Thread: Weak border enforcement didn't cause officer's death

Weak border enforcement didn't cause officer's death
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... i0920.html

Sept. 20, 2007 12:00 AM

For some people, news that cop-killer Erik Jovani Martinez was an illegal immigrant gave rise to perverse, almost joyful gloating. I'm sorry, there is no other way to put it.

They had been waiting for just such a criminal to commit a high-profile crime, and now their dream of being able to say "I told you so" had come true.

In that terrible sense, even before his relatives had been notified of his death, the service and sacrifice of Phoenix police Officer Nick Erfle had been relegated to a footnote in our nasty national argument over illegal immigration. advertisement


At the same time that condolences for the fallen officer were being posted on The Republic's Web site, I was getting e-mails like this: "So, why aren't you pointing out that this scumbag was an illegal immigrant?"

As if that made the killing worse. As if such a killing could be any worse.

I heard those same kinds of questions a little over a month ago, when Officer George Cortez Jr. was killed while trying to arrest a young man suspected of passing a bad check. But the suspect, Edward James Rose, wasn't illegal.

I heard from those same people after police captured Christopher Jermaine Jones, the man who was fleeing in a stolen vehicle when two television news helicopters collided over a park in central Phoenix.

It wasn't true of Jones, either.

But Martinez was here illegally, and by Wednesday morning I heard one radio host in town say that there was no doubt that a weak border policy had led to Officer Erfle's death.

No doubt?

Martinez shot the officer, which means that the killer was able to acquire a handgun.

If it is true that weak immigration laws allowed Martinez access to our country, is it also true that weak gun laws allowed him access to a weapon?

Would a total ban on foreigners and a total ban on weapons do the trick?

Or does the argument that the National Rifle Association and others use for firearms apply to immigration as well? The NRA says that gun laws only punish honest citizens, and that criminals would find a way to arm themselves no matter what the law.

Likewise, would it matter to a criminal like Martinez what our immigration laws were? He'd been deported once already. He used an alias.

Does anyone believe that even with the strictest enforcement on the borders that we would be able to stop every career criminal from getting through? Or that with the strictest gun laws we'd be able to prevent every career criminal from acquiring a gun?

Illegal immigration strains our health-care system, our social services and our schools. There are too many illegal immigrants in our prisons. A tighter border would prevent some from getting through. But mistakes are made. And some bad guys beat the system.

Officer Erfle didn't die because Martinez was an illegal immigrant. He died because Martinez was a violent criminal.

He died because Martinez made a split-second decision to resist an arrest that would have landed him in jail.

It's important in a story like this to find out all of the information about a suspect, including his immigration status. But problems like illegal immigration can't be solved by finger-pointing or mindless catchphrases.

If it could, one side of the argument would have paraphrased an old slogan by now and printed up bumper stickers reading:

"If crossing the border is outlawed, only outlaws will cross the border."



Reach Montini at (602) 444-8978 or ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com. Read his blog at montiniblog.azcentral.com.

Someone, please send in a few brief letters to put Montini in the liberal nut rehabilitation summer camp he belongs in.

W

But these were!!!! Along with about 20 more names I haven't listed yet!!!!

They aern't usually covered by the national news, only local news usually call them illegal and getting harder to find listed as illegals they just use the killers names. So god only knows how many more victims are out there!


Officer Mave Atkinson AZ
Terrance Aeriel N.J. 18 8/07
Nicole Allen M.O.
Decon Ancieto Armendariz Salt Lake City
Det. Hugo Arango
Regba Baharengasi C.A.
Officer Gregory Bailey C.A. 2/06
John R. Barr O.H.7/07
Kevin Barnhill O.H.
David Bassore M.O.
Dr. Claudia Benton T.X.
Mark Berkeland M.N.
Ronald Bishop FL.
Michael Bolden
Kent Boone
Jennifer Bowers
Kelli Bourgeois G.A.
Officer Robert Bryant Denver
Antone Bumvu
Eddy Bumva
Randy Burris
Margaret Campelle I.L.
Peggy Carter Wash.
Jennifer Carter N.C.
Lisa Cartwright Alamama
Pamela Cartwright
Sa-myrin Cartwright (child)
Officer Lawrence Cadina (T.X.)
Roberto Casillas N.C
Cheryl Ceran Salt lake City
Gary Ceran Salt Lake City
Julianna Ceran (7) Salt lake City
Ian Ceran (15) Salt Lake City
Min Soon Chang
Sister Helen Chaska O.H.
Bob Clark
Frank Cline N.C.
Joey Cornell N.V.
Dan D.J. Countryman (15) TX. 8/07
Elijah Cozart (3)
Joseph Crummy Trooper
Bret Clodfelter A.Z.
Kennith Collins A.Z.
Faye Coleman N.C.
Annie Cumpson (6) M.D.
Joyce Dargan S.C.
Charlie Derrington Tenn.
Robert Yates Dewey (16) N.C.
Lisa Dilks Iowa
Terry Dilks Iowa
Noemi Dominquez T.X.
Gregory Duvall
Officer Michael Dunman U.T.
Kris Eggle National Park Service
Officer Enrique Hernandez N.V.
Officer James Paul Epling U.S. Boarder Patrol
Tyler Evans (4) W.V.
Carmen Espersen M.N. (76) 7/07
Ricardo Espinoza (9)
Deputy Frank Fabiano Wi.
Agent Richard Fass Drug Enforcement
Caroline Frederick I.L.
Kelly Frye (19) AZ.
Jeff Garet
Irma Gaxiola C.A.
Jennifer Gardner M.D.
Scott Gardner N.C.
Tina Gardner N.C.
Joycelyn Gardiner (22) T.N.
? Garcia (12)
Schanna Gayden (13) I.L. 6/07
Deputy Sual Gallegos Chelan County
Robert Gregory C.A.
Tony Grier (N.C.)
Daniel Howard Golden
Raffy Gomes (2) Washington
Vicki Guffy
Brandon Haley
Dashon Harvey N.J. 8/07
Rev. William Haung
Stephen Heiss
Patricia Henneken
Officer Sheila Herring
Iofemi Hightower N.J. 8/07
Vinessa Hoera N.Y.
Josephine Konvicka T.X.
Allison Kuhmhardt (17) V.A.
Kimberly Hope C.A.
Natalie Housand
Helen Meghan Hughs S.C.
Justin Inman
Officer Brian Jackson
Derrick Jefferson (17)
Beatriz Jimenez C.A. Murdered by Latino Gang
Eric Johnson Alabama
Officer Rodney Johnson T.X.
William Timothy Johnson
Peggy Keller
Agent Alexander Kirknick Boarder Patrol
Makenzie Kingry (17)
Josephine Konvicka T.X.
Amy Kortlangn
Nanuma Lavulav
Jasmine Lawrence N.C.
Emillia Lee
James Lee
Felix Leon (5)T.X.
Ben Leonard (16) S.C.
Richard Liberi F.L.
Ricardo Lizzarraga (15) C.A.
Tyler London
Christina Long(13)
Jennifer Lopez 8
Gonzala Lopes 6
Deputy Loren Lilly G.A.
Phyllis Madgy (76) 7/07
Christopher Maier K.Y.
Deputy David March Los Angeles Ranger
Sean Marti Idaho
Sage Marti (infant) Idaho
Captain Brian Mathews M.D.
Leafie Mason M.O.
Yonas Merhari (17)
Meggham McMahon
Amber Merkle 8
Alfred Mignogna
Lita Miller (80) 11/05
Chris Milleraz
Amy Milligan N.C.
George Mober I.L.
Ruben Morfin
Joshua Morrow (4) F.L.
Alex Munoz (9) C.A. 7/07
David Nadel C.A.
Mary Nagle N.Y.
Tanee Natividad A.Z.
Esmeralda Nava (4)
Racheen Newkirk (14)
Leanna Newmann &(unborn Child) N.C.
Juanan Ornelas I.L.L.
Tracy Owen
Dan Parry
Julieanne Pascoe G.A.
SeJal Patel O.H.7/05
Melissa Paul C.A. (16) Murdered by Latino Gang
Jordin Pauler (9)
Officer Matthew Pavelka C.A.
Troy Payton C.A.
Kimberly McDaniel -Powell O.R. 7/07
Alexis Quezada(10)
Lucero Quezada (9)
Frederick Richbaugh Penn.
Shawn Robinson (N.C.)
James Rodgers T.N.
Adrian Roundtree T.N.
Lori Roundtree T.N.
Mary Sadler T.N.
Lt. James Sanderland
Deputy Michael Scharp C.A.
Rev. Norman Sernic T.X.
Karen Sernic T.X.
Det. Juan Serrano F.L.
Gary Selby 18
Officer William Seuis C.A.
Kathy Sepich N.M.
Christopher Shakleford G.A.
Adrienne Shelly N.Y.
Mary Lou Shiflelt
Lamont Sims N.C.
Danny Sims N.C.
George Alwyin Smith N.C.
Travis Smith Denver
Officer Robert Sitek A.Z.
Tessa Tranchant 16 V.A.
Walter Valenzuela (10)
Daniel Valdez (4)
Jessica Valdez (2)
Mathew Watson Md.
Deputy Don Willmon T.X.
Sean Wilson
Donna Wilson
Louella Winton T.N.
Deputy Brandon Winfiels Marion County
Officer Abe Yab C.A.
Officer Tony Zeppetella Burbank
Detective Donald Young

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

Someone, please send in a few brief letters to put Montini in the liberal nut rehabilitation summer camp he belongs in.

W

already on it before I even got to your post. This really frosts me.