Latinos and Deputies Aren’t Doomed to Tension and Excess : Police: Those who blame Proposition 187 or ‘immigrant bashing’ are just trying to make political hay.

Like almost everyone who has seen the videotaped beating of two illegal aliens by Riverside County sheriff’s deputies, I was outraged by what appears to be a clear case of excessive force. Since the incident, though, that sense of outrage has been compounded by the actions of those seeking to misrepresent this regrettable incident for personal and political gain.

Literally minutes after these brutal images were captured and broadcast, immigrant-rights activists began beating a path to the media’s doorstep, anxious to attribute the actions of these officers to an “anti-immigrant, anti-Mexican” fervor sweeping the country. That is simply not the case.

It would be nearly impossible to find anyone willing to condone the specific actions of these rogue cops or police brutality in any form, for any reason. Those entrusted to preserve public safety and uphold the law must, at all times and in all situations, maintain high standards and professionalism. But it should be obvious that the use of excessive force in this instance had a lot less to do with the immigration status or nationality of the victims than with the fact that the occupants of this truck evaded authorities for 90 minutes, at speeds upward of 80 mph, while hurtling pieces of metal and other projectiles at those in pursuit.

It is apparent that these officers did not respond appropriately to this case of willful mayhem, but to argue that their billy clubs were somehow unleashed in deference to Proposition 187 borders on the absurd. For the advocates fighting for headlines and air time, though, truth doesn’t seem to matter. They apparently are much more interested in misleading the public and turning a tragic situation into political and rhetorical hay.

Heeding the strong will of the American public, Congress is on the brink of enacting the toughest anti-illegal immigration legislation in years. Those seeking to preserve the ability of immigrants to come here illegally--though few are willing to publicly embrace that agenda any more--must see this incident as an opportunity to make one last stand for the status quo. That unspoken strategy is as misguided as it is regrettable.

It is curious that none of those so appropriately offended by the conduct of the sheriff’s deputies has had even one unkind word for the smugglers whose actions set this whole tragic episode in motion. I wonder what the effect would have been if the videotape had begun back in Mexico, with lawless scoundrels offering to illegally transport their countrymen and women across the border, at great personal risk to them, for a hefty fee. In the case of those blaming this incident on xenophobia and “immigrant bashing,” I am quite sure the additional footage would have no effect at all.