Emergency!

Colorado Republican Governor hopeful Marc Holtzman said he would declare a state of emergency to deal with the illegal immigration problem. This comes on the heels of a letter sent to President Bush by eight conservative Republican lawmakers calling for the same thing.

Hurricanes, tornados, fires, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, floods. I can understand how these things can be states of emergency. But, come on, the fact that people are here illegally largely looking for work is not an emergency. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, an emergency is "A serious situation or occurrence that happens unexpectedly and demands immediate action." This is not that. This is pure hyperbole.

The letter also cites the duty of the federal government to protect the states from invasion under Article IV, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution. Again from the American Heritage Dictionary, an invasion is "the entrance of an armed force into a territory to conquer". I've heard no reports that an armed force has entered our state with the intent of conquering.

My suggestion to these politicians crying wolf: Rather than playing to fear, make your arguments based on fact.