Arizona is the Alabama of the new century and Maricopa County is the new Selma. America and the world should boycott GOP Governor Jan Brewer's red state.
While Arizona struggles with budget deficits its' legislature has decided to legalize racial profiling in a effort to arrest and deport undocumented families. While Arizona has been a hotspot in the immigration debate for some time the lightning rod has been Joe Arpaio, the publicity starved Sheriff who is under federal investigation for civil rights violations. This week the Arizona state legislature has trumped Arpaio by giving local police a statewide mandate to pull people over based on the color of their skin or their facial features.
While we hear Glenn Beck and his cult members rhetorically worry about fascism and socialism coming to America via the White House it appears as if the Arizona State House has actually hit a real police state milestone. Even leading law enforcement figures in the state are openly rejecting the provision that will allow police officers to pull over anyone suspected of being undocumented. When Arizona residents or tourists are pulled over, they must present their "papers" or be arrested. Arizona residents and tourists now have something in common with occupied France of the 1940's.
Arizona GOP Governor Jan Brewer is ready to sign the bill passed by Republican legislative majorities. The unwelcome mat is out for anyone brown in hue. American must reject this and the world must join in.
The only way we can pressure the Arizona legislature to its senses is to embark on a boycott of the "Grand Canyon State."
The world can also join the boycott effort and be quite effective. Arizona is wildly dependent on producing world exports. Ironically its largest world customer is Mexico and its second is that hot bed of socialized medicine -- Canada. Both of those countries should join Americans from every state in the union and boycott Arizona.
The battle is on. Americans can ignore the menace in our midst or we can join hands and push back with moral authority and economic resistance. People often wonder and are asked what they would have done during the times in history when people were scapegoated through the force of law based on their race or ethnicity. Americans have an opportunity to answer that question either again or for the first time. Once again the whole world is watching.
Join Mario at the Facebook Page : "Boycott the Police State Known as Arizona"
Mario Solis-Marich is a radio talk show host who can be heard on AM 760 in Denver and world wide at www.GoToMario.com. You can find Mario on Facebook.