One of the unspoken tragedies and implicit intentions of Arizona's anti-immigrant law, SB 1070, is the promotion of a climate of fear among certain segments of the population. This fear-mongering strategy has been cooked up by the bill's leading proponents and most likely beneficiaries: the governor, right wing state legislators, and an unscrupulous sheriff who shall remain nameless. As the political leadership of a failing state, they should be squarely on the hot seat, but instead they have managed to deflect scrutiny and pass the buck down the ladder to the bottom rung instead.
Here in Arizona, constant talk of murders, beheadings, escalating crime, and a rising tide of violence due to the presence of illegal immigrants has fanned the flames of terror and suspicion. It is empirically false but emotionally persuasive, in the true spirit of propaganda and demagoguery. Reporters' questions about the propriety of elected officials denigrating their own state can be sidestepped -- but now, the chickens may be coming home to roost, as indicated by a recent article in The Daily Beast:
[T]he fierce debate over Arizona's new migrant law ... has stirred up the ugly underside of immigration -- hate groups with nativist and white-supremacist links. Long story short, Arizona's new immigration law gives "racism a place to hide," says Roxanne Doty, an Arizona State University professor who has long studied the nexus of white supremacy and immigration policy in Arizona.... "My view is you can't separate white supremacists from what is going on with Arizona immigration," Professor Doty says. "Even if politicians say they aren't associated with white supremacists, the ideas behind SB 1070 are very attractive to white supremacists...."
There is mounting evidence to support these claims, including the presence of avowed neo-Nazis "wearing camouflage and toting high-powered firearms" while patrolling for -- and detaining -- illegal aliens on the Arizona-Mexico border. As reported by the Associated Press and reprinted in papers around the state:
Jason "J.T." Ready is taking matters into his own hands, declaring war on "narco-terrorists" and keeping an eye out for illegal immigrants.... Ready's group is heavily armed and identifies with the National Socialist Movement, an organization that believes only non-Jewish, white heterosexuals should be American citizens and that everyone who isn't white should leave the country "peacefully or by force." ... He and his friends are outfitted with military fatigues, body armor and gas masks, and carry assault rifles. Ready takes offense at the term "neo-Nazi," but admits he identifies with the National Socialist Movement. "These are explicit Nazis," said Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project. "These are people who wear swastikas on their sleeves." Ready is a reflection of the anger over illegal immigration in Arizona....
In a series of blogs and articles beginning in 2008, the Phoenix New Times has documented the rising presence of white supremacists and neo-Nazis in the state, and their repeated connections with elected officials including the senatorial sponsor of SB 1070. Some of the more disturbing reports include not only financial and political intertwining, but also a perverse rapport that is juxtaposed with visceral images of extremists shouting "sieg heil" at immigrant rights marchers and wiping imaginary "Mexcrement" (as they called it) on a Mexican flag.
Still, this could all be written off as childish posturing and low-level hijinks. Except for the fact that hate groups are extremely dangerous, not only for what they represent but for the acts committed in their name. Recently in Arizona there have been hate crimes with explicit "white power" fingerprints on them, the murder of a Hispanic man attributed by family members to the tensions created by SB 1070, and a robbery-murder enterprise conducted by apparent vigilantes ostensibly to fund their "border security" operations.
Furthermore, and perhaps most strikingly, there has been a wave of violence AGAINST undocumented people in the past two years that has gone largely unnoticed in the furor over SB 1070, as recently reported by the Nogales International:
Another undocumented immigrant has been shot in Santa Cruz County. Jose Enedion Acosta-Amaniego, 28, from Culiacan, Sinaloa, was shot in the back by unidentified assailants as he was walking through a canyon area west of Rio Rico on July 2, officials said.... A similar attack occurred on June 11 when five illegal border-crossers were ambushed by two camouflage-clad gunmen near the dead end of Peck Canyon Drive in Rio Rico. One of the men, Manuel Esquer Gomez, 45, was shot in the arm as the group fled. Following that attack, Sheriff Antonio Estrada expressed concern that someone might be targeting undocumented immigrants in the county solely for the purpose of harming them, not to rob them.... According to records kept by the Nogales International, more than 50 incidents of borderland robberies and/or assaults have been reported to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office since April 10, 2008. During these incidents, nearly a dozen people have been shot and at least three have been killed. Their assailants have been described as men carrying semi-automatic weapons and wearing black and/or camouflage who lie in ambush on the U.S. side of the border. Another three cases of sexual assault against undocumented immigrants have been reported to local authorities, but officials and advocates say the incidence of the crime is common and most often goes unreported.
Fostering an environment of racialized violence is the harsh reality of Arizona's drive toward legislated intolerance. For those who might feel saturated by the incessant news about immigration, or who wonder "what's the big deal?" about SB 1070 and the like, this is a reminder of the stakes involved. Will there be a climate of escalating fear, hatred, and violence that takes over, or will this be a tipping point toward social justice and human dignity instead? Politics and legalities aside, this is the basic question that the Arizona dilemma is posing to the nation -- mirroring that which was posed by Martin Luther King, Jr. almost half a century ago: "Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice?"
The choice lies squarely ahead. No matter what ensues in the near term, navigating this path will continue to be our task. In the end, as King observed, it shall remain the case that "right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." Time will soon tell.
Follow Randall Amster on Twitter: www.twitter.com/randallamster
Rev. Peter Morales: Arizona Immigration Law: Why I'll be in Phoenix Thursday
All of the world's major religions emphasize loving one's neighbor, so I will be part of a broad interfaith coalition standing on the side of love in Phoenix.
You people need to educate yourselves and try to become a worthwhile member of society. Have all these people stop to think...our message of hate has not made any headway except to the same people we socialize with...
Both legal and illegal immigrants always had a struggle in this country so the left sides with them. This is noble, but it came at the expense of ignoring the other (growing) consequences. If you mention these, the "R" word is spit at you. Groupthink is the order of the day.
Stranger still is how the left ended up in bed with the cheap-labor, laissez-faire corporatists on this issue.
Keep up the good fight.
If I commit a crime, they naturally run my name through the database. If they found out I had a warrent, should they let me go?
Sec. 5. A. Unlawful stopping to hire and pick up passengers for work;...
These provisions are directed at any "occupant" of a vehicle and any "person" who enters the vehicle, for the purpose of hiring and transporting to a jobsite. The police are empowered to make arrests of any person, not just a driver, who's purpose was to hire or transport a worker. This is a violation of first Ammendment rights. Making it illegal for a driver to stop and attempt to hire or to hire and pick up passengers, if that action impedes traffic; for a person to get into someone’s vehicle in order to be hired; or for an illegal alien to apply for work or solicit work publicly in the state. It is already illegal to impede traffic. But this is aimed at day laborers and those who hire them. By contrast, impeding traffic when you let your kids off at the Little League field is o.k. under this law -unless, maybe, they look like Mexicans on their way to work.
http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf
Here is the whole text from the bill. Your interpretation is way off.
Sec. 5. Title 13, chapter 29, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding sections 13-2928 and 13-2929, to read: 13-2928. Unlawful stopping to hire and pick up passengers for
work; unlawful application, solicitation or employment; classification; definitions
A. IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR AN OCCUPANT OF A MOTOR VEHICLE THAT IS STOPPED ON A STREET, ROADWAY OR HIGHWAY TO ATTEMPT TO HIRE OR HIRE AND PICK UP PASSENGERS FOR WORK AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION IF THE MOTOR VEHICLE BLOCKS OR IMPEDES THE NORMAL MOVEMENT OF TRAFFIC.
B. IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR A PERSON TO ENTER A MOTOR VEHICLE THAT IS
STOPPED ON A STREET, ROADWAY OR HIGHWAY IN ORDER TO BE HIRED BY AN OCCUPANT OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE AND TO BE TRANSPORTED TO WORK AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION IF THE MOTOR VEHICLE BLOCKS OR IMPEDES THE NORMAL MOVEMENT OF TRAFFIC.
C. IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR A PERSON WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED
STATES AND WHO IS AN UNAUTHORIZED ALIEN TO KNOWINGLY APPLY FOR WORK, SOLICIT WORK IN A PUBLIC PLACE OR PERFORM WORK AS AN EMPLOYEE OR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR IN THIS STATE.
E. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
1. "SOLICIT" MEANS VERBAL OR NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION BY A GESTURE OR A NOD THAT WOULD INDICATE TO A REASONABLE PERSON THAT A PERSON IS WILLING TO BE EMPLOYED.
2. "UNAUTHORIZED ALIEN" MEANS AN ALIEN WHO DOES NOT HAVE THE LEGAL
RIGHT OR AUTHORIZATION UNDER FEDERAL LAW TO WORK IN THE UNITED STATES AS DESCRIBED IN 8 UNITED STATES CODE SECTION 1324a(h)(3).
And section 2B of the new law requires law enforcement officers to try to check the immigration status of anyone they lawfully stop if they have "reasonable suspicion" the person might be an unauthorized immigrant.
G. A PERSON MAY BRING AN ACTION IN SUPERIOR COURT TO CHALLENGE ANY
12 OFFICIAL OR AGENCY OF THIS STATE OR A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR OTHER POLITICAL
13 SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE THAT ADOPTS OR IMPLEMENTS A POLICY THAT LIMITS OR
14 RESTRICTS THE ENFORCEMENT OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAWS TO LESS THAN THE FULL
15 EXTENT PERMITTED BY FEDERAL LAW. IF THERE IS A JUDICIAL FINDING THAT AN
16 ENTITY HAS VIOLATED THIS SECTION, THE COURT SHALL ORDER ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
17 1. THAT THE PERSON WHO BROUGHT THE ACTION RECOVER COURT COSTS AND
18 ATTORNEY FEES.
19 2. THAT THE ENTITY PAY A CIVIL PENALTY OF NOT LESS THAN ONE THOUSAND
20 DOLLARS AND NOT MORE THAN FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR EACH DAY THAT THE POLICY
21 HAS REMAINED IN EFFECT AFTER THE FILING OF AN ACTION PURSUANT TO THIS
22 SUBSECTION.
23 H. A COURT SHALL COLLECT THE CIVIL PENALTY PRESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION G
24 AND REMIT THE CIVIL PENALTY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FOR DEPOSIT IN
25 THE GANG AND IMMIGRATION INTELLIGENCE TEAM ENFORCEMENT MISSION FUND
26 ESTABLISHED BY SECTION 41-1724.
As if
SB1070 isn't unconstitutional
"hunting" is prohibited somewhere
candidates for prez don't already have to be a US citizen
guns and bars go well together
and as if "Caucasian" isn't also an "ethnicity"
Arizona legislators are blatantly incompetent, ignorant, certainly fear-mongering" and will do whatever it takes to inflame voters and retain power by avoiding REAL problems here in MY state. Even State Senator Russell Pearce stated that his proposed immigration legislation is not meant to be enforced, but rather to "instill fear" in the "immigrant community".
So please, talk about something you know something about. This law is an affront to the constitution and does absolutely NOTHING to prevent illegal immigration. It is about two things: money and power.
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/07/26/prison-brewer/
You point out how badly run the state is. How other laws are bad.
Where are your quotes from this law? Have you read it and can you give an opinion. Everything else was fluff in your post.
The private prison contractor in Arizona.
I've been posting about that for months because I live here.
CCA is said to be related to Vanguard...the 10th Largest shareholder in Haliburton. Major stockholder in Vanguard? Dick Cheney.
Wake up people. This was NEVER about illegal immigration, and only indirectly involves racists. Its about money. Its always about money with these freaks...
I wouldn't have trusted any of those barely fuctioning IQs with childrens safety scissors, unsupervised.
The Nazis are not the only ones on the border wearing camos and they are the ones working with the CBP. Here is a story about another group that likes to wear camos and carry big guns.
http://www.thecypresstimes.com/article/News/National_News/BREAKING_MULTIPLE_RANCHES_IN_LAREDO_TX_TAKEN_OVER_BY_LOS_ZETAS/31835
Here is a little detail on them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_zetas
They don't turn people who wander into their territory over to CBP unharmed, American or Mexican.
There is fear on both sides and oddly, all of it seems to be generated from Mexico.
Open borders are a great idea if countries could actually trust each other. In the world we have, frequently nation's intentions for their neighbors are questionable at best. The solution to he long-standing (as far as Mexico is concerned) conflict over rights concerning the border is not to do away with it. Nations without borders don't stay nations.
Perhaps that is Mexico's motivation for wanting it so badly.
This world and this nation are not ready for open borders. Remember Germany thought open borders a grand idea too. That did not work out so well.
Germany still thinks open borders are a good thing. The entire EU has better relations with it's neighbors than the US does with ours. Heck, you can go from country to country just like we used to be able to go to Canada. Isn't that awfully scary? No, it's not.
While it is a great sympathy tool, using the race card is getting old.
The truth is that AZSB1070 only affects unregistered aliens (foriegn nationals). For many years hispanic foriegners have sought to hide among the American Latino community and the Americans went along with it. Now they pay a price of being inconvienianced by being asked for their ID or DL. The Americans will have it on them. They stand a chance of being arrested for harboring illegal foriengn nationals, but that probably won't happen a lot and the penalties are not too bad.
America is weary of having millions of unaccounted for foriengn nationals and Arizona is tired of the racism, lack of civility and predjudice against Americans that Latino foriegn nationals like to demonstate. They want to make the state inhospitable for illegal foriengers. They seem to be getting their wish.
The fear card is on both sides, not just the Right.
My long black hair in a braid, the flowery blouses I wear, the music I listen to or the "huarache" sandals I wear, do not make me "suspicious" of being an undocumented immigrant. As an American, I can wear what I want. Unfortunately in politics as in Az; hipocrisy is a gift.
God bless America, and forgive those who have soo much hatred that are blinded by it.
All replies are welcomed, except those that are given with ignorance and hatred.
Thank you.
-- from your 12th fan
Fanned
Now, these same people are clamoring for the fedsto protect them, demandiing more federal officers and even more federal dollars!
i guess they won't realize what they have done until every arroyo and ridge in AZ is crawling with ATVs, hummers and patrol vehicles, every highway clogged with checkpoints, and Arizona's deep sky full of helicopters with search lights, unmanned predator drones and spy planes.
hey, thanks ,you independent freedom loving Republicans .
this and the sidearm you sleep with still don't make you feel safe?
have you considered therapy?
with the financial challenges all states are facing; seems Red State leadership would rather but the few dollars they have but then they are not actually wasting their own money... since they get mor fed-money than they put in... they are wasting federal money.
Jindal did cry, beg and plead for help; he turned his nose up ad the stim-check and turned right around to play Santa.
"LA COUNTY BOARD AN EMBARRASSMENT"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charles-butler/la-county-board-an-embarr_b_600321.html
HP has removed it from the immigration search results. It was the first article that I have read on HP regarding immigration and Arizona that did not scream that everyone who supports SB1070 is a r@ cist etc. It asked the question why is it that this particular group of people are permitted to ignore our laws? He also discusses the fact that he as a Black Man in America has had to deal with racial profiling all of his adult life and has to carry identification with him at all times as does every other American or Visitor to this country that he has ever met.
It is a really well written article. I am disappointed in HP for removing it this site is begining to appear really one sided. I thought this was a venue for open discussions.