Arizona’s recent immigration law has me in a quandary.
First off, I don’t see how anyone can be FOR illegal immigration; I don’t see how you can protect your country if illegal immigration is out of control.
The affects of illegal immigration eventually catch up with you (This is still my favorite example). However…
I really don’t think the Arizona Law is the way to go.
It is one thing to shut down or “protect” the boarders; it is another thing to require police to verify citizenship (and immigration paperwork) each time the encounter an individual.
No matter how you cut it, you can’t help but bite into the rights of [actual] U.S. Citizens. Sure, some people say that is just the “price of cracking down.”
But I also highly suspect the people that don’t have a problem with the law either…
a) don’t live in AZ or
b) are pretty much safe in not being mistaken for any racial profiling (can you say fairly light skinned?).
Think about it for a minute. You will be required to show identification (proof of citizenship). Will this stop at illegal immigration?
Sure, we need to address illegal immigration, but not at such a great expense to our innate freedoms.
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Fine, I suppose this is where you look for some witty insights to my mind. A "bio" of sorts. Here is the deal... I ride motorcycles, smoke cigars, golf, kayak, fly, race my car through the mountains, write (a lot), and travel extensively. I am almost old enough not to care what other people think about me...almost. ~Godfadr
We are not quite yet a Nazi state, but AZ is leading the way. Think about it, how many of the blog readers would have been able to show proof of citizenship, had they been requested to show such proof today? Are all Arizonians now required to have papers on them to show such proof? I guess it really only applies to those that are not light skinned.
Well, any Arizonan driving, by state law has to have a drivers license on them at the time, which in and of itself, is proof of citizenship, since any one not a citizen has a different form of ID for operating a motor vehicle on them
If you can’t get help from the government to handle international problems then you have to do something to protect the legal citizens of your state. If you travel anywhere around the world you must have a passport to show proof- that you are legally there.
What is it about illegal that people don’t understand. People go through an awful to obtain legal status in any country and those are the immigrants we need to be concerned about. Not upsetting someone who is here illegally and using our system against us- get real people!
As someone who lives in Arizona allow me to offer up my personal opinion on this issue.
I both agree AND disagree with this bill. How? Easy. On one hand, I don’t believe it will slow the flow of illegal immigration into this country. I do see the potential for racial profiling by some bigoted law enforcement people (and I’m sure there are plenty of them out there). I also see this as a stepping stone to passing laws requiring EVERYONE to carry “papers” just to stop the accusation, and/or perception, of racial profiling. Which will eventually lead to every person in this country carrying “papers” (ok so maybe I’m a bit of a conspiracy theorist after all).
We do need to do something, but I don’t think this is really the way to do it.
On the other hand, how can it be called racial profiling when the majority of illegals crossing our southern border into Arizona ARE Mexicans? When looking for a serial killer, the first place they start looking is at white males between the ages of 25 and 40 since that is the demographic of the majority of serial killers. I don’t hear any cries of racial profiling then. Why stop blacks or hispanics or females when looking for a serial killer? So why is it racial profiling when the majority of illegals – and in Arizona that majority is probably at about 98% of the illegals here – ARE Mexican? That’s not racial profiling, it’s just a fact. Just as it is a fact that the majority of serial killers are white males in a particular age group.
I hate seeing both sides of the argument, as it always appears that I am sitting on the fence; however, I still don’t believe this law is the way to go nor do I believe it will do any good at all.
Just my personal nickel’s worth (inflation you know).
Great comments Lynda (and thanks).
I agree, there are two sides to the issue. I think the problem is great (uncontrolled immigration). I think if we could better protect the borders (build a wall, moat, fire pit, whatever) then we would have less “internal” issues.
The AZ law is the state taking care of what they need to since, at a national level, we are not addressing the issue enough. It is easy to think it is not “that bad” of a situation when you live in DC or somewhere far away!