As is now widely known, the State of Arizona has recently taken a significant step in controlling the population of illegal immigrants within their borders, passing a law that gives police the authority to ask any person for proof of their citizenship. I''ve just been dying lately to come on and post some scathing, incendiary critique regarding the law, but I still haven't figured out exactly whether I want to criticize the lawmakers or the opposition. If this was an essay prompt, asking me to defend or refute the statement, I would be forced to qualify, and that is what I will now do.
On one end, there is the criticism that this law violates constitutional rights, calling to mind the famous quote from both Nazi Germany and communist Eastern Europe, "show me your papers." Apparently, although I have not confirmed this, you have the right to...not be asked for your papers in America, I suppose. I'm not sure where this is in the Bill of Rights. Police, it seems, are allowed to give you any ridiculous command they wish, and then may arrest you for failure to obey a police officer if you do not follow it. They should not be allowed to ask you for your papers though, according to the opposition to the law. Another point is that it encourages racial profiling. Although this does seem to be a slightly alarming step towards authoritarianism, I may agree more with the opposition to the opposition
The proponents of the law would say that there are already federal laws on the books that allow officers to do this, they have just been ignored and not enforced. They would also say that this law isn't authoritarian in nature at all because it does not restrict people's movements within the state, it simply finds out where they have a legal right to be in the bloody country. Finally, racial profiling? Of course it is racial profiling! There are over four-hundred-thousand illegal immigrants in Arizona at this very moment, and nearly all of them are Mexican! There are no Danish immigrants sneaking into Arizona! There are no Canadians hopping the fence! So when officer Joe goes out looking for illegal immigrants, he is going to talk to Mexicans! Its common sense!
My favorite basketball team, the Phoenix Suns, wore jerseys tonight that said "Los suns," in subtle protest to the law. Managing partner Robert Sarver had this to say in regards:
"However intended, the result of passing this law is that our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law are being called into question"
There are two problems with this statement Mr. Sarver. The first is that illegal immigrants have no rights under the constitution! They are here illegally. Constitutional protection is for citizens. Secondly, protection under what law? This law is the one doing the protecting, protecting our resources from being sucked up by illegal immigrants who don't pay taxes! Protecting American jobs from being taken by individuals who are sending all of their wages back to Mexico to stimulate that economy instead of ours! The fact of the matter is, they are here, and they don't belong here, and they need to be deported, and its about damn time somebody did something about it besides sitting around and talking of how its a problem.
So I guess I actually do have an opinion. How could I have ever thought otherwise?
2 comments:
I agree with your sentiment that illegal immgration is a major problem and needs to be stopped, but I really don't like the whole premise of this law. I don't think that Mr. Sarver was talking about illegal immigrant's when he said that statement. In actuality I believe that he was referencing the fact that the citizens of the state who even look Mexican don't have the same rights as those who are white in the sense that they have to travel publicly with identification and are subjected to cops questioning their citizenship solely based on race.
I agree that is an unfortunate side effect of the law. I do believe however that the police have to have a reasonable suspicion that the person is illegal before they ask for identification, which should protect at least some Latin American citizens from unnecessary checks.
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