53 responses so far ↓

• 1 IE // Apr 14, 2010 at 10:19 am

  Another perfect example of how backwards part of our country is headed. What really gets me the most is that fact that these “pinche” lawmakers have no balls to come out and just call themselves what they are. Ignorant!

  I’m sure if this law is passed it will be fought all the way to the Supreme Court. Thank God that Obama will have another Justice to appoint before crap likes this gets out of hand.

• 2 IE // Apr 14, 2010 at 10:20 am

  Oh one more thing!

  Reyfeo, when you get a chance I want you to take a trip to Arizona without your wallet or any form of ID. Let me know how that goes?

• 3 Anna // Apr 14, 2010 at 12:06 pm

  Too bad there is no leadership in Washington. Is it 2012 yet?

• 4 Chicano future tense // Apr 14, 2010 at 1:22 pm

  No doubt this type of legislation will give a green light to racists of all stripes (like skunks).
  Racial profiling will become acceptable SOP in Arizona.In their mindset if you are non-white you could be an
  “illegal alien” as they like to say.
  The truly disturbing and terrifying implication of this law is that it has now taken enforcement to a new and dangerous level..I would go so far as to call it fascist.
  Now,besides targeting and criminalizing undocumented Mexicanos they can legally target and criminalize citizens and green card holders as well.
  You an american citizen or resident green card holder can now be charged as a criminal if by helping an undocumented Mexicano..giving them a ride..helping them find a job..giving them some work.. things that are moral,noble and compasionate ..things which make us human..
  Also,if you are a city,county,or state worker or even a teacher you can be charged as a criminal for aiding and assisting an undocumented Mexicano
  in ways that the new law proscribes and defines.
  This Arizona law is much more than just anti-undocumented Mexicano enforcement legislation.It is outright fascism unleashed on the people of Arizona.Target–brown people..

• 5 Reyfeo // Apr 14, 2010 at 2:05 pm

  Actually I live in AZ…And it’s ignorant of you to think you could go anywhere in this country without an ID to begin with.
  Seriously, are you still living in the 60′s or something…are you really looking for a revolution? I mean give us all a break with your BullSh$$ about something you have no idea about…in fact after you clear the smoke of the “yerba buena” you so love to smoke, why don’t YOU try walking in Phoenix and see if, with or without your freaking ID, you won’t get kidnapped. Then tell me about safety and security for Arizonians…(psst, hey smart ass, the problem here is the illegal’s!!).
  But I digress, go ahead and keep putting the water our for these idiots who keep coming across the Arizona desert with cocaine and numerous other drugs, we’ll counter with the simplicity of the law…no ID, you pay a fine. Period (and if you’re illegal, you go home).
  Lastly, this article has it wrong; AGAIN…it’s not “Anti-Immigration”, Its Anti-“Illegal” Immigration!! There’s a difference Webby…

• 6 irma // Apr 14, 2010 at 4:13 pm

  Reyfeo,

  What exactly is ” proper” identification ?
  I don’t drive- so I have no driver’s license.
  I have a US passport,but I leave it at home except when I am traveling. At work, I have a company identification card which will give me elevator access after hours. Most of the time, that card collects dust in my wallet. I haven’t been to a bank teller in over a year . This is achieved by direct deposit, internet banking and
  using ATMs to get cash.

  Tell me again, why I should pay a fine if I don’t carry an ID card ? There is nothing in the US
  constitution that says I must have government issued identification to legally reside in the United States.

• 7 ELAcademia // Apr 14, 2010 at 5:21 pm

  I am convinced after reading many posts on this site and only commenting once that most here wish to allow “brown people” or “their kind” to simply do whatever they want. The facts show that most illegal immigrants come from Latin America and overwhelmingly from Mexico. If it was reported that a Chinese terrorist was on a plane and threatening to blow it up should I be frisking 87 year old Mexican woman or looking for the Chinese male? The racism here is very real and it is being perpetrated by latinos.

• 8 ELAcademia // Apr 14, 2010 at 5:22 pm

  This is to say nothing of the man that was MURDERED.

• 9 ELAcademia // Apr 14, 2010 at 5:25 pm

  “What are your thoughts about this? I think that we are going to see some legal residents swept up in the local jails in Arizona for things like leaving their wallets and purses at home, which could divert resources from more serious crime fighting”.

  A small inconvenience in the attempt to stem many more serious crimes.

• 10 Mike // Apr 14, 2010 at 6:48 pm

  Crime has NO COLOR, NO CULTURE, SPEAKS ALL LANGUAGES, IS EVERYWHERE. Why don’t they focus on criminals not hard working human beings who happen to come from different DIRT on this planet and have done nothing wrong? Because of hate. This is pure evil at the highest level. GOD says to love one another. The Devil comes to hurt, kill and destroy. Who do you think reigns in ARIZONA?

• 11 Anna // Apr 14, 2010 at 7:30 pm

  Re: “The racism here is very real and it is being perpetrated by latinos”

  What a joke.

• 12 Reyfeo // Apr 14, 2010 at 8:37 pm

  It’s typical you (Liberals in general I mean) would say that Irma…always being the anamoly for the sake of trying to get a unique response and win the conversation.

  I bet you are against the Fed Gov’t mandating Social Security Cards as well?

• 13 What The.. // Apr 14, 2010 at 10:32 pm

  Make no mistake, ask yourself’s the question, “If the same circumstance occurred in Mexico, what would be the repercussions”?

• 14 What The.. // Apr 14, 2010 at 10:42 pm

  “Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.” Cesar Chavez

• 15 ELAcademia // Apr 14, 2010 at 11:10 pm

  The joke Anna is allowing one group of people to do what they want because they look like you.

• 16 Anna // Apr 14, 2010 at 11:40 pm

  I am not giving my money to any business headquartered in Arizona.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Arizona_companies

• 17 IE // Apr 15, 2010 at 5:02 am

  ElAcademia RE: “A small inconvenience in the attempt to stem many more serious crimes”

  Dude, that has to be the most idiotic/ignorant statement I’ve ever heard.

  RE: Reyfeo, ID’s are not required to be walking the streets of America. Show me that law in writing for each and every state. Last I checked, you need a DL to drive. An ID to buy Booze. An ID to buy plane tickets.

  However, if i take the bus, No ID required. If I don’t ever fly, No ID required. If I only drink H20, No ID required.

  Get a clue Reyfeo: stop being an angry human being.

• 18 irma // Apr 15, 2010 at 8:36 am

  Reyfeo,

  How does one “win” a conversation? I thought this was a forum , not a contest.

  I have no problem with the US government assigning a social security number to all workers
  (nationals and non-nationals). All workers should pay this tax.

  The issue here is whether the state of Arizona
  can legally stop people in the street to verify
  their immigration status ? I believe that eventually the US Supreme court will say that
  there is nothing in the US Constitution that
  justifies this kind of state sponsored harassment.

• 19 irma // Apr 15, 2010 at 10:24 am

  By the way, the Spanish noun “academia” is feminine. ” El Academia” is incorrect.
  “ElAcademia” has several additional problems.
  Articles and nouns are separate words , and cannot be fused. Moreover, “la academia” does not refer to a person. Literally,it means “the academy.” Perhaps you meant to refer to yourself as “the academic” ?

• 20 Anna // Apr 15, 2010 at 11:50 am

  http://www.mikebuffington.com/

  Yesterday, Arizona House of Representatives passed a bill that is unconstitutional and legalizes racial profiling. The bill, for the first time, gives law enforcement the right to stop anyone on “reasonable suspicion” they may be an illegal immigrant and arrest them if they are not carrying identity papers.

  So what is “reasonable supsicion”? There is only one thing that they use the color of skin which violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. Using race, ethnicity, or national origin as a proxy for criminal suspicion violates the constitutional requirement that police and other government officials accord to all citizens the equal protection of the law. Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development Corporation, 429 U.S. 252 (1977).

  The new Arizona law also gives law enforcement the right to ask for immigration documentation if, of course, there is “reasonable suspicion” (if they’re Latino) and failure to produce documentation can result in a $500 fine and deportation.

  The problem with this, aside from the racial profiling, is that Latino-Americans do not have immigration documentation so what are all Latinos, in Arizona, required to carry birth certificates everywhere they go? What if they get pulled over by a “birther” and they do not believe the certificate of birth is legitimate what then?

• 21 IE // Apr 15, 2010 at 1:19 pm

  Amen Irma!

• 22 ELAcademia // Apr 15, 2010 at 4:50 pm

  Hey Irma,

  Maybe it is a screen name and the joke is on you?

  I find most of you on here to be apologists for your own kind. Illegal immigration is a big problem. All the screaming on here is always about the poor illegal immigrant. No discussions on the deaths of American Citizens. The cost of this problem. No real solutions just calls for amnesty. Once again most of you are playing the politics of identity. Latinos who think latinos are above the law and should be allowed to do whatever they want. I am sickened by your racism hiding behind your skin color. We can argue this point forever. Many of you want illegal alien latinos to be above the law and you lie about that.

• 23 ELAcademia // Apr 15, 2010 at 4:54 pm

  Anna,

  Mike Buffington shows his agenda in the last paragraph. You can’t fight conservative disagreement with liberal stupidity.

  The change is coming and it will not be amnesty. Many educated latinos see right though this smoke screen.

• 24 webmaster // Apr 15, 2010 at 5:45 pm

  “By the way, the Spanish noun “academia” is feminine. ” El Academia” is incorrect.”

  Irma is absolutely correct.

  I have suspicions about ElAcademia and “his” or “her” submitted e-mail address, which bounces back and is completely bogus.

  Consider this your warning Academia from Garfield High…come on, can’t you be a little more creative?

• 25 IE // Apr 15, 2010 at 6:51 pm

  I have a proposed solution to curtail illegal immigration.

  Let’s start closing down businesses that hire workers that are not in this country legally. There’s plenty of them out there. I think we can all agree that if U.S. employers didn’t hire, profit, and exploit individuals not legally allowed to work in the U.S., we could start to address the real issue at hand. However, that wouldn’t really fly in the face of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce because then their constituents would be affected.

  I’m all for addressing the illegal immigration problems facing the U.S.; however, to do it with such discriminating laws is to move our country backwards not forwards.

• 26 Jaango // Apr 16, 2010 at 10:15 am

  I have enjoyed reading all the posts to this thread, so permit to join the conversation.

  First, my moniker is a three-parter, and thusly, “Native American/Chicano/Military Veteran, and yes, I am from Arizona.

  With the Bush/Cheney Effect, white America turned itself into a Society of the Criminally Stupid, and what Russell Pierce and his Assorted Cabal for the Crony, are doing is nothing new.

  What has changed is the face from the Goldwater/John Birch Society, is now the face of white supremacy, and nonethless Writ Large.

  Equally important, I have been, in the past, proud of my home state for attempting to be one America’s better locations for the usual as a Laboratory of Democracy. Today, my Arizona is now exercising the behavior that is a premier and iconic Lobotomy for Democracy.

  Consequently, what we need in our political discourse, is what I call the Smart Grid in which intelligent people, start the usual Public Discourse in which such Discourse is premised on “unassailable” facts.

  Now, our think tank, speaking collectively of course, is in recognizing that if we are to address our “unmet need” only then should we be advocating for legislation that “prohibits the political parties from accepting the membership applications of bigots and racists.” And in doing so, the bigots and racists, will have been ostracized and thusly, understanding this mindset for “gifting” and for “honoring” oneself for the use of intellectual vigor, is deemed truly important in our mutual interactions. Anything less, is a reducto for the political gutter.

  Jaango

• 27 irma // Apr 16, 2010 at 1:10 pm

  It would appear that “ELAcademia” has a poor grasp of English and Spanish grammar.

  In English, there are rules in the construction of sentences. Sentences end with a period, exclamation point, or a question mark. ” No discussions on the deaths of American Citizens. ” is a phrase, not a sentence. Phrases do not end with a period. In addition, “citizens” should not be capitalized.

  ELAcademia, you need to turn in your high school diploma and go back to school.

• 28 Ricardo // Apr 16, 2010 at 4:05 pm

  Another stupid anti-latino law that probably will be (at least should be) thrown out by the courts, be they state or federal. More redneck political grandstanding. Another Pete Wilson act.

  The saddest thing about the Anti-Latino (forget “Illegal Immigrant”) stance of the redneck Republicans is that they are just further empowering the Democratic Party. The democrats do nothing but will still come out winners. Just look at California after Pete Wilson.

• 29 Anna // Apr 16, 2010 at 8:48 pm

  That’s a problem. We are going to end up with a one party system, and that isn’t good for anybody.

• 30 Jesus (Hay-soos) // Apr 16, 2010 at 10:42 pm

  I find it very ironic and unsettling at the same time how republicans claim the victory for the fall of the Berlin Wall, yet under republican “leadership”, a wall of similar proportions was initiated by them in our own back yard. Maybe not ironic, more so, hypocritical.

  I’m with Anna on her decision not to patronize any companies based in AZ.
  That also means for me that I won’t be visiting the in-laws anytime soon. My passport expired earlier this year…

• 31 Reyfeo // Apr 17, 2010 at 3:10 am

  The bottom line is conservative America, to include the Latino base (the real US Citizens so JAANGO and IE don’t get confused) are fed up with illegal aliens…Arizona is a big Latino State, like it or not they (I mean Latinos except for the well versed, and confused JAANGO) approve of this action…its safety and security over stupidity of appeasing the left wing nuts who think illegal immigration is some right or privilege. Get used to it this is a small taste of the big things to come.

• 32 vam // Apr 17, 2010 at 11:42 pm

  I’m not surprise that Arizona would pass this racist law. In the 9 months that I lived in Arizona I found the state to be very anti immigrant. This was also the case in the Latino communities between Mexican Americans and native born Mexicans. There was also a lot of fear of people of Latino background within the Native American people. But then it’s fear that creates hate and racism.

• 33 Anna // Apr 18, 2010 at 10:48 am

  You don’t speak for all Latinos, not even the 30% of Latino idiots who vote Republican.

  And where is the White House on this and the Justice Department? I knew BHO was a terrible choice for Latinos. Hilary would not have let this happen.

• 34 VAM // Apr 18, 2010 at 11:21 am

  I’m not a republican

• 35 Anna // Apr 19, 2010 at 1:16 am

  Arizona House Minority Leader David Lujan: Idiot

  http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2010/04/russell_pearce_triumphs_on_sb.php

  Asked why he wasn’t present to vote against, speak against and fight against Pearce’s odious legislation, Lujan offered an explanation on par with the proverbial the-dog-ate-my-math-assignment.

  “Well, I wanted to, but my parents were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary,” he told me, lamely. “We had a little family get together this afternoon. The bill’s been moving. It was scheduled to be heard two weeks ago, and then last week. And so it just happened to come up on a day when I had a previously scheduled thing.”

• 36 irma // Apr 19, 2010 at 4:50 pm

  So David Lujan takes off work for the state of Arizona for a family party?
  Vote the guy out!

• 37 alex // Apr 19, 2010 at 11:22 pm

  that’s what you get when you go to one of the stupidest and most ignorant states in the nation. nothing but nativist beliefs. i hate when they try to cover up their racism with the ‘drug cartel’ excuse. i’m okay with the whole deportation and arrests of CRIMINAL undocumented immigrants. but when armed Maricopa County Sheriff’s Officers are ARMED AND STORM A PUBLIC LIBRARY IN SEARCH OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, there is something terribly wrong.
  These laws are very similar to the ones used in South Africa…..sad.

• 38 Houseonahillorg // Apr 20, 2010 at 8:16 am

  Simply wondering why people don’t put all of this energy toward urging the Mexican Government to implement better agendas for their own people, so that they are not burdened to flee in the first place.

  Many arguments are displaced anger. Challenge the Mexican government to take care of their own or pay U.S. to do it.

• 39 webmaster // Apr 20, 2010 at 9:21 am

  “Simply wondering why people don’t put all of this energy toward urging the Mexican Government to implement better agendas for their own people, so that they are not burdened to flee in the first place.”

  Because it isn’t just Mexico that is culpable. It is hard to urge Mexico to “implement better agendas” when they have their own issues of corruption, wealth distribution, etc. The US is culpable in this too. Some may even argue that the implementation of NAFTA has caused additional migration, and remember how Bill Clinton was championing this agreement.

• 40 Jaango // Apr 20, 2010 at 10:06 am

  Reyfeo,

  Walk on down to the recruiting station so that you may accord yourself with the opportunity to “lace up the combat boots and strap on the body armor”. And after you have, return here and talk to me about the Constitution.

  Yesterday, I saw a Phoenix officer put the handcuffs on a automobile driver, and I am assured that the police officer stopped him for “reasonable cause” despite the Constitution’s call for a “probable cause”.

  And as long as the “confused” Conservatives, continue their dogma for advancing progress via a Society for the Criminally Stupid, we will encounter their ‘criminally stupid’ small ideas.

  Alas, when Reagan was around, he raised taxes in six of his eight years. Today, Obama has reduced taxes for the Middle Class. And this come from recognizing the Big Ideas that will only achieve our goal for addressing our “unmet needs”. Thus, preserving the Constitution without having to torture the incarcerated, should demonstrate that the Constitution still holds “value”.

  Jaango

• 41 caroline // Apr 20, 2010 at 11:01 am

  I’m really frustrated and feel helpless about this bill in Arizona. I live here, am caucasian, and feel that it is TOTALLY aimed at Mexicans. Arpaio’s deputies already stake out areas specifically hispanic or intersections where workers have to pass through. Here, near Desert Mountain (affluent area), 90% of those I see “pulled over” by Maricopa deputies are hispanic workers in less expensive vehicles or trucks. It’s SO OBVIOUS! In addition, they pulled over my former yard man for a cracked windshield, then told him they were going to impound his car (because he had a Mexican driver’s license) … but he got to keep his car by paying the deputy $300 cash-on-the-spot. Don’t Give Arpaio More Power – he is a self-promoting, egomaniac!! You never hear of Arpaio’s guys raiding other ethnic neighborhoods, do you? …they ONLY target hispanic areas and randomly check people traveling thru intersections or going into bus stations…. We MUST STOP this type of racial profiling – it’s NOT RIGHT! They should spend their time and OUR money finding those that are endangering our citizens with violence-stealing-drugs, like the Meth addicts (ex: white truck driver killed 4 motorcyclists while driving on Meth) …NOT those driving to/from work to support a family – in this country legally or not. There are actually people here who live, work, have family values, want the best for their children and want to be American citizens, but there just aren’t enough visas available. Really…are these the ones you “HATE”? IF this law passes, I will be moving OUT of Arizona, and take all my tax paying money elsewhere! I don’t want to live in a HATE-STATE !

• 42 Anna // Apr 20, 2010 at 12:15 pm

  He paid the deputy $300 dollars on the spot? Arizona cops have turned into federales. There needs to be some kind of immigration reform because as long as you have a group of people without any legal protection, everybody’s rights are at risk. This law will target anybody with brown skin, American citizen, or not. But let’s be honest, under the law, they can target anybody of any race for any reason. For instance, a journalist who won’t go away.

  For profit prison companies get a per diem fee for everybody they house, citizen, or not. So there is an financial incentive now to pass laws that will maximize the prison population.

  I hope the Democrats don’t think that they can ignore this issue and just expect our votes out of fear of the Republicans. Because that is NOT the case.

  Also, when Arizona sports teams play in your state, don’t buy tickets to the games. Stay home. That’s another way to boycott.

• 43 Reyfeo // Apr 20, 2010 at 4:10 pm

  @JAANGO

  You obviuosly served in the late sixties where service meant drugs and rock-n-roll…as for laced boots I still wear mine proudly. Unlike you I meant it when I took my oath, else you’d ask every SOB thats here illegally to go home to their own country.

• 44 Michaelr // Apr 20, 2010 at 4:21 pm

  Every time I pass along my California driver’s license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance to a law enforcement officer, the tone of the inquiry suddenly becomes condescending. And there have been traffic stops with Latino law-enforcement officers that have been even uglier. I’ve had several policemen in my lifetime accuse me of stealing my own car. I don’t believe this will ever change…even in Southern California.

• 45 irma // Apr 21, 2010 at 9:26 am

  Reyfeo,

  I am looking forward to the day that some
  white cop pulls you over – throws away your identification and then proceeds to throw in you in jail for lacking “proper documentation.” Maybe then you will understand what it is like to be a Mexican- if in fact that is what you are.

  Albert Einstein never was a religious man, but he embraced his Jewishness anyway and worked for Jewish causes all his life. He put it very simply ” a snail without a shell, is still a snail.”

• 46 Jaango // Apr 21, 2010 at 2:37 pm

  Reyfeo,

  It’s nice to encounter another military veteran on the Internet, and thusly, “Welcome Home!”

  And yes, I served 14 months in Vietnam. So, I am long in tooth and grey of beard. Moreover, I like my weed, Motown and Country and Western Music, along with the Norteno, among others.

  Earlier today, I was over at the political blog called the Firedoglake.com and they are having a contest to name a bumper sticker in recognization for the legalization the weed. My contribution for this presumed bumper sticker was, “Another Indigenous Medicine Regulated”.

  In closing, I also found from ABC News that military recruiters do not want have fat kids in the military. Consequently, a group of retired military leaders are saying that the fatness in our national school lunch program is a “national security threat” given the lack of nutrition in these meals and therefore causing obesity. Obviously this insanity for failing to recognize Reality is that a military draft will solve this percevied “threat” but then, they’re pusilanimous hypocrites, since they don’t want rich kids serving in the military. As such, they’re a bunch of pansy assess. Today, one-tenth of one percent of young people wear our nation’s uniform. Obviously, for these hypocrites–the retired military leaders, recognize that citizenship contains no “value” as applied to rich kids.

  And needless to say, during the Bush/Cheney Effect, these same admirals and generals turned their backs on the Privates, Corporals and Sergeants–the back bone of organized violence.

  And you won’t find anyone among them, challenging America’s advocates for white supremacy, either. That’s today’s reality. America has fallen on hard times due to corruption, mismanagement and general all-around incompetence performed by the political Right.

  Jaango

• 47 Reyfeo // Apr 21, 2010 at 5:08 pm

  Irma,
  I’m for making sure every American gets equal and fair treatment under the law…what I am not for is giving Illegal Aliens the same American Citizen rights JAANGO, whom I disagree with, and I fought so hard to protect. So no, I don’t accept your pretentious babbling about fighting for another country’s citizens (Mexicans or any other here illegally for that matter) rights, HERE in this country.

• 48 irma // Apr 22, 2010 at 9:35 am

  Reyfeo,

  You dont seem to understand that the issue we are discussing here is the protection of American civil rights. The Arizona bill in question, would violate your civil rights and those of other fellow Americans.

• 49 Ralph // Apr 22, 2010 at 10:39 am

  I just got off the phone with with local offices of our lovely Congressman, Brian Bilbray. Perhaps you saw the interview yesterday on MSNBC with the Representative. Regarding illegal immigrants and how they might be easier to spot by law enforcement, Bilbray said: “They will look at the kind of dress you wear, there is different type of attire, there is different type of — right down to the shoes, right down to the clothes,” (sic).
  So I called his office, (BTW, I’m third generation Mexican-American, and quite dark…) and asked his staffer for any fashion tips so as not to be suspected. Oddly enough, the boy, or more the little punk, who took my call also happened to be Hispanic. Well, only “half-Hispanic”, he later explained. He was totally dumbfounded when I asked what him specifically what one should or shouldn’t wear if one might be of the “Brown Persuasion”. This went on for quite a awhile until he finally protested that this was just gotcha journalism and wouldn’t go on any further. Where do Republicans find these self-hating little shits to work for them in the first place?!?!?!?! ARRRHHHHHH!

• 50 Anna // Apr 22, 2010 at 12:11 pm

  Brian Bilbray barely won his last election. Time to vote him out.

• 51 SB 1070 Becomes Law in Arizona: Some Actions You Can Take // Apr 23, 2010 at 6:54 pm

  [...] Governor Janet Brewer signed SB 1070, the bill that many fear will increase racial profiling. You can watch the Governor’s statement below. Notice how she [...]

• 52 Mexican-American Citizen // Apr 25, 2010 at 9:47 pm

  I have been reading all of the posts here and all are understandable. I am a Mexican-American and was born and raised in Arizona. There has been much discussed about how the SB1070 bill is going to affect the illegal men, women, and children coming into the United States. Being a Mexican-American, I completely understand there is an immigration problem and immigration reform is an issue that needs to be a priority. I am not agreeing with the methods that have been imposed in the state of Arizona but I do acknowledge the problem and I would be one of the first in line to discuss a solution that would honor not just Americans and Mexicans, but humanity as a whole. What has me the most concerned is my rights as a Mexican – American. To understand what I am about to say, I believe you will either had to have been discriminated against at one time or be a Latino/Latina. Since this bill has been signed, I feel when I walk about of my house, all eyes are now on me. I feel as though people now have some small right to question my citizenship. I believe it was ElAcademia that said, “A small inconvenience in the attempt to stem many more serious crimes”. Well ElAcademia, I have a job just like you. What if I were on my way in to work with a 9am appointment driving through rush hour traffic and I was going to make it just in time to my appointment but now I get pulled over by state enforcement because they felt they had reasonable suspicion. All I’m carrying with me is my insurance, registration, and drivers license just like every other American citizen driving on the road at that time. What if my drivers license is not considered a reasonable amount of proof? What if I’m taken into custody until my identity is verified? At this point, I’ve now missed my appointment and my job could be in jeopardy or in some instances, I could be let go from my job. So, now I’m unemployed I can no longer provide for my family the way I need to provide for them. Is it still a small price to pay? I’m American just like you. Just because my pigmentation is a little different that yours, does that mean I have to pay that small price and not you?

  Sometimes, there is a lack of understanding on both sides of every argument. It is very cliche but really, we need to put ourselves in others shoes for a few minutes to understand the pain and feeling of discrimination this is causing. Governor Brewer will not be getting my vote and I sincerely hope this bill is thrown out very soon. It is igniting a new breed of racism and will continue for future generations.

• 53 Wren Tyree // Jun 10, 2010 at 10:50 pm

  One point made, is: We can barely deal with the crime and population here without having to police another’s country’s criminal citizens!

Leave a Comment