Secretly Unstable

I have been told I am crazy, funny, a good cook, and a decent blogger. These are the expectations I am trying to live up to. Thank you.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Arizona

I have much love for Arizona. It is a beautiful place, filled with beautiful people. Some of them I love dearly. But the passing of SB1070 making my bleeding liberal heart cry. 

Arizona's immigration law SB1070 is wrong for many reasons. I think that its biggest fault is that it opens up a can of worms that once unleashed this country will be less than what it can be. It is just another tactic in the "smoke and mirrors" that is our nation's security measures.

First, as an American I am personally distressed that someone can ask me if I have the right to legally be here. Sure I can prove that I am an citizen by pulling out identification, but the fact that it is questioning that is allowed if I am pulled over for running a red light is insulting. And do not insult anyone's intelligence about how "racial profiling" is not allowed. I doubt that a white cowboy or an upper class white lady will be asked for their proof of citizenship. So as a non-white American I am also distressed and fear that I could be harassed just because I don't look like my friendly state trooper.

Second, Arizona's reasons that illegal immigrants commit crimes and steal jobs is dangerous terrority to want to lock up and deport every illegal immigrant. What would happen to Arizona's economy if every illegal immigrant got kicked out? Would landlords lose renters? Would retail sales drop? Would the price of services sky rocket? Yes, to all of the above. These things will cause more Americans to actually lose their jobs. Less people shopping at Walmart, less need for cashiers, stockboys, etc. It criminalizes every illegal alien. The majority are not criminals. If that was true, then it wouldn't be safe to leave your home in Arizona. The majority are people's neighbors, friends, employees. They take care of people's children so family's can have two incomes. Their children are the classmates of our children. They do the work that most Americans won't do. Work for tips, or even less.

Third, it is not a solution to a problem, it is only a punishment. A solution means there are real positive outcomes. Crime isn't going to disappear. The job market is not going to open up. The only thing that is going to happen is that it will cost tax payers more to process these new "criminals." And illegal immigrants will see police as the enemy. They will not assist in investigations, they will not report crimes. Children will be separated from their parents. And nothing is better at creating criminals then a lack of parental support. A solution with positive outcomes would be to 1. Fine illegals, 2. document, 3. allow them to apply for legal status, 4. require that they learn English, 5. make them legal and tax them. Arizona would benefit from a larger tax base, you would have documented workers. You would be able to identify them if they do commit a crime.

Fourth, illegal immigrants do not have a monopoly on crime, and they have not been responsible for acts of terror in the USA. Kicking out illegals as a way to reduce crime is a false promise. It smoke and mirrors. It makes people think that the government is busy protecting people. Doing their job. But it is a false sense of security. Citizens and legal immigrants alike commit crimes. All of the 9/11 terrorists, McVeigh, and the alleged Times Sq bomber arrested today were here in this country legally. Terrorists aren't sneaking in our borders. They are arriving on planes. Being issued visas, getting their work documents.

Fifth, we are acting like America is some hot commodity right now. Irish immigrants have been returning to Ireland for lucrative job opportunities. Folks are moving to Canada for socialized healthcare. Americans are learning Chinese to better prepare for a economy run by the Chinese. India is the fastest growing technological hot beds in the world. We are not all we think we are. We are lucky that people want to live and work here. We are lucky that some people still believe in the American dream. Most of the Americans I know do not. A law that can criminalize wanting to provide and make a better life for you and your family in America is wrong. Give people the opportunity to become legal. If they take it great. If not, goodbye. But without a real chance to make their wrong (living/working in the US illegally) a right, it is not a fair law.

Lastly, I find it humorous that Arizona finally comes around to criticize the federal government for its inaction to protect its borders when there is not a Republican in the White House. McCain's good buddy President Bush ran the show for 8 years. Why not call out that administration in the 8 years that this became a problem? Why create stupid legislation now? Are they finally fed up? Or is this just the opportunity to blame someone else for the problem? President Obama himself says that the federal government failed Arizona, but two wrongs never make a right.

I hope Arizona has a change of heart. Right now this is a big pimple of the face of a state that I really do think is beautiful.

2 Comments:

  • At 9:45 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    You need to 1) live in Arizona and understand it's problems being a border state, 2) racial profiling? Well, I guess if that's the label you want to put on it - we have so many of them. I sincerely doubt that an officer would question someone walking down the street, or driving a car, would stop them and ask for ID because they are "non-white". Do they cost us more by living here, you need to research that too. They sure do. We would save in the long run. Again, stop the bleeding heart stuff and research, research, research and get some hard figures............... Perhaps if one of your "loved" ones were shot and killed by these "illegals" you would think differently.......

     
  • At 10:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Back again, you have no clue. Being an Arizonan, originally from NY, there are a plethora of problems that these illegals create. Drugs run rampant, people are being killed as result of - in Arizona, especially by the border. It is so bad, the hispanic community here don't go back to visit their relatives. Let me see, if you cross border in N Korea, illegally, you get 12 yrs hard labor, Iranian border, delayed indefinitely, Afghan, shot, saudi, jailed, Chinese, never see ou again, Vemezuela, you are a spy and your fate is sealed, Cuba, prison, and OH, let's see, US, you get a drivers license, job, ss card, welfare, food stamps, subsidized to rent, buy or lease home, free healthcare and education. Really? And you think they don't cost us more money. Sorry you really got me started............ but I'll end here. You need to read more in depth instead of just the headlines.

     

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