President Calderón was unusually bold in his visit to Washington last week. He pointedly criticized the Arizona immigration law as an affront to the “core values” of both countries. Speaking in English as his addressed Congress he said: “It is a law that not only ignores a reality that cannot be erased by decree but also introduces a terrible idea using racial profiling as a basis for law enforcement.”
He then treaded on the Second Amendment’s hallowed grounds, urging Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban, which was passed in 1994 but the Bush administration let it expire in 2004. Ninety percent of firearms seized by Mexican authorities are traced back to America. President Calderón pointed out that there were some 7,000 gun shops along the border where almost anyone can buy a gun. Senator John Cornyn retorted that “the Second Amendment is not a subject open for diplomatic negotiation, with Mexico or any other nation.” But sometimes it takes an outsider to point out the absolute ignorance required to permit the sale of assault weapons at gun shows and shady pawnshops. Of course, the Obama administration will not act on such a common sense measure because of the influence of the gun lobby, but Mr. Calderón nonetheless succeeded in highlighting America’s failure to play a more constructive role in halting the drug violence that ravages many parts of Mexico.
Also standing tall at about 3 foot 8 was a second grader at New Hampshire Estates Elementary School in Silver Springs, Maryland. Here is her exchange with the First Lady:
Second grader: My mom… she says that Barack Obama is taking everybody away that doesn’t have papers.
Second grader: But my mom doesn’t have any papers.
