WSU Trumpet

I'm having a very difficult time wrapping my mind around this story from KSL. It would appear from the details of the report that Mr. Jesus Jimenez, the getaway driver in a deadly shooting last year, will receive at least 21 years of prison time. Great. Moreover, his companion, the trigger man, a Miguel Mateos-Martinez has fled to Mexico seeking asylum. They say that the DA's office is having trouble extraditing him because Mexico won't allow people to be extradited if they face the death penalty. Okay, that's a bit hard to understand. In my opinion, and correct me if I'm wrong, you do the crime and you do the time. It doesn't matter if you've fled to some other country that "doesn't believe in" the death penalty. That's the reason for extradition. If you commit a crime in some location, you are bound by the laws of that location, not your origin.

Another part of this story I don't understand is how Mr. Jimenez is going to appeal his sentence. How in the name of all that's holy and pure does he have the right to do so? If he's an illegal immigrant, (which I believe he probably is) he has NO rights. This is precisely where I think immigration reform needs to happen. As it currently stands, the United States has a very tough time properly castigating those illegal immigrants who are caught here. The border is nothing more than a revolving door. You come across, commit a crime, get deported, come back next week. It's a vicious cycle. Immigration reform needs to be made more hard-nosed and given very sharp teeth. You get caught in this country illegally, you face some very stiff penalties. And, to top it off, since you are not here legally, you have no right to a) a trial by a jury of peers, b) legal representation, and c) to be able to properly understand the charges being leveled against you. If you don't speak English, that's just tough. Under my plan, illegal immigrants may also be improperly treated during the execution of their sentence.

Now, if Mr. Jimenez is actually a citizen, then I can understand his desire to appeal. That is what I would do if I were accused of a crime. Now, when I travel outside of the U. S. I carry a passport and make sure that all the documentation has been authorized for me to legally enter the country. That way, should I inadvertently commit some crime, I have some immunity provided by the United States. I must stress the word some, because if I were to be caught knowingly violating laws of another country, I would expect the full penalty of that law to be leveled against me. That is where the United States is falling short with the illegals. They pretty much face no consequences for their actions. They commit a crime and then go running back home like the little cowards they are. Please don't misunderstand me. I have several good friends who are decendents of Mexican nationals. I do not have any ill feelings towards them. They are good people. They are productive members of society and they are full citizens of this nation. The problem I have is those who are here illegally, for whatever reason. Usually, liberals will say that they are "seeking a better life." Well, that's fine. They can do it legally. As a tax payer, I am not interested in paying for them to "seek a better life."

The system is broken and it needs to be fixed. This incident is one in a long string of news reports I have read in the past months and years that makes me believe this more and more. Though, fixing the problem does not mean softening the consequences.