On April 23, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed SB-1070 into law, the Arizona anti-immigration bill. One week later, on April 30, Gov. Brewer signed the first revision of that bill. Gov. Brewer has stated that "Arizona has been under a terroristic state because of the influx of illegal immigrants" yet if she felt that way, why the quick change in law?
Previously under the law, a police officer would have been allowed to asked anyone for proof of U.S. citizenship if they suspected that person was in the U.S. illegally. You need no tot be doing anything wrong, just a simple question at any time, basically a judgment call by the police officer. Now, however, under the revision, you must have done something to warrant the question.
Whether if you are pulled over for a traffic violation or walking outside the crosswalk, then and only then can the police officer ask for legal documentation of U.S. citizenship. So you gotta do something wrong to be asked, kind of like immigration's version of "don't ask don't tell." Yet the revision does not take place till July 2010.
With all the fuss over the Arizona law, the thought of a National I.D. has come to surface. Ever since 9/11, Republicans have told us that they are the true defenders of the United States and the Democrats will allow more attacks to happen. So why is there very little Republican support in Congress for the new National Immigration law?
Under the proposed law, Democrats are calling for immigration overhaul with ideas of; National I.D. card, increased money for border patrol agents, helicopters and unmanned drones to patrol the border. The proposal would also seek out companies the hire illegal immigrants or "undocumented workers." Is that the politically correct term these days?
The law pushes many ideas to tighten the borders, to stiffen prosecution of drug smugglers, to hiring more department agents in: Border, Immigration & Customs, Arraignment officers, Deportation officers, even the Coast Guard would get a bump in surplus.
President George W Bush signed the Secure Fence Act in October 2006 and to this day only about 50 miles of that fence for 700 miles requested was built along the Mexican border. Estimated cost of $9 million/mile, the fence is not moving due to geography and unhappy land owners fighting that the fence would split their pink flamingos in their yard. Not to mention that in December 2006 after the law was signed, the Golden State Fence Company was contracted to work on the fence line outside of San Diego. Golden State was found guilty of hiring illegal, or "undocumented workers" to build that fence. And it wasn't the first time Golden State got busted for using "undocumented workers."
Now if 54 Republicans and 26 Democrats eagerly helped pass President Bush's silly fence bill, why is there no Republican support for the current major immigration overhaul that is on the Congressional calendar?
National I.D. cards are nothing new. Many suggested the idea to President Bush shortly after 9/11 and he waved off the idea. One could consider your Social Security number as one form of National I.D., since we are asked for our Social Security numbers from job interviews to college administration forms to credit cards application.
There was the REAL ID Act of 2005, which became a joke from the get-go. Many panned it as illegal, since it basically turned state Department of Motor Vehicle workers into federal Immigration workers. The cost to implement the technology became bloated and the timeframe for implementation went from January 2008 to January 2017. Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff once said "..embracing REAL ID would mean it would be used to "cash a check, hire a baby sitter, board a plane or engage in countless other activities. This is a description of a national identification system, which is illegal in the United States."
For the longest time, we as Americans have been Pavlov's dog of sorts in stereotyping people by race, religion, etc.. "No Irish Need Apply" was a common advertisement in 1800's America, forcing many Irishmen to take to manual labor jobs, sometimes causing race riots with African Americans trying to get that very same job.
After 9/11, many Americans stereotyped all Muslims as terrorists, while forgetting Timothy McVeigh was still considered a "red blooded" American on April 19, 1995 in Oklahoma City. And many Americans praise Andrew Joseph Stack as an American hero for flying his propeller plane into the Austin, Texas IRS building, killing two federal employees and injuring others.
No one can identify a terrorist nor an illegal immigrant, even Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has stated "I couldn't identify an illegal immigrant if I saw one." Through television and movies, for decades, we have seen image after image that an illegal immigrant is Hispanic. Thoughts of the movie "Born in East L.A." come to mind when Cheech Marin's character gets deported because he left his wallet at home and could not show proof of citizenship. Through constant imagery and repeated rotation, we assume all illegal immigrants are Hispanic and all terrorists are of Muslim decent.
After the May Day parades and anti-Arizona immigration rallies held coast to coast this past weekend, probably one incident will somehow turn into a "6 degrees of illegal immigrants" game.
As many of us now know, Times Square was sent into a frenzy as a T-Shirt (and former Vietnam Veteran)vendor spotted an unattended smoking(!) SUV in the area. The vendor immediately rushed to the nearest police officer. Quick thinking by the vendor and quicker response from New York finest, Times Square was evacuated for a possible car bomb plot. Luckily, those who designed the bomb failed in all their attempts to cause chaos as the car bomb never went off. But one can be positive that come Monday morning, that some media source, whether it be a respected journalist or an opinionator, will have tried to link this terrorist act to illegal immigration.
To truly get a grasp of the issues of national security, illegal immigration, terrorism, we as Americans need to remove the blinders that have been placed upon our faces. We need to look at all and not look at one whether it be religion, race or political party. Not all terrorists are Muslim and not all illegal immigrants are Hispanic.
But then again, if all the illegal immigrants are deported, who will care for all those pristine country club golf courses so many of us jet off to play on in south western America?
Certainly, not all terrorists are Muslim nor all here illegally Hispanic. By the same token, perhaps all 80 years old in wheelchairs aren't as grandmotherly as they appear on the surface, but harbor evil in their hearts. So, do you spend your resources checking everyone just in case they arne't who they seem, or do you use common sense and "profile" those who may fit a certain description. If an eyewitness says she saw an African American running from a liquor store following a robbery, do you stop every man, woman, child on the street for questioning? If you are visiting any country in the world, you better have proof you are who you say you are by way of a passport. Why wouldn't we do the same?
ReplyDeleteWe don't care who will care for those pristine golf courses in the SW or wash dishes in Pittsburgh...come legally through the system. By the way, when was the last time that you saw an American teenager working in any fast-food restaurant. Those first jobs are now extinct...for our kids.
I've seen many American teenagers working at fast food restaurants. Example: My neighbor's son works @ Wendy's. Those first jobs you refer too, many are taken by Senior Citizens on fixed incomes as well. The majority of the time, that Walmart greeter will be some retired person looking to make a few more bucks.
ReplyDeleteRacial profiling is common on terroristics acts. Majority of media opinionators and politicos will say they are Muslim or Middle Eastern. Shoe Bomber Richard Reed was Jamacian, Christmas Bomber was Nigerian, LAX would be bomber was Canadian... Oops! Canadian, that's an open border.
Your example is just that of the DC sniper case. Everytime someone was shot, people saw a white delivery van in the area, so the police/media used that as a focus point. No one was looking for a 1986 Chevy Caprice with a busted taillight
You may have a better eye or broader vision not to pigeon hole people, you might be one of a very small minority with that vision. But it's the minority like that that needs to help the others
What did the shoe bomber, DC sniper, Christmas bomber and the Algerian-born Canadian of LAX fame have in common - they were Muslim. No one ever said that one had to be of Middle Eastern descent to be a Muslim! Obviously, there has not been a significant influx of Hispanics in your area. I have not seen a teen working in any of the fast food places in the Annapolis area in the 3+ years that we've lived here, although a few with developmental disabilities can be seen.
ReplyDeleteYou say "But it's the minority like that that needs to help the others"!!!Help others do what?
You break the law, there are consequences. I think folks perfectly understand that not all Muslims are terrorists and not all Hispanics are undocumented, but for those that are, then show them the door instead of coddling them. Ask Mexico what they do with undocumented individuals.
In reference to your 1st reply re: pundits exploiting the Times Square bomb as an immigrant plot. Before the alleged bomber (Pakistani-American) was caught, Bloomberg was quick to place the blame on a "white" person with a political agenda, "probably someone against the healthcare bill". Hell, let's just string up conservatives, tea partiers, Christians, & militia cause it's easier to vilify us than be politically incorrect & profile one of the sacrosanct groups.
ReplyDeletedeportation is not an overnight deal like so many think. Yes, those that ae here illegally should be found and extradited properly, but the tax payers still have to pay for housing these illegals in jail/holding areas until trial.
ReplyDeletebloomberg's a fool, he gave himself a 3rd term as mayor, when you're only allowed 2. but hey, that's New York City, always doing outside the norm.
I belief it was our own government, TSA, and others that has Americans on the look out for Middle Eastern looking people as terrorists. Would you know a Muslim if you saw one? Would you know a devout Catholic if you saw one?
Soon this country will turn into the movie Logan's Run!
Ummmm.... Annapolis is not everywhere USA. Just b/c it ain't happening there don't mean it's the same in Ann Arbor Michigan or Helena Montana or Austin Texas.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with John Stewart from Monday night, the media is telling us everything we don't need to know and telling nothing of what we need to know. The genuis of All Cable Media to let everyone know exactly everything the Times Sq bomber did wrong; wrong type fertilizer, didn't open propane tanks, wrong size fire works, etc...
I'm surprised All Cable Media didn't say "well Joe Schmoo, our resident Bomb Expert states a 2001 Ford Explorer with Firestone Tires has a better destruction area then a 1997 Nissan Pathfinder with Goodyears."
I thought the media bent over backward this weekend so as not to implicate anyone of mid eastern descent (guess we wouldn't want to offend anyone- even though someone wanted to hurt us) That's fine. Arizona would not had to make a law if the Feds would just enforce what's already on the books- why make new laws just enforce the ones already there.
ReplyDeleteJust a few interesting tidbits from the famous census:
ReplyDelete1. In 35 of the country's 50 largest cities non-Hispanic whites were at the last census or are predicted to be in the minority
2. In 2008 1,046,539 people were naturalized in the United States with the majority coming from Mexico, India, and the Philippines
3. The U.S. admits MORE LEGAL immigrants than all of the other world countries COMBINED with over 1 million a year entering our borders legally - and over 1.5 million per year crossing them illegally
4. Immigrants tend to settle predominantly in CA, NY, FL, TX, PA, NJ, and IL.
5. As of 2010 23.7% of all legal immigrants admitted to the U.S. arrive here from Mexico
Why then is it possible for SOME to get here legally and others (the majority) choose the illegal route? The problem in AZ would ultimately be with their shared border with Mexico. Personally I see nothing wrong with them being asked to show proof of citizenship. Citizens in this country are required to carry I.D. on them and you can be detained for not having it if the police officer so chooses.
As far as the racism thing goes....I'm so tired of hearing it thrown around to denounce everything. How many of the law enforcement officers in AZ are of Hispanic origin? If they find someone doing something suspicious and ask for I.D. are they racist if that person happens to be Hispanic also? How about in one of the 35/50 largest cities if a Black officer pulls over a white speeder? Is he a racist? Is he profiling because the man driving is a minority?
If we're going to start crying about the unfairness of racial profiling shouldn't we get rid of Affirmative Action? That whole idea is BASED on racial profiling.
I wouldn't visit another country without carrying my passport with me at all times. Why should this country sacrifice it's own national security because this might inconvenience a few people? I'm sure the Turkish authorities would be more than happy to allow you to run back to your hotel to retrieve your proper identification....I dare you to try it! There's nothing this law does that is racist. It simply allows the state of AZ to enforce federal laws. They're not saying who can and cannot immigrate to this country, they're simply protecting their own borders. I don't care if your pink, brown, blue, yellow, white, black, orange, or purple. If you come here illegally then you should be punished and sent back. PERIOD!!! We've tried countrywide amnesty already in history and it obviously did nothing to slow the flooding of illegals into this country. It is about time we start to take border security seriously and actually ENFORCE the laws instead of trying to REFORM the laws.
Study also shows that many of those that are here illegally are here because their VISA's ran out and don't wanna go back to their country.
ReplyDeleteMany sheriff's and officers in Arizona didn't want to enforce the orginal week long law, one even went as far as to file a lawsuit against it. So the law changed after a week.
How did the law change after one week???
ReplyDeleteI think that there is something very wrong with our immigration laws/Homeland Security when this would-be murderer was on a terrorist watch list for 10 years and yet...bacame a naturalized citizen. We need to put a moratorium on all immigration until we can get our stuff together...& I am not sure that our govt. ever can
ReplyDeletePrior to the change, an officer could ask anyone for their citizenship papers whenever they liked. Now the change has it that if and only if you are committing a crime felony, jaywalking, whatever, probable cause, then the officer if they feel so, can they ask for citizenship papers
ReplyDeleteThey aren't asking for "citizenship" papers, but documentation - passport, green card, driver's license. Actually, the 1952 federal law says that these papers are to be carried at all times. If you were in a foreign country you would be expected & required to carry these papers w/ you.
ReplyDelete