Sometimes I disagree with Ms. Noonan. This time, though, I think she hit it right on the nose.

This is an outstanding article, and long overdue. These gutless inactions by Bush, along with his penchant for a North American Union and his reluctance to rein in wasteful spending, are the major black marks on his legacy.

How long have we heard leaders say, "First, secure the borders?" Arizona's governor was the first to respond with a law (to enforce existing laws, for Pete's sake!), hopefully followed by other states. It will be interesting to see what retaliation Obama will try to level, and how the MSM will cry Treason.

I wholeheartedly agree with Ms Noonan. Do we have a pedestal glorious enough, upon which to place her statue?

What BOTH parties should figure out is the Mexican people intend to vote THEIR OWN race into OUR government seats. They have NO intention of supporting incumbents...they said so. They intend to take over our country. They want THEIR culture here NOT ours.

Wake up Americans.

If you're paying attention to their signs, their rants, you'd already know this. The media won't say it..

Bravo! You may have been writing about Arizona and the American's people mistrust of the present Government but I can't think of anything I've read that explains the tea party movement as well as you just did.

you want to control the border? police and fences won't do it. they never do because it just isn't possible.

to control the border, you have to take away the economic motivation. get rid of all government social programs including welfare, medicare, and medicaid, etc.

legalize marijuana and cocaine. this is part of the economic motivation, same as liquor was for those wacky gangsters from the 1920's.

after all that, if hispanics still want to come to the United States, let's have welcome centers along the border that will process them into the IRS using fingerprinting, and issue them the customary numbers and papers. Provide transportation to state welcome centers where labor or talent is needed. the state welcome centers can then process them into their IRS system, help them get jobs, driver's licenses, English language tutors and shelter.

All this could be paid for with the savings from eliminating the wasteful government programs, reduction in police forces, and taxes on the mental enrichment materials that are imported through normal channels.

We are turning these people into a subclass and a criminal class and it is ENTIRELY by design on the politician's part. As Rahm Emmanuel said and I paraphrase, "If you don't have a good crisis, make one!".

I work in manufacturing and the hispanic people do work hard. Let's not make them our enemies. Let's be creative and open-minded about what to do.

“The fastest-growing demographic in America is the Hispanic vote” is merely the pretext for government “do nothing” policy regarding border security. Peggy Noonan, a brilliant journalist and author seems to overlook the evidence of a seamless Bush1, Clinton, Bush2 and now Obama “march” from where we were at the end of the Reagan administration to where we are now…on the brink of the New World Order…a global status which cannot COEXIST with US Super Power status. The “pampered” political elites that are cheuffered (sp?) around in taxpayer financed limosenes as though they were some kind of nobility know full well that the way to break America’s back is to dispossess, ethnically cleanse and ultimately CRUSH the American middle class and along with it the birthright of our children and grandchildren.

Peggy Noonan says: “If our leaders were farsighted not only for themselves but for the country, they would fix the border.”

Back in the days of the American Revolution, the Brits, I believe including King George himself, belittled the Colonial military forces as just a bunch of farmers with “pitchforks”. They were soon to discover what a bunch of farmers with pitchforks could do to the worlds greatest military power….the British Army.

More recently in the February/March of 2009 time frame when the newly “ordained” Obama began using the power of the federal government to extort $$$’s from corporate execs…banks, autos, etc…he reportedly employed the threat of “pitchforks” against the execs and their families to gain their compliance, much the same as when he operated on the streets of Chicago as a “community organizer” extorting “protection” $$$’s from the business community.

The point I’m getting at: a movement of 5-10 million men… Tea Party and Minutemen… armed with pitchforks, marching on the whitehouse and capitol hill would quickly get the attention of the politically elite. In fact the threat of cold steel up the ass would quickly change the attitude toward border security inside the Beltway. In fact I think that actually nothing less will suffice. These “almighty” occupants of federal government will continue ignoring the citizens demands until pitchforks in the hands of their employers the citizens appear in their front yards.

Peggy is so right - how many times do we have to say it? It was my biggest complaint about Bush too. I couldn't understand why he didn't see the need of closing the border. Fences don't seem to help at all, so we need more troops there and we also need punishment for those who hire them and give them places to live. It's not that I hate the Mexicans - I really feel sorry for them, but it is NOT RIGHT that they are allowed to come in the US illegally. We are ruining our country by not doing anything about it. Look at CA. As it goes, so goes the rest of the country. I'm proud of Arizona and their governor. Obama's remarks were complete lies about them, but then what's new?

I agree with your general sentiment about not trusting government, but the thing is, why do you trust it so much you want it to police the border? So the government is the best one to determine which people are the best to come into the country and which are not?

I'd rather let free peoples choose to come or not based on their own determination, financing, etc. Not trusting the government is why I want an eradication of immigration restrictions. We should also immediately ban our current "welfare state."

The use of the welfare state is the common cry against illegal aliens, so dump that ASAP and we've got no reason to hate these people who have done nothing less than what many of us would have done in the same situation.

Also, don't forget that when in trying times with a lessening tax base governments start deciding that the problem isn't new people getting in but current people leaving. In some time, decades or even longer, I fear, that the government decides that border patrol should be used to keep people here. That's what most big governments do, and you can't call a government that sends millions to defend the border from immigrants small. I'd prefer not to have my money stolen through taxes and then used for force against others.

Those in DC are not stupid, at least not all of them, they are arrogant, and their arrogance is what has been noticed by the American people, we who pay their salaries. If I read your column correctly, it sounds as if you are predicting a "revolution" not unlike the first one against Britain in 1776. We already have a "Tea Party," perhaps revolution is the plausible next step.

Peggy says the government "will not" police the border, but I think she means to say "cannot." How would Miss Noonan "defend" the approximately 10,000 miles of international border in the lower 48? I'm totally serious, and I'm happy to agree with her point that the government "will not" police the border if she can provide a plausible solution for how that police action will occur. Because as far as I can tell, state and local governments don't have the wherewithal to police the border and posse comitatus laws prevent the military from doing so. So, Miss Nooonan, let's assume you're right, that there is a way to police every last mile of the border and those goll-durn politicians just won't do it. Would you care to share with us how the dream of completely secured borders can become a reality?

Or has Miss Noonan once again retreated into the comfort of hypotheticals and a world where things are as they ought to be?

@Cheryl, if you're serious about a revolt to overthrow the American system of government, then please just come out and say so. I find it hard to believe that people who say they respect the Constitution also advocate a violent overthrow of the system of government the Constitution creates.

@Faith Matsuoka, you are aware that there are laws against using the federal military to enforce domestic law...right? You do know that, correct? And you're aware of why that law exists, right?

I'm just checking, because only someone who's never heard of posse comitatus or Reconstruction could possibly say "we need more troops there."

And pardon me, but I thought there was too much federal government intrusion in our lives...and now you want Washington to deploy the military to certain states? How does that make sense?

@JoeSixPack, what on earth do you mean "ethnically cleanse...the American middle class"? That's an awfully strong charge, and I'd like to hear you try to back it up before calling you a moron.

Speaking of moronic ideas: marching on Washington, D.C. You think you can gather 5-10 million Americans for a march on D.C.? Farrakhan couldn't get a million, and I'm willing to bet he had a better organization than you do. Beyond that, do you think the federal government would allow 5-10 million people who've made their semi-violent intent known anywhere near the capital? Part of the reasons why the Colonials could beat the British was because our guns weren't much different than theirs. I would love to see the efficacy of pitchforks against tanks and F-15s...

Seriously, get your march together. Go do it. Either put your money where your mouth is or admit you're all talk.

@Peg, "their own race," huh?

Who says Tea Partiers' fears are based on racism, amiright!?!

@Marcus, that's the most reasonable comment I've read on this website. Well done!

In reading Noonan's article, I kept remembering how she voted for Obama and now she isn't happy. Maybe a better vote would have helped the country.