Upholding controversial aspect of Arizona immigration law raises troubling past in U.S.
Lewis DiuguidIt’s disturbing that the “show me your papers” provision of the controversial 2010 Arizona immigration law was upheld Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton.
It allows police to stop and question the immigration status of people they think are in the country illegally. But that only feeds racial profiling, giving authorities license to stop anyone who looks Hispanic.
Studies repeatedly have shown that Hispanics and African Americans are pulled over and searched at a disproportionate rate compared with whites. The Arizona law resurrects an antibellum practice in the United States in which black people could be stopped at any time and required to show papers that proved they were free men or women.
If blacks were unable to produce the required documents or persons who challenged them didn’t accept what they saw, those blacks could become slaves. What is to prevent Hispanic citizens from undergoing a similar horrible treatment?
Mark Hastert
8 months, 3 weeks agoIt’s gonna do wonders with Hispanic voters. Kobach & Co. may well have tainted the GOP brand with that population for a generation or more. Maybe he’s really a liberal mole?
Kent Mueller
8 months, 3 weeks agoBut Mark, you didn’t say if the taint is legitimate. Don’t you have to agree that Chuck explained the law much better then Lewis’s mangling?
Robert Copher
8 months, 2 weeks agoPersonally, I have no problem with inquiring about citizenship during an investigation or detaining instigated due to evidence of some other crime, however, since deportation and national borders are federal jurisdiction, it must be recognized that we’ve allowed states to begin inquiry into matters which they have no jurisdiction. And shouldn’t have. All in order to calm the whining coming from certain states right now. So it seems pretty moot to me. A ridiculous attempt at embarrasing and discrediting our federal government. PERIOD. That was the intent and has been the ONLY success in these efforts to date. And that is the sad part. I don’t believe States have any jurisdiction to arrest, just as we have no jurrisdiction to load them in a van and take them back across the border and drop them off. Just because we missed processing them in doesn’t mean we won’t have to process them out, and that will take cooperation from the Mexican Government. So our federal prisons will fill up on the taxpayer’s nickel but no one seems to recognize that cost of the “illegal alien” debate. They act like deportation is some form of legalized posse and just getting these people out of our neighborhoods will save our jobs and money. But like I said, NOTHING TO DO WITH ILLEGAL ALLIENS AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH DISCREDITING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND CAUSING INFIGHTING AMONGST OURSELVES. If illegal aliens are really the problem, work harder to finish processing them in and quit trying to process them out. Quit causing this debate about who is free in America and deserves to be here and stop adding expense to the federal budget.
Robert Copher
8 months, 2 weeks agoAll in all between terrorists and illegal aliens and illegal drug users, we have redefined America. Every man in American is supposed to be FREE unless witnessed in the commission of a crime or probable cause has been established to warrant his detaining. Too much of our legislation on drugs and alchohol, air travel, automotive travel, etc have been drawn and passed to combat that simple premis. We have, through our fears and judgemental attitude, eliminated the core meaning of the founding of this country.