As the November general elections near, the international boycott of Arizona has become a central issue in several key elections, including the race for Arizona governor. This is not only because of the dramatic loss of revenue to the state from the cancellation of concerts, conferences, conventions, drop in tourism and cancellation of contracts, but also because Arizona ranks second to last in national poverty rankings according to a recently released Census report. Sound Strike supporters and opponents of SB 1070 break the eerie silence with massive protests and heated battle.
What Governor Brewer and detractors of the boycott fail to realize is that the Arizona boycott is not just about SB 1070. The simple truth is attacks on migrants in Arizona didn't start with SB 1070 and won't end with the partial injunction granted to the Obama administration. It is time to end all federally funded partnerships such as the 287(g) program, Secure Communities and other ICE policies designed to marginalize and repress immigrant families and communities. Many of these policies are in the hands of President Obama and Homeland Security Secretary, and Former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano; they can end the nightmare immediately. Until then, boycotters will continue to withhold tax revenue to racist and fear mongering state governments such as Arizona.
Boycotts have played integral roles in reversing discrimination all over the world. Where would we be today if the late great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and civil rights organizations in Birmingham, Alabama, had not called for a bus boycott in protest of racial discrimination? In fact, the Montgomery Bus boycott became a symbol of racial segregation, inequality, political disenfranchisement, and persecution of blacks in the South. Just like the Montgomery Bus boycott was about more than where blacks could sit on a bus, the Arizona boycott is about more than SB 1070.
The human impact of what is happening to immigrants and their families in Arizona calls into question the same moral and ethical imperatives that the civil rights movement did. Are we all equal before the law? To what extent can states and local law enforcement officers engage in human and civil rights violations against an ethnic group that has been completely vilified in the eyes of the white political majority?
The Arizona boycott is about the cruel and inhumane approach Arizona has taken and the cruel human impact that not only affects migrants, but brown-skinned communities in general. Maricopa County Sheriff Arpaio has become the symbol of this persecution. He does this in calculated political moves to distract us from his poor law-enforcement record, federal investigation, strong allegations of civil and human rights abuse, and corruption. However, Arpaio's world may be crumbling as top deputies of his have been put on leave over allegations of pressuring officers to engage in cover ups and abuse of power. Another investigation is looking into alleged misuse of up to $80 million. Let's not forget the ongoing Department of Justice investigations on many fronts. Still, Arpaio maintains strong support among whites because he agitates them in shameful propaganda and lies about the negative impact of migrants in our communities.
Arpaio operates like a warlord whose indiscriminate abuse changes lives in seconds, particularly the children of migrant detainees. Maricopa County is a place where parents make pacts to look after one another's children in the event of detention. Sheriffs carry stuffed teddy bears and toys to calm the nerves of children whose parents are pried away from their arms by law. Arpaio does not hide his views. He has said on national TV it is an "honor" to be compared to the KKK and has called his "tent city" jails concentration camps. Arpaio's description is frighteningly appropriate. The tent cities can reach temperatures of 130 degrees, inmates are fed rotting 30 cent meals, have inadequate medical treatment, and denied the most basic rights such as sanitation, public defenders, mail and bail, if they are undocumented. Arpaio's cruelness reaches epic proportions when detained pregnant woman are forced to give birth handcuffed to gurneys.
Arpaio's goal is to break our spirits, to drive migrants out by attrition. But we resist and we fight back. We are not afraid. So long as there is a 287(g) agreement with local police; So long as the Federal Secure Communities program is in local jails; So long as federal programs are used to make Arizona a modern apartheid state empowering the governor and state legislature to violate civil and human rights. The resistance of organizations, artists, writers and governments will continue. The boycott of Arizona will not stop, and we will expand our struggle locally, nationally and internationally asking all peoples of conscience to join. La Lucha Sigue (The Struggle Continues).
And if you really need proof how much this IS about civil rights, and can be compared to the past; anyone with a brain should look at Joe Arpaio. Hmm, is 'Arpaio' an 'American' name? Did his Italian-American parents never tell him how Italians were once discriminated against? Obviously not, because Arpaio has long been at the forefront of racism, bigotry, and just plain cruelty to people in Arizona. He is basically just a modern-day Bull Connor. Until people like him and Jan Brewer fade into the past which they really belong in, the struggle will be hard. But we will win.
La Lucha Sigue!
Let's not continue to make excuses for people that have engaged in illegal activity. If a citizen in this country committed a crime years ago and had an outstanding warrant, believe me that person would be snatched up and thrown to jail. There wouldn't be an out cry for the law enforcement to be humane and give that person a pass for breaking the law. There wouldn't be an outcry to be give that person a pass because he/she now has a family. As Americans we are govern by our laws and if we can't enforce our laws then we might as well not have them.
Arizona Public Service (29.1%),
Salt River Project (17.5%),
El Paso Electric Co. (15.8%),
Southern California Edison (15.8%),
PNM Resources (10.2%),
Southern California Public Power Authority (5.9%),
Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power (5.7%)
And the whole boycott thing is a joke. It is not hurting AZ, it is hurting the people of AZ, which is selfish and sad. While protecting illegals, you are hurting actual tax paying citizens.
The cartels set up shop first with a tire repair, tarot and palm reading, restaurants, and used car lots.
Now mind you these cartels have a million dollars to set up shop.
1)Tire some repair shops will have a fence with barbed wire only one guy speaks english they do very little business, yet pay the rent.
2) The Tarot/Palm Reader House is doing no business, yet pays the rent.
3) The Restaurant will donate money to local politicians,offer banquet space to local business and public officials etc..one step at a time.
4) The car lots will have fence and barbed wire and a pit bull, doberman or rottweiler with the same 15 cars on it for the past two years and men sitting around in the garage talking, they do no business, yet they pay the rent.
http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2010/10/04/story13.html?b=1286164800^4031831&page=2
http://tucsoncitizen.com/three-sonorans/2010/10/13/boycott-of-arizona-continues-despite-grijalva-backing-off-due-to-pressure/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39341569
I dont care what color you are, if your an American, you are one of us. If you are in this country ilegally, get the Hell out
migrant: one that migrates: as a : a person who moves regularly in order to find work especially in harvesting crops
unfortunately "ICE said, the agency sent home "392,000 illegal aliens," half of which, more than 195,000, were "convicted of crimes including murder, sex offenses and drug violations.". So let's start with the first step and correctly categorize those that enter this country illegally and those that over stay their visit. They are all not LEGAL immigrants nor are they legal migrants.
Woot Zack De La Rocha on Huff Post? Congrats and keep up the great work both inside and outside the studio.
You cheapen citizenship for the people who are actually taking the time, paying the money, doing all the correct paper work following all the laws, and successfully passing the citizenship test. These people deserve to be here because they are following the procedures. They do not have to walk across a fence, swim past a river, or smuggle themselves by transportation to get here.
No one is ever against legal immigration and legal documented workers. So you can boycott AZ all you want but others will support the people who have done what the President and congress have failed to do, act on illegal immigration.
The sadness that is illegal immigration is that their employers can treat them as harshly as they want to, because they have no rights. It's just work and shut up, or go somewhere else. They take nobody's jobs, because nobody that has rights as an employee would ever put up with what they have to.
And yet we don't vilify the employers. Why? Because they donate to political parties, especially the one that begins with an R. So the Teabaglicans go after the most powerless party in this mess like the bullies that they are. I'm from Arizona (although I throw up in my mouth a little when I say it), and once saw every store in a Major Fast Food chain raided. 1 employee was left out of 16 stores. The owner said that he couldn't get anyone else to do the jobs. Somehow 232 employees were back at work the next day.
Boycott Arizona? Yup. Not doing enough!
Probably not, because instead of looking out for law-abiding US citizens, progressives and liberals are more interested in destroying our country from the inside by turning a blind eye to the murder, violence and destruction brought with unchecked illegal immigration.
Instead of ignorantly boycotting your own state, you could.
1) Migrate to a different state like MA, or CA where you'll never have to worry about illegals being punished.
2) Boycott the stores that employ illegals.
3) Move to Mexico where the immigration policy is 10 times more draconian than AZ or the USA will ever be...