My thanks goes out to Michael Connelly for taking the time to review this new law and allow me to post it here. You can find him at http://michaelconnelly.viviti.com/
The liberal news media is hysterical, the President of the United States is threatening to have Federal agents reviewing every arrest that is made by State and Local authorities, and the Attorney General of the United States is considering filing a suit in Federal Court to have the law declared unconstitutional. All of this is allegedly being done to protect “Civil Rights”. At first glance, you might think that this was something written about the efforts to abolish the segregation laws in the deep south in the 1960s.
However, that is not the case because the reactions I am referring to are those being directed at the sovereign state of Arizona for daring to try and stem the tide of illegal immigrants, illegal drugs, and violent criminals flowing across its southern border. This is a tide that is destroying the state’s economy and causing massive increases in crime including the murder of American citizens on the border who dare to complain. Yet, the American public is being told that this law will cause violations of civil rights and so a boycott of Arizona is being called for to punish the citizens of the state because they overwhelmingly support the new law.
So what exactly does this law say? Well, it is Senate Bill 1070 passed by the Arizona Legislature and I have read the entire bill and it was indeed a pleasure because it is a comprehensive and straightforward piece of legislation that is only 17 pages long. Compare that to the health care bill recently passed by Congress that was over 2700 pages and the pending Cap and Trade Bill that is over 1400 pages long. I can guarantee that everyone in the Arizona legislature read the bill before they voted on it, unlike Nancy Pelosi, who informed members of the Congress that they needed to pass the health care bill so they could find out what was in it.
In a nutshell, the new Arizona law tracks the Federal law that has been in existence for 23 years but is no longer enforced by the Obama Administration. The people of Arizona, through their elected representatives, have simply taken the laws against illegal immigration adopted by Congress and made them into state laws that can be enforced by local authorities. They have found this necessary because it is estimated that over 50% of the illegal aliens that enter the United States and 50% of the illegal drugs that are brought into this country from Mexico now come across the Arizona border.
Since President Obama’s response to this crisis situation was to reduce the number of Border Patrol agents on the southern border with Mexico by 346 members, the people of Arizona were left with little choice but to take action on their own since the Federal Government has abdicated its responsibility to provide for the “common defense” of the American people. We should make no mistake here, what is happening on our southern border is an invasion that is robbing Americans of much needed jobs and subjecting our citizens to the violence that is being perpetrated by the Mexican drug cartels and spilling over into our country.
Despite the wildly exaggerated claims being made by the left, particularly those in media outlets like the major networks such as NBC and CNN, the Arizona law does not provide for the wholesale rounding up of Hispanics on every street corner in Arizona. The police must have probable cause to believe someone is in the country illegally or they must catch someone in the act of breaking another law. Then the authorities will have the right to detain the person and determine their immigration status. It is not the state that requires documents to prove legal status, it is a requirement of Federal law that all legal immigrants in the United States have written authorization from the Federal Government to be here.
If such authorization can’t be verified in the Federal data bases then the person involved is considered an illegal and is breaking the laws of both the Federal and State governments. They are essentially trespassing on American soil and charging them with this crime is no more a violation of their civil rights than arresting someone who has broken into someone else’s home. The charge that this will result in racial profiling is ludicrous. The American people are not as ignorant as the elitists on the left like to portray us. We are quite aware, even if Attorney General Eric Holder is not, that the vast majority of the people crossing the U.S. border from Mexico are not Irish and they don’t speak Gaelic. They are Hispanic and speak Spanish.
The Arizona law also tracks the Federal laws by making it a State criminal offense to smuggle people into this country illegally and for businesses to hire people who are in the country illegally. I personally believe that it is time for the Obama Administration to be reminded that the rights guaranteed by our Constitution are for those individuals who are citizens of our nation and those who have immigrated here legally. I do not believe that the Founding Fathers ever intended for them to apply to those who cross our borders illegally in order to violate our laws. Providing them with due process is fine, but giving them special consideration because the current Administration and Congress want to eventually make them citizens who will vote for candidates of the Democratic Party is unacceptable.
It is time that we start looking out for the Civil Rights of our own citizens. The State of Arizona is doing just that and any attempts to stop it from exercising its rights under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution are beyond the powers authorized in the Constitution to the President or Congress.
As for the proposed boycott of Arizona, my response is simply this. I personally intend to visit that beautiful state as often as I can and spend as much money as I can afford. I encourage all of my friends and readers to do the same. It is time for all of us who continue to fight to be free Americans to stand together. As Benjamin Franklin said, “We must all hang together; else we shall all hang separately.”
Chic:
ReplyDeleteAs probably one of the few progressives, Democrats, liberals, people of color on this list, let me first thank you for keeping me on it. As a former Republican who voted for Ronald Reagan in 1980 and left the GOP soon thereafter (primarily over the relentless assaults on African-Americans that immediately followed) let me say this bill is another example of why the GOP is becoming more and more marginalized and almost useless in American politics.
This is to the obvious detriment of the GOP but also to the country as a whole. Just as the GOP threw me out right after Reagan took office with its hateful race-based messaging, it is now busy permanently alienating the largest growing segment of our country (1) people of color overall and (2) Hispanics.
What is so ironic is that this does not force liberals/progressives/Democrats to do much of anything politically competitive.
All we have to do is make sure we do not interfere with the GOP as it continues to destroy itself by becoming a political party almost exclusively representing what appears to be frightened southern white men who see their demographic dominance - exclusively measured by race - fading as the country evolves.
This review by Mr. Connelly reveals no constitutional analysis. The argument that a sovereign state is free to employ unconstitutional law enforcement measures is invalid, even if you believe that the sole targets of this law are people living in the US illegally because the prohibitions against "unreasonable search and seizure" will be violated as police and others stop and search people who "look like" they may be here illegally. And what, dear friends, is the sole key to "looking illegal?" Chic, it won't be people who look like you - it will be people who look more like me - dark complexioned people. What other criteria for a search could there possible be?
When will the GOP realize that Mexicans and people who live in the southernmost United States share a very common problem - namely, wages are continuing to go down on both sides of the border due to our lust for cheaper food and cheaper goods and services and our hatred of unions. As wages continue to shrink, the poorest people will continue to risk everything to generate some smattering of income so as to survive.
This is going to be a very interesting political summer and fall leading up to ther November elections. It looks to me like the GOP may pay an unprecedented political price due to its embrace of this racist bill. Maybe that will stanch the flow of the GOP lust for the futile politics of race.
Le Roy
Why can’t the people who author these kinds of documents simply write a thoughtful piece without resorting to politics in the discussion? I’m all for discussing a problem, but it always widens into a bigger agenda to make sure that they touch on everyone’s pet peeve. Examples are:
ReplyDeleteunlike Nancy Pelosi, who informed members of the Congress that they needed to pass the health care bill so they could find out what was in it.
and
but giving them (illegal aliens) special consideration because the current Administration and Congress want to eventually make them citizens who will vote for candidates of the Democratic Party is unacceptable.
When you make statements like this, it is no longer just about the situation at hand, it is about the entire political agenda. No wonder you can never have a meaningful discussion!
But anyway, I understand the frustration of many in a state like Arizona. This is a result of congress being totally incapable of addressing the immigration issue last year when they were supposed to. Like so many things, they just walked away from it because they can’t play together. Now congress has to deal with it again and they are going to prove incapable of doing so – largely because of polarizing positions like this article that says anything coming from the other side is pure evil. It sure sounds good to those on the right, but it contributes to keeping us from moving forward with any kind of compromise that might make things better.
Bill J.
Thank you for sharing you candid thoughts and what genuinely concerns you.
ReplyDeletePersonally, as a person of color (or so deemed by society), I'd like to see the rule of law respected and enforced, without race as an excuse to do otherwise, or as an excuse to abuse power.
Do you think that can be done by humanity?
We are a nation of laws, and I fear (beyond the evils of racism) that our postmodern culture does not respect the rule of law, nor the principles and foundation from which it comes.
My family had to endure Japanese internment camps during WWII. My dad and my uncle, both young boys, grew up in one in Poston, AZ, for 3-years, while my grandfather was separated from them, on a chain-gang in Arkansas, because he was not a naturalized citizen at the time.
My family lost everything, except what they could carry with them. It's been an amazing story of redemption over time. Conversely, my mom's family came here in the 1730s, and there is a Brunnersville Pennsylvania named for them. They fought in the American Revolution and the Civil War (North), and my grandfather (mom's dad) was a Naval commander in WWII.
My grandparents did not want my parents to marry because of racial discrimination (I am Japanese, Welsh, German and Irish), and because they thought it would be complicated. Our family believes in God, and has discovered that He is bigger than all of that. Our family story has an amazing ending of redemption, forgiveness and love.
My family understands both sides, and each side started as immigrants. Nowhere along the way did anyone in my family, on either side, disrespect the rule of law, seemingly justified or unjustified. No one has, then or since, used the prospect of racial profiling due to fallen humanity as an excuse to ignore the rule of law, or conversely to abuse it.
I am involved in politics today because I respect the rule of law, and desire to work within it. Yes, we can change it if necessary, but to dismiss it and disparage those who respect it is not the answer, either.
Open to your response ...
Sincerely,
Justin K
Yes, I‘m sure you are one of the few progressives on Chic’s list – but let’s give him credit, he does include a few and I’m sure he gets some feedback from them. I know he does from me! I would like to point out that it is obvious that this reply did not come from a conservative, right-wing blogger – too much thought went into it! However, I think that you might be guilty of discounting the tactics of the right for staying in power. They are very good at political messaging and in fueling the passions of their followers. So while their numbers may be dwindling, they are much more likely to vote at the polls. In case you haven’t noticed, they work very much in concert and they have the advantage of having a clear enemy to fight – liberals!! Liberals being a very broad tag applied to anyone who isn’t conservative on any given issue. I should know. I am considered a liberal by my many conservative friends despite the fact that I am very conservative when it comes to fiscal matters – something that used to be a big part of the Republican platform. I too voted for Reagan and every Republican before him before they became big spenders on programs I didn’t believe in. And yes, since then I have also seen the party move more to the right on racial issues as our economy deteriorates. After all, it’s appealing to the emotions to find someone to blame and lately that has become either Mexicans coming across the border or welfare recipients -- although I doubt those issues even make a dent in the real financial problems we have in this country. Those problems stem from too much leverage and living beyond our means.
ReplyDeleteSo you keep making sure that people like our friend Chic stays focused on the truth! You know he reads too many of those right-wing blogs.
Bill J
In my opinion, the Republicans are making a big mistake by putting their two cents in on the Arizona Immigration fiasco. The solution is simple. Considering the fact that most illegal immigrants are hard working people just trying to make a buck to help their families, I propose the following to solve the problem.
ReplyDelete1. All Americans stop eating any vegetables or fruit harvested by illegal immigrants - (attack the supply and demand concept) this would cause many them to go elsewhere because the lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, and fruit will die on the vine/or and force Americans to pick the crops or force the farmer to go out of business.
2. All Americans stop sleeping at hotels where illegal immigrants are cleaning rooms, waiting tables and bussing dishes and force Americans to take the jobs making up beds, cleaning rooms and doing yard work for the hotels (and other janitorial jobs).
3. All city governments force all construction projects to close that use illegal immigrants on their construction sites and force Americans to take these jobs as well. And if the bank learn that one illegal immigrant is working on the construction site pull the loan of the construction company. The same will go for the textile and clothing manufacturers.
4. Follow all vehicles who pick up illegal immigrants at the hardware stores to do chores around their homes and businesses and take away the person's vehicle and force those holding up signs on street corners begging for money - to do these jobs.
Let's be honest, if there were no jobs here, there would be no reason for the hard-working, non-gang member, non-violent illegal immigrant to come here. Republicans wake up and go after the employers who employ them and those of us who eat the foods harvested by them, if you really want to deal with the illegal immigrant problem. The Bible even says even a poor person will steal to eat (and most of us would do the same) if we had no means to earn a living. On one hand we say they should not be here and on the other hand we enjoy the fruits of their labor. Both the government and American employers are the real problem - not the immigrant worker.
Rev. Wayne Perryman
PS. If they do not have a job and need medical care and food assistance, provide them with a meal and the medical assistance then take them back home and the problem is solved.