"Make a Hole Make it Wide"
Big Poppa's sitting at the end of the bar, looking around at all the patrons and is wondering "are they all here legally?" And I ain't talking about their age!
On April 23, 2010 Arizona's Governor Jan Brewer signed a new tough illegal immigration law, a law designed to help identify, prosecute and deport illegal immigrants in the "Grand Canyon" state. To date there are about 20 million illegal immigrants in the United States, but would you know an illegal immigrant if you saw one?
The law states police officers are to detain an individual they suspect as illegal in the state or detain an individual if they are not carrying immigration papers. But what does an illegal immigrant look like? Are they all Hispanic? What about those that are illegally here from Sweden? They do not look Hispanic, as a matter of fact many from Sweden look like Elin Nordegren, the wife of Tiger Woods.
What about those that are illegally here from Canada? They do not look Hispanic, many look look like Sidney Crosby or Tom Hanks or Alanis Morrisette.
What about those of Hispanic decent that are natural born citizens of the United States. Hypothetically one day , an individual runs out of the house, forgetting their wallet and is pulled over by a police officer for a busted taillight. Could the police officer detain that individual on suspicion of being in the United States illegally even though that person speaks perfect English? Yes the officer could, depending on his/her judgment, since the individual has no identification, they can be detained. Then of course after the fact, proper identification is produced, the individual loses a days pay, blah blah and that person could file a lawsuit for the detainment. The Arizona law could produce more headaches then warranted.
But there's a person out there with a vision, a person in Iowa with a vision to help the citizens of the United States and the police officer identify an illegal immigrant. Pat Bertroche is a congressional candidate this coming election and he wants to put a micro chip in anyone caught in the United States illegally. In his words "I actually support micro-chipping them. I can micro-chip my dog so I can find it. Why can’t I micro-chip an illegal?" Now that is an interesting concept and according to research it costs roughly $30 to micro chip good 'ol "Snoopy," so why not Pedro or Hans or whomever cannot produce the proper papers! It could be a whole new version of "Cops." Quick call Steven Segal or Jeff Probst.
So according to plan, local police officers can detain an "illegal" if there is no evidence that the individual is in the United States legally. They then call up the local US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services to send an agent over. The agent arrive (give an hour to 24 hours for arrival) does the necessary paperwork and sticks a needle in the back of the individual with a micro chip. Finally the newly micro chipped individual gets an air conditioned ride the border and is set free, "Run Pedro Run." But which border? Where would you drop off someone here illegally from Sweden? Maybe their respected Embassy.
However a micro chip does not really help the naked eye, unless everyone watches them on a GPS. If you can look up sex offenders in your neighborhood on the Internet, then you should be able to follow the path of an illegal immigrant.
So why not use a radio frequency identification tag on the illegal immigrant in the ear like an animal researcher would do on a grizzly bear or a whitetail deer? Think about it, document the illegal individual and then tag with the bright yellow RFID tag transmitter on their earlobe, kinda like a modern day Scarlett letter. Bristol University has been experimenting with smaller version of RFID's for years on ants, but these need to be visible for every red blooded law abiding American to see and call the proper authorities.
Ok, it is lunacy from both myself and Mr. Bertroche to even think of such an inhumane way to track and locate those here illegally. After all, Hitler used tattoo prison numbers on those in concentration camps and those were permanent. The illegal could always pay to have the earlobe cut off.
Outside of Arizona and California, the states of Illinois, Idaho and Utah have the largest illegal immigration growth. So how does someone know if you are here legally or illegally without knowing what to look for? The Media has focused on those of Hispanic decent, more for the fact that Arizona and Mexico share an open border, but what about our neighbors to the North? What happens if Montana or Vermont decide they have an open border issue with Canada? After all, they have cheap prescription drugs in Canada and in some areas, Canada is only across the street.
We focus to much on the overwhelming obvious stereotypical illegal immigrants, those of Hispanic decent, yet illegals do not all come from the Southern Hemisphere. The Arizona law has more open holes in it then does our open borders with Canada and Mexico, but then again, it took Arizona seven years to observe Martin Luther King Jr Day after it became a national holiday.
Fill the peanut bowl, poor a cold frosty one, and of course pay the political tab
Interesting piece in Time, March 22nd issue, "The White Anxiety Crisis" by Gregory Rodriguez that you might like to read.
ReplyDeleteIf the Feds actually would've been spending their time over the decades actually doing one of the things the constitution actually charges them with - instead of monitoring my sodium intake and giving bailouts- the state would not have to step in as a last resort. ...and last time that I heard we did not have a problem with Swedish emigration (they wait in line with the rest of the European countries!). We did, however,have a problem with people staying long after their visa have expired..another example of fed ineptitude.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at Bertroche's "apology" ... saying he didn't mean to equate Hispanics with dogs ... but that is indeed what he did, so what good was the apology? ... duh ...
ReplyDeletePoppa the word is illegal. Do you think the Irish and Chinese had it easy in the 1800's? Or the Italians at the turn of the century, the DP's (displaced persons) after WW2? These immigrants were astracized, accused of taking jobs from Americans and called names. These people came in droves to America legally and assimilated into our culture (never heard of Italian as a second lanquage or press 2 for chinese) I'm not in favor of a path to legalization. Why? Look at the drain on us, most of thes people would not make enough to pay taxes (would probably get a tax rebate, let alone the burden on schools and municipalities) That is why we have quotas on immigrants.
ReplyDeleteHey PoP...take off the rose colored glasses. You are talking apple & oranges. No I'm not in favor of physically marking illegals but I do think we have a right to ask for identification. I wouldn't think of walking around Cancun without my passport. They have armed gaurds in the street and like stopping Americans for traffic violations. Be happy that you are an American...get the illegals out...let me keep more of my money and God Bless America. Be careful after drinking all thoses beers & peanuts that you're not pulled over and have to show your driver license. You do have one?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone realize how many businesses use illegals immigrants for cost containment? Dairy producers, cattle ranchers, etc. Cost of a gallon of milk is what $3.50 or so. A few years back it was a dollar cheaper. You can't blame fuel costs for the rise.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that people focus on Hispanics as the only illegals here, but they are not. Media helps us sterotype illegals as Hispanic as well does our own bias
Now what about the illegal child that is born here? That child is automatically a US citizen, so you then deport that child? Put it up for adoption and ship the parents back? No, law pretty much lets one parent stay here with the child while the other (if there is one) parent goes back and goes thru legally.
Oh and what about that border fence President Bush under the Secure Fence Bill 2006? 700 miles was to be built sometime ago, costing $9 million/mile!! Oh that's right, Golden State Fence Company from San Diego that was hired got busted for hiring illegal immagrants to build it.
Send the kid back with the parent he/she would have dual citizenship- the child could decide when of age what country he/she would want to live in. Raise the quota and leave immigrants in who apply for visas legally
ReplyDeleteThe issue with the AZ law is that they are here ILLEGALLY. They are breaking the law! Oh, since they aren't citizens, they I guess they AREN'T breaking the law. Duh!
ReplyDeleteeaw449... the kid stays here with one parent, that way the kid isn't split from the family and put into adoption/foster care. the other parent goes back to wherever that may be.
ReplyDeleteaccording to 2007 figures 57% are hispanic, 10% european, 7% africa.... no need to keep going, but you get the point that not all illegals are hispanics.
last i saw new mexico is the only state with it's constitutional written in spanish. oh wait, new mexico, arizona, texas, california... all came from mexico, that might explain the high hispanic population as well.
lose the illegals and who will take care of all those country club golf courses!!!!
...and why should the rest of the taxpayers pay for services (education,welfare, emergency room use) so that the wealthier get cheap help. We keep hearing how we are a nation built on immigration - so true; however, the immigrants came thru legally, had to show that they had a certain amount of $ to their name so they would not be a public burden (or have a sponsor), plus, had to pass a physical on Ellis Island.
ReplyDeleteWe talk about "social justice" but shouldn't we be more concerned with equal justice? You know the one with a blindfolded justice distributing the law in a fair and unbiased manner. If the feds want to raise the quotas for workers' visas, screen those who enter the country so the potential for criminal element is reduced, & then track them...good they would be doing their job. Otherwise, the laws say they are illegal and they should be treated with the blind eyes of the justice system. Same as you or I.
ReplyDeleteThe blinfolded justice you speak of, is this the one before or after John Ashcroft spent money to cover her with Blue Drapery?
ReplyDeleteDeporting ain't as simple as picking them up and driving to the border to drop off. Deporting someone can take weeks, months and even years to happen. There are some detained in Arizona's jails that have been waiting 4 years for trial.
Arizona's jails are already overflowing and sure Sheriff Arpaio would love to build more of his "tent cities" outside his jail. I'm not knocking the sheriff, he has some interesting ideas for the treatment of the criminal element.
If border control and going after employers who hire illegals is the answer, then way is there no support for the current Immigration bill by Republicans? Do they want to be the party of defense? Then if so, why are they all hand in hand not supporting the Immigration bill?
I have only heard Repubs and the American majority say to secure the border first, then talk about reform, amnesty or anything else. Going after the employer for hiring illegals is always high on every one's priority list as well as it should be; however, should employers be punished if the new hire produces a social security card that has been stolen? Employers won't find out until the quarterly social security reports are filed. Unless we make e-verify the law - which the Dems don't want- how will get over that hurdle?
ReplyDelete