The state of Arizona is hotter than usual right now, and not because of the climate. Well, at least not the weather climate. The oven was turned up on Arizona as a place to reside last week when Governor Brewer signed Senate Bill 1070 into law.
1070 is a law that is almost verbatim of federal law that calls for an enforcement of illegal immigration. What is does is, it gives police the tools to look at illegal immigrants who violate other laws of the state. For instance, an officer pulls over a speeding vehicle and asks to see the driver's license of the driver. The driver gives the officer the license and the officer writes a ticket. The license serves as proof that the driver is legal. End of stop.....Unless there is also an overloaded car, meaning there are 12 people in a car for 6. Now, the officer can ask to see the identification papers for the others. The officer finds that none of them have any ID, now there is a problem for them, and the driver.
Another scenario: An officer is driving down the street and sees a man just walking, not breaking any laws. Can the officer stop him and ask to see some identification? NO! The officer does not have a "reasonable suspicion" that the man is doing something illegal or is here illegally.
Seems simple, right? An officer can only question someone on their immigration status when they are doing something that is ILLEGAL! So, Maria, walking her children, CANNOT BE STOPPED and questioned! To me (yes, I am a white Anglo), this seems pretty cut and dried.
And the Federal Government already has this law in place. It just refuses to enforce it. From the President on down, NOTHING is being done about illegal immigration. This is tantamount to having a speed law and doing nothing, or maybe ignoring burglars, or, how about this...Kidnappers, rapists, and killers. What is the use of having a law if it is not going to be enforced? When you tell your kids, "NO!" and they do something, you better be ready to back it up with some punishment, or they will take advantage of you and get out of control.
That is what has happened. Illegal immigration is out of control. Now it is tough putting the genie back in the bottle.
Mexico has come out and pounded Arizona on the law. It has told its citizens to stop visiting here. (One of our citizens recently visited Mexico, and was stopped and searched without probable cause or reasonable suspicion over 20 times within 50 miles of the border.) Let me set the record straight. There is not a problem with Mexican tourists, only those who come through Mexico, cross the border illegally, then become a burden on Arizona because the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT says that these criminals have the right to get free medical care, free food, free housing. It is not free, Arizonans pay for it. And our state is broke.
People in Chicago, Illinois have protested against our new law. (Which is not yet in effect.) The City of San Francisco passed a law that it will not do business with companies who have ties to AZ, nor will its officials travel to AZ. These two areas do not see the problem, but then again, they do not have a population of almost a half a million illegal immigrants. (And, I think these two cities have enough on their plates with crime, etc. Heck, one alderman in Chicago asked the Governor of Illinois to send the National Guard to get crime under control!)
Today comes news that illegals are going to move out of Arizona. Let me recommend they go to one of two places: San Francisco or Chicago. Then let's see what happens when the shoe is on the other foot.
As for me? I'm boycotting tequila.
Doughnut
Showing posts with label Illegal immigrants.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Illegal immigrants.. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
American Democracy works in AZ
I had a chance to watch American Democracy in action today.
I went down to the state capitol for some training as a docent at the AZ Capitol Museum. When I came out three hours later, the lawn was filled with protestors, TV and radio people, police, and some legislators. People were chanting, yelling, talking, and watching as the drama that is the Arizona Legislature rolls on.
The AZ Legislature has passed a bill that makes it illegal to be in Arizona if you are not in the US legally. SB1070 gives the police the ability to arrest a person if they cannot prove that they are in the US LEGALLY. They use a driver's license, ID card, passport, or green card as proof. Police may ask you to prove your citizenship or alien status during a traffic stop, or if they may stop a person if they Have REASONABLE CAUSE to believe that the person is in the country illegally.
Opponents say this will lead to racial profiling, and people will be pulled over just because of the color of their skin. Proponents believe that no such problem will happen. Is someone is not breakig the law in the first place, then they should not worry. If here illegally, then there could be problems.
Others believe that the Arizona legilature is usurping the US government which is doing nothing about the porous borders of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. This group believes that the borders should be left up to the feds. BUT, if it is not going to rotect the border, then who should?
Governor Brewer really does not have to do anything. If she does not sign the bill by Saturday, it becomes law anyway. She needs to take a stance, but she probably won't. Either signing or vetoing the law woulud mean political suicide for her re-election. In my eyes, NOT taking a stand means a lot more, and would be the same thing.
The law is a good one. It is time that someone says the unthinkable. We need to close our borders and start making people do things the right way. If I want some to come into my house, then I let them in through the FRONT door. If they break in through the back door or sneak in, then I call the police and file a complaint for burglary. Same here. The people that do things the right way can stay and have nothing to fear. Those that sneak in the back door, they need to be arrested, charged, tried, and if convicted, either imprisoned or deported, or both.
What do you think Mexico does the people who enter that country illegally? Do they give them aid and a driver's license? I don't think so!
This whole thing is much ado about nothing... the laws are there, the Federal government needs to grow a pair and do something.
One final word, US Rep Raul Grijalva needs to step down for calling for a boycott of his own state. He is not representing the state. 70 percent of Arizonans who were questioned, approve of the bill. Grijalva is not putting the will of the people first, but rather the philosophy of some who contributed to his campaign.
Doughnut
I went down to the state capitol for some training as a docent at the AZ Capitol Museum. When I came out three hours later, the lawn was filled with protestors, TV and radio people, police, and some legislators. People were chanting, yelling, talking, and watching as the drama that is the Arizona Legislature rolls on.
The AZ Legislature has passed a bill that makes it illegal to be in Arizona if you are not in the US legally. SB1070 gives the police the ability to arrest a person if they cannot prove that they are in the US LEGALLY. They use a driver's license, ID card, passport, or green card as proof. Police may ask you to prove your citizenship or alien status during a traffic stop, or if they may stop a person if they Have REASONABLE CAUSE to believe that the person is in the country illegally.
Opponents say this will lead to racial profiling, and people will be pulled over just because of the color of their skin. Proponents believe that no such problem will happen. Is someone is not breakig the law in the first place, then they should not worry. If here illegally, then there could be problems.
Others believe that the Arizona legilature is usurping the US government which is doing nothing about the porous borders of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. This group believes that the borders should be left up to the feds. BUT, if it is not going to rotect the border, then who should?
Governor Brewer really does not have to do anything. If she does not sign the bill by Saturday, it becomes law anyway. She needs to take a stance, but she probably won't. Either signing or vetoing the law woulud mean political suicide for her re-election. In my eyes, NOT taking a stand means a lot more, and would be the same thing.
The law is a good one. It is time that someone says the unthinkable. We need to close our borders and start making people do things the right way. If I want some to come into my house, then I let them in through the FRONT door. If they break in through the back door or sneak in, then I call the police and file a complaint for burglary. Same here. The people that do things the right way can stay and have nothing to fear. Those that sneak in the back door, they need to be arrested, charged, tried, and if convicted, either imprisoned or deported, or both.
What do you think Mexico does the people who enter that country illegally? Do they give them aid and a driver's license? I don't think so!
This whole thing is much ado about nothing... the laws are there, the Federal government needs to grow a pair and do something.
One final word, US Rep Raul Grijalva needs to step down for calling for a boycott of his own state. He is not representing the state. 70 percent of Arizonans who were questioned, approve of the bill. Grijalva is not putting the will of the people first, but rather the philosophy of some who contributed to his campaign.
Doughnut
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