future for this nation for generations to come. But what will be the result for the nation?  It will be group people who grow up with a dual idea that it is okay to break some laws as long as it is for compassionate reasons.  And why won’t they have that idea when liberals such as Masterson and a soft hearted governor are espousing that very idea contrary to the established rules for immigration, not to mention the left leaning public schools that are teaching them.  

Both the governor and Masterson use the idea that all of us are offspring of immigrants and if they hadn’t come to this nation we wouldn’t be here. That is true, but my ancestors and presumably those of the governor and Masterson, followed the law and were called legal immigrants. Masterson says the term “illegals” is demeaning; but if one isn’t legal then he or she must be an illegal immigrant and as far as I can determine my ancestors were legal.  

The words, racist, bigotry, and segregation are used to demagogue the issue.  How do those following the law that is to apply to everyone who wish to come into this nation come to be called racist, bigots, and segregationists for doing so?  Disrespect for the rule of law is how and such disrespect begins with a screwball idea of what constitutes compassion.

Christians, a group that Governor Huckabee is a part of, and of which I am a member as well, took a hit from both him and Masterson. Somehow the idea that when Christians insist on applying the laws it is wrong for them to do so.

It would do well for the governor and Masterson to stop throwing darts and read Romans 13:1-4; “1, Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2, Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3, For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4,  For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” 

These verses apply to all, rulers, legal citizens, and illegal immigrants alike. When Christians speak of the laws pertaining to illegal immigrants they are following the rule of God in the application of society’s laws as they are supposed to do and as taught in the verses cited.

© 02-08-2005 DEC