Cool, Arizona. Good Job.
Posted By: Dan Cochran | April 27, 2010 | 5 comments
Watch out, tan people! In case y’all haven’t heard, Arizona passed a law the other day that basically gives police officers legal authority to racially profile. The law basically states that if a cop suspects that someone is an illegal immigrant, they can ask them for documentation that proves they’re a legal citizen.
The line “show me your papers” is in every World War 2 movie ever made because it’s a Nazi-esque thing to say! I think a giant WTF is in order. I mean, this is AMERICA! To me, this is a slippery slope to facism.
A few days ago, Republican congressman, Brian Bilbray said that you can tell if someone is here illegally because they dress differently and wear different shoes (seriously.) That ludacris remark is right up there with Nevada senate hopeful, Sue Lowden’s idea of health care reform; paying your doctor with live chickens (she’s serious.) Hmmm… I’m not sure what type of shoes illegal immigrants wear, so if you’re drivin around Arizona, you should probably just go barefoot to be on the safe side…and avoid spray tans! ( Speaking of spray tans, I went for one of those once, but I showed up drunk, and never took my shirt off. I’m now the only person in history to get a “spray farmers tan.”)
Anyway, the passing of this law certainly tells us a few things. First of all, it shows us that racism is alive and well in this country. If there’s one thing I detest, it’s racism (and spray tans). Being a racist in America doesn’t make sense to me. This isn’t a country for white people… it’s a country for anyone who wants to be free, no matter what color you are. America is a melting pot of all types of different races and ethnicities, and that’s what makes this country so freaking awesome! I could understand being a racist if you live in Poland, or Switzerland, or something… but being a racist in America is like going to a gay bar and then complaining that it’s full of gay people.
Another reason that Arizona passed this ridiculous law is based on the fact that Arizona is a border state and there are drug wars raging in Mexico, and the violence is spilling over into the U.S. But these drug cartels don’t give a shit about this law! The passing of more laws isn’t going to stop people who are in the business of BREAKING laws! There is one thing, and only one thing, that Mexican drug cartels fear…LEGALIZATION!
Juan Gutierrez, Rodrigo Lopez, Leo Rosales, and Esmerling Vasquez are all pitchers for the Arizona Diamondbacks who can be stopped and detained now. If they really start cracking down, the Diamondbacks could lose half their pitching staff!! AZ Senator, John McCain has an adopted daughter who is dark-skinned and therefore, could absolutely get stopped and hassled.
This law is total BS, and must be repealed! The only good thing is that maybe there’s a chance that Wilmer Valderrama will somehow be kicked outta this country. I hate him.
To read more about this ridiculous “law”, click here.
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Ms. That Girl May 2, 2010 at 2:33 pm
The ACTUAL Arizona Senate Bill 1070
http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdfThe DEFINITION of racial profiling
http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=racial%20profilingDan Cochran April 28, 2010 at 9:18 pm
Believe me, I understand the law. Local police are required to ask individuals to prove they are in this country legally, if they look like they might be an illegal immigrant. Also, arizona citizens can sue the police if they feel this law is not being enforced. If you or me break the law, of course we’ll have to show license, registration, etc. But we shouldn’t have to show any documents for walking down the street and being tan. Also, just having a drivers license isn’t proof that you’re here legally. There are 11 states that give out drivers licenses very liberally. If you get pulled over for speeding, show license & registration, and the cop says…”umm…I still feel like you might be an illegal immigrant” and handcuffs you, are you going to be OK with that??? In the other 49 states being an illegal immigrant isn’t technically a crime. It’s against the law but it’s only a civil infraction. This law makes it a misdemeanor in AZ. Cops rely on the community at large to help deter crime. This law is going to make people wary of police, and make it easier for criminals to go unnoticed. If an illegal immigrant witnesses a terrible crime, he/she isn’t going to run to the police and report it. Plus the AZ police are not happy about this law. This places another burden on them that they don’t want. And if they’re not gonna enforce it, they’ll be sued..!?! I understand there is a big problem with border security, but this law doesn’t help things at all. Something needs to be done at the federal level. Violating the 4th amendment is not a good start.
Anonymous April 28, 2010 at 8:50 pm
You should probably read this law to help you understand what it says. This is not about color or being racist, this is about a law. If you or me break the law guess what happens? You get arrested or have to pay a fine. They ask to normally see your drivers license and registration. The bill is no different, its a enforcement bill. Read it
Danny Cochran April 28, 2010 at 5:26 pm
I wouldn’t get my hair cut by a straggly-looking, bearded woman who smelled of old Depends… but I’d probably have sex with her. She’s just my type.
But yeah of course we judge people on appearance, anyone with eyeballs is guilty of that! It’s just that judging wether or not to recieve a haircut from someone, or judging if they’re is in this country legally are completely different scenarios. If you can tell a legal immigrant from an illegal one, then I’d have to tip my cap to you, cuz I can’t. And it’s a sad day for American values when we start thinking we can. “If you can judge a wise man, by the color of his skin, then mister you’re a better man than I.” — Steven Tyler (who looks like an 80 yr. old lesbian)
Mr. E April 28, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Dan is certainly correct when it comes to the drug cartels’ biggest fear. They are the Al Capones of the current marijuana prohibition and the only causes of death that can be attributed to our leafy green friend.
But seriously… the passing of THIS law is what tells us racism is alive and well?! When the hell was racism dead? During the initial European settlement when those marijuana-puffing, nature loving peace keepers were stripped of their property? Or maybe when we started up our first stages of official government when only white male land owners were allowed voting privileges? Or was it after the civil war? Or after ANY war? Or was it hundreds of years later in 1870 when “non-whites” were given the right to vote? Or in 1954 when white and black kids were allowed to go to school together? Did THAT kill racism?
The truth is, no matter how much we fight for equality while puffing out our American-flag tattooed chests at our great strides for “all man”, people are inherently racist. Americans are inherently racist. The human eye is trained from infancy to see similarities in the people around us: our family, our friends, our neighbors. We see similar heights, skin tones, eyes, hair color, beard lengths, etc. And in seeing similarities, we can not help but see the differences. THIS IS OK! It only means you are observant.
And judging others based on their physical appearance is alright too, to a point. Let me repeat: to a point. When you start generalizing, it becomes dangerous and as Dan said, it can easily slip into something worse. But would you get your hair cut by a straggly-looking, bearded woman who smelled of old Depends? No, you wouldn’t. Why? Because you are judging her based on her appearance. And her smell. But hey, thank America you didn’t judge her race.
I’m not going to pretend to know exactly what’s going on in Arizona or how bad it has gotten. The stories I’ve heard over the past year give me a good clue though. Drug cartels that thrive off our government’s stubbornness to end the prohibition are killing each other in record numbers… and I can’t imagine they cross the border and decide to call a truce until they return to the mother land. Do we need this kind of bloodshed on American soil? Are we really willing to risk LEGAL American lives in order to save a few Mexican-Americans in Arizona the embarrassment of having to pull out a document? I’m certainly not rallying for harassment or forming a pseudo police state, but shouldn’t they, as American citizens, be just as concerned for the lives of their family and neighbors as their non-Mexican country folk? Shouldn’t they be relatively patient with this rather minor inconvenience given the dangerous circumstances?
This isn’t Nazi Germany. We aren’t asking for paperwork to enhance our ethnic cleansing techniques. And until our government decides on a good path to keep these dangers off our soil, this law, as ridiculous as it may sound to some, may be the only chance the Arizona police forces have to reduce the number of brutally slain, lifeless American bodies found at crime scenes due to drug violence.
Again, to curb the hate mail I’m sure this will drum up:
1) I am NOT for racial profiling, harassment, or unfair deportation or prosecution based solely on whether a person has the correct documentation. Americans are immigrants. We need to be just as tolerant and welcoming to those coming in now as we were when people entered 150 years ago. (Ever see Gangs of New York?)
2) I AM for educated awareness and ethical response amongst our law enforcement.
3) This law is very crude at this point and is an obviously desperate, albeit well-intended, attempt to get a bad situation under some kind of control. Let’s give them a chance to realize their mistakes and fix it up.But let us not pretend we don’t judge people and assume based on appearances.
That’s just un-American.
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