I've got no dog in this fight -- regarding immigration -- unless the price of food goes up! No experience here with legal or illegal immigration. A good thing, tho, to realize is that every law effects real people.
Prior to 1921, anybody could show up in the United States and be a legal immigrant. If we had the same rules for citizenship for everybody that are in place for immigrants today, we could eliminate some idiots from sucking up social programs that are available only to citizens.
We apply much tighter rules for immigration today on our neighbors from Mexico than our own ancestors faced. Indeed, the irony is that we acquired much of the southwest, including Arizona, by illegal immigration. In the 1820s, after Mexico gained independence from Spain, immigrants from the United States poured in. Those 'settlers' declared independence and eventually were able to 'secede' from Mexico with half of Mexico's original territory and 'unite' with the United States.
Which, of course, doesn't make the Arizona immigration law bad. But you now have something to think about when somebody shouts "ILLEGAL IS ILLEGAL!"
But the Arizona law stinks -- smells like politics. I think 'Bumper Sticker' politics came into play.
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer remained silent on the measure while weighing the consequences. During the bill's development, her staff had gone over its language line by line with the bill's author, State Senator Russell Pearce -- tho tellingly not with her attorney general. But she has claimed that she also had concerns about several of its provisions.
A poll showed wide support for the bill among likely voters in the state -- 70 percent in favor and 23 percent opposed. Governor Brewer faced an upcoming Republican Party primary in the 2010 Arizona gubernatorial election from other conservative opponents supporting the bill.
United States Senator from Arizona John McCain faced a primary battle against the more conservative J. D. Hayworth -- who had made measures against illegal immigration a central point of his candidacy. McCain said, "It's the drivers of cars with illegals in it that are intentionally causing accidents on the freeway. Look, our border is not secured. Our citizens are not safe." Uh, it sounds like McCain is criticizing the Arizona Highway Patrol for not doing its job.
McCain has been saying that the state had been forced to take action given the federal government's inability to control the border. He is correct. But who has been a part of that federal government, Senator McCain?
Look, I don't know what to do about immigration -- only that it should be comprehensive covering all issues, from 'anchor babies' to the greedy capitalists who hire illegals. But I do know the Arizona law stinks -- it allows each individual cop to decide how much his own prejudice goes into law enforcement. If the Arizona lawmakers could not define "reasonable suspicion," they just should have stayed home that day.
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I hope that every American, regardless of where he lives, will stop and examine his conscience about this and other related incidents. This Nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened. All of us ought to have the right to be treated as he would wish to be treated, as one would wish his children to be treated, but this is not the case.
I know the proponents of this law say that the majority approves of this law, but the majority is not always right. Would women or non-whites have the vote if we listen to the majority of the day, would the non-whites have equal rights (and equal access to churches, housing, restaurants, hotels, retail stores, schools, colleges and yes water fountains) if we listen to the majority of the day? We all know the answer, a resounding, NO!
Today we are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect the rights of all who wish to be free. In a time of domestic crisis men of good will and generosity should be able to unite regardless of party or politics and do what is right, not what is just popular with the majority. Some men comprehend discrimination by never have experiencing it in their lives, but the majority will only understand after it happens to them.
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