Post #226 Shocked, Appalled, Dismayed, Pt. II

Re: Arizona immigration law

UnConstitutional? I don't think so. I understand the arguments about the federal government taking the lead in immigration and violations of civil rights. But let's face it: This Supreme Court will not throw out a law that is popular with the Republican base.

The Arizona immigration law makes it a crime to be caught in Arizona without your 'papers.' Police must make an attempt, when practicable during a "lawful stop, detention or arrest made by a law enforcement official," to determine a person's immigration status.

It is not well-thought-out. It is vague and may have unintended negative consequences. The problem with this law is it gives too much power to the cop on the street -- prosecutor, judge, jury, executioner. It calls for racial profiling -- despite language against that -- under the guise of "reasonable suspicion."

Let's be honest: There is NOTHING a person can do that will create a reasonable suspicion of being an illegal immigrant -- except for having brown skin. Even a "I'm an illegal immigrant" T-shirt should be reasonably seen as a political statement -- especially when worn by Megan McCain. :p The legal definition of "reasonable suspicion" will be tied up in court for years.

I criticize the Arizona lawmakers for coming up with a week law that will drain the resources of Arizona's courts.

And other resources. The Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police criticized the legislation, saying that it will negatively affect the ability of law enforcement agencies across the state to fulfill their many responsibilities in a timely manner. Simply, solving crimes against Arizona citizens gets harder as you scare a portion of the population into not cooperating.

However, there is still no reason to applaud the Mexican President's criticism before Congress.

P.S.: There are two things I learned while researching this topic:
1. No illegal immigrant is living 'the American Dream.'
2. It's harder to become legal than I thought.

Post #225 Shocked, Appalled, Dismayed

I saw Anne Coulter on FOX News* the other day, and she was spewing some garbage about Dems cheering when the Mexican President criticized the Arizona immigration law before a joint session of Congress. I thought surely that she was full of crap -- much like Bill O'Reilly had been when he claimed to have the socialistic ramblings of Barak Obama's college thesis. That turned out not to true, but O'Reilly "stood by the document" as it sounded like what he believed Obama would say.

But then I saw the video.

My apologies to Coulter: For there on the video, the Democratic side of the joint session of Congress cheered -- a standing ovation, for goodness sake -- the Mexican President's criticism.

That was an unpatriotic act -- no matter how you feel about the Arizona immigration law. And politically stupid, too, for Republicans will play that video over and over for the November 2010 eletions -- as well they should.

There are two places where it is appropriate to applaud during a speeh by a foreign dignitary before a joint session of Congress: the beginning and the end. Is that too hard to understand?

If I was President Obama, I'd fire every Cabinet member who participated in the spectacle and fire my vice-president. If he does not, well, that says a lot.

* I have a crush on Megyn Kelly, OK?

Post #224 'Where I be from?'

I never thought it was important, but, recently, I was doing some research and....

I've tried to be fair in this blog. I've tried to always treat everybody with respect -- even when George Weasel Bush didn't deserve it! :p

My guiding quote in this blog... and life: "Every man is my superior in that I may learn from him." And, of course, the opposite: "I am every man's superior in that he may learn from me."

Anyway, I am from North Carolina. We were the last state to secede from the Union in 1861 and join the Confederacy. We knew it was a bad idea -- not swayed by the overheated rhetoric of our cousins in South Carolina.

Indeed, North Carolina's aversion to overheated rhetoric continues today... and, hopefully, reflected in this blog.

Which brings up the Tea Party.

In Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city, recently, the Tea Party organized a 'human chain' to surround the Bank of America headquarters to protest that the Bank of America has repaid its 'bailout.' The event drew seven protesters to form the chain.

[rolleyes]

North Carolina only joined the Confederacy after we were surrounded by Confederate states and the War had actually started -- we realized it was not in our best interests to be a Union outpost. Once we joined, North Carolina lost more troops supporting 'the cause' -- despite ranking #7 in slaves.

The moral: Listening to overheated rhetoric will burn.

Post #223 If The Tea Party Was Black, Pt. II

I usually don't talk about race because the concept of 'white privilege' is so difficult to explain -- especially to somebody who has been called a "honkie." But not talking about race is probably the biggest example there is of 'white privilege.'

http://www.dickshovel.com/priv.html

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