Augusta Chronicle Editorial Staff
The America most of us knew as children has been turned on its head.
Today, we even have a speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives -- third in line to the presidency -- who says enforcing immigration laws is "un-American," and that illegal immigrants are "very patriotic."
Meanwhile, a true patriot -- Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- is actually being investigated by Washington for having the audacity to enforce the very immigration laws that Washington has failed to enforce.
There you have it. Someone who is trying to protect our border and the integrity of American immigration laws is treated as a criminal, while one of the top officials in our government is praising illegal aliens as "very patriotic."
These, quite simply, are not the actions of a nation that wants to continue being a nation for very long.
In a rant reminiscent of Democratic attacks on U.S. soldiers, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently told a group including illegal immigrants that, essentially, she was on their side -- not on America's side.
"Who in this country would not want to change a policy of kicking in doors in the middle of the night and sending a parent away from their families?" Pelosi told the group. "You are special people. You're here on a Saturday night to take responsibility for our country's future. That makes you very, very patriotic."
Speaker Pelosi holds a clear contempt for our laws and our security as a nation. She has no business holding high office.
Nor does Washington have any business questioning the actions of Sheriff Arpaio -- not when he's doing the job Washington won't do.
Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., and others are using the U.S. Department of Justice as a weapon to try to intimidate people such as Arpaio who believe in the rule of law and protecting our borders. It is very much a witch hunt.
But Sheriff Arpaio is merely the start. They want to intimidate and silence anyone who believes in securing our borders.
This isn't about a renegade sheriff in Arizona. This is about using the heavy hand of the U.S. Department of Justice to shut down border enforcement.