Arizona's Immigration Bill - What can Brown do for you?
Posted: Sunday, May 02, 2010
by Rose-Marie Chaperon
Chaperon Consulting, LLC
According to Eliot Aronson who developed the scapegoat theory of prejudice--people who find themselves in adverse situations may be inclined to lash out at the source of their problems. However, it's often difficult for people to retaliate against the direct cause of their frustrations. Therefore, they project their frustrations onto others, particularly those who are hated, visible, and powerless. An important example is the persecution and attempted total annihilation of Jews during the Nazi regime in Germany. Now their frustration and anger are geared towards the Hispanic Community in Arizona.
Many Americans are simply indignant that the laws of their country are not being respected, and would want the problem to be solved. They actually have sympathy for illegal immigrants, and regard this as a problem caused by the greed of American businesses, which ought to be--in their minds--prosecuted for the crime of hiring undocumented workers.
If the government would disavowed and repudiated the racists and shrill among them--and there are many such imbeciles among them--, then most would be very happy to endorse their jihad against illegal immigration. Why can't the anti-illegal immigration side show a commitment to reform that inhumane process and make it *possible* for low-wage workers to come to the US legally. They can come in a controlled flow that reflects market demands, and we would be able to help Brewer and her clan to stop all this hatred towards people who simply come to the US for a better life. Does anyone think that undocumented immigrants would want to stay in the US illegally if they were offered the choice to become legal?
Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona signed the nation's toughest bill on illegal immigration into law. Its aim is to identify, prosecute, and deport illegal immigrants. Even before she signed the bill at an afternoon news conference, President Obama strongly criticized it. Brewer, signed it anyway! Speaking at a naturalization ceremony for 24 active-duty service members in the Rose Garden, Obama called for a federal overhaul of immigration laws, which Congressional leaders signaled they were preparing to take up soon, to avoid "irresponsibility by others". Obama stated "The Arizona law, threatened "to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and our communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe".
The law which proponents and critics alike said was the broadest and strictest immigration measure in generations, would make the failure to carry immigration documents a crime and give the police broad power to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally. Opponents have called it an open invitation for harassment and discrimination against Hispanics regardless of their citizenship status.
Republican Joe Scarborough put the new Arizona immigration law into context by talking about the totalitarian nature of this law. He said, "For every 10 illegal immigrants that they catch and send back home, what about that one American citizen who is a Hispanic who now every time that he goes to the grocery store has to be worried that he is going to be stopped" Scarborough said, "You know the thing is there are so many politicians who have looked the other way while illegal immigrants have flooded into this country, and it has become a great crisis in this country, but the idea that police officers can stop anybody and ask for papers to see who they are seems really frightening to me Why don't you check illegal immigrants at the place where it matters? Why don't you check at work, because right now it's pretty obvious where illegal immigrants are, but to stop people on the streets where they aren't committing a crime, again this seems to be a great overreach."
This law should be offensive to anyone who cares about personal liberty and freedom, no matter what color your skin color might be. The idea that police can stop anyone of a certain race and demand papers is textbook totalitarian behavior. Scarborough is the first Republican that I have heard address the discrimination that American Hispanics are now going to be subjected to under this new law. The hypocrisy is that many of the same conservatives who protest for a smaller less involved government are in favor of this ultimate Big Brother behavior.
If you are a liberal who abhors discrimination, stand up. If you are a conservative who believes in smaller government with less involvement in your daily lives then you should be appalled by this law, because if it is allowed to stand, then legalized discrimination has a precedent. What is to stop a future local, state, or federal government from deciding that those who criticize the ruling party are also a threat and must carry papers? Anyone who thinks that this is simply a problem for Arizona Hispanics is being naive. The Arizona law is too broad, and it represents an assault on the liberties of legal Hispanic American citizens. It is for this reason that this law must be protested, challenged, and struck down.
Not every politician shared the same ideology as Scarborough, on MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews asked Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-CA) to give a "non-ethnic" example of how Arizona cops will be able to identify undocumented immigrants once the state's controversial "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act" is signed into law. Bilbray, who supports the bill, confidently offered an array of criteria, ranging from "shoes" to "behavior things": Bilbray was asked for clarification, he said, they will look at the kind of dress you wear, there's different type of attire right down to the shoes, right down to the clothes. But mostly by behavior it's mostly behavior, just as the law enforcement people here in Washington, DC does it based on certain criminal activity there is behavior things that professionals are trained in across the board and this group shouldn't be exempt from those observations as much as anybody else. All I have to say "What"?? Oh good grief!! This is just beyond stupid, and frankly, truly offensive. Perhaps we ought to pass a law to force closet Klansmen like Billbray to wear their robes and hoods in public so we can identify them more easily
Bilbray's comments illustrate exactly what civil rights activists fear will happen. The bill allows warrantless arrests of anyone who raises "reasonable suspicion" about his or her immigration status. Critics charge that it essentially legalizes racial profiling. Yet Bilbray also unintentionally raises the point that the bill will allow police to go after anyone based on the abstract notion that undocumented immigrants dress differently than legal residents.
U.S. Rep. Duncan D. Hunter, R-El Cajon, told a tea party gathering in Ramona that he would support deporting the U.S. citizen children of illegal immigrants. Hunter, who spoke before the group on Saturday, said he does not believe children born to illegal immigrant parents in the United States should get automatic citizenship, as is normally the case. Part of the event was videotaped and put on the website YouTube. The comment, which was later confirmed by Hunter, was prompted by an audience member who asked Hunter whether he would have the U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants deported. Hunter said that illegal immigrants cost the state billions in education, jail and other programs. I wonder what his stupidity, ignorance, and bigotry cost the state?
Hunter said. You can say, 'You are a mean guy. That's not a humanitarian thing to do.' We simply cannot afford what we're doing right now. We just can't afford it. California is going under." He added: "We're not being mean. We're just saying, 'It takes more than just walking across the border to become an American citizen.' It's within our souls." My questions for Hunter are: Hunter what does it take to be a jerk? What color is your Klansmen outfit? Those undocumented aliens are the same people who work in the factories that make your KKK outfits, if you deport them who will make your outfits then?
"No one can deport or even question the citizenship of children born in the U.S.," Should we suggest that Congressman Hunter read the Constitution of the United States and Supreme Court cases dating to 1804 in which natural-born citizenship has been defined over and over and over. Hunter is wrong." Perhaps someone needs to educate these spineless politicians and give them a copy of the constitution of the United States. Section 1 of the amendment, drafted with freed slaves in mind, says: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States". Does this mean that Bilbray will be deported as well since Bilbray's mother emigrated from Australia to the U.S.? He's conveniently "carved out exceptions" that would apply to him and his family in all the bills he's written and backdated.
When I was sitting in history class in school, one thing my teachers kept telling me was how unique this country was. It is a nation of immigrants. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free! I don't remember my teachers telling me that it mattered who the masses' parents were. In fact, people coming from Europe often were escaping societies that focused too much on ancestry. In the United States, you can pursue the American Dream, no matter who your parents are. Of course, we do have laws that regulate immigration, and we are in the middle of a debate about comprehensive immigration reform. Nevertheless, why should we punish the children for the decisions their parents made? If a child was born in this country, why should she have fewer legal rights just because of her ancestry? If that is the case why is Bilbray in office?
That kind of thinking sounds like racism. This argument about who should be citizens connects with many people's concern that the complexion of America is changing. They seem to be stressed that someday soon, by the year 2050, there will be no clear ethnic/racial majority in our country. They are worried that more and more babies of multi-race are being born and growing up as citizens in the United States. It reminds me of the crazy talk at the recent Tea Party convention when Rep. Tancredo (R-Colo.) said that the reason Pres. Obama was elected was because of failed policies to regulate who votes. He said that Obama supporters were "people who could not even spell the word vote' or say it in English". Then they even raised questions about Pres. Obama's citizenship. Some extreme groups seem obsessed with the question about whether someone is really a citizen or not. In fact many Americans who were born from American parents cannot read or write, what are we going to do with them? Should we send them back as well? The question is where? I believe that although these people lack proper reading and writing skills, I can assure you that they know that Russia is not 10 feet away from Sara Palin's backyard.
These discussions about citizenship are coded as racism. If you are not white, then your citizenship seems to be in question. However, in the United States, we are better than that. One of the main arguments is that the writers of the 14th amendment to the Constitution did not consider the problem of illegal immigration "because in 1868 there were and never had been any illegal immigrants because no law ever had restricted immigration." How might some American Indians and others respond to this statement? Consider the Trail of Tears (1838-39) when thousands of Cherokee Indians died as Pres. Jackson moved them from their land. For some, maybe the white settlers were the original illegal immigrants. Yes, let's invite different points of view into the immigration debate, but let's keep out hate and bigotry!
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Top-level comments on this article: (9 total)Ms. Chaperon, this article was well written, I am definetely a fan of yours. You also look hot!! Do you workout? Your arms and your shoulders look toned. You have a pretty face as well. I would love to meet you one of these days.I also like the comment about the KKK.Paul K.
Girl stick it to these a-holes? They need to get stop thinking that America is a white country only.
Hi Rose-Marie,I really enjoyed reading your article. Based on the comment above, it appears that you have a stalker or an admire.The immigration issue, would not have been an issue today it is only and issues because that idiot Bush is responsible for Brewers' mistake, he should have dealt with the issue while he was in-house. OOPS! I forgot he was too busy looking for weapons of mass destruction. Clinton was too busy sleeping with Monica Lewisnki. You may disagree with me, because all of your writings take a non-prejudice approach except when you were criticizing Haiti's government. I take it you are originally from Mexico. The question is are you a US citizen or are you Hispanic-American- brown? Yes I said it, Hispanic-American-Brown. :)
Oh leave Bilbray out of it, he is an idiot. He does not know any better.
Jan Brewer is upset because she will not last long enough to enjoy her Social Security income, she looks like she has one foot in the grave. She is upset because the Mexicans look way better than she does, they age better.
I agree about this--I hope this will not result in a hassle for those who may not speak English without an accent--potential for getting checked/stopped even if they are US citizens."Why don't you check illegal immigrants at the place where it matters? Why don't you check at work, because right now it's pretty obvious where illegal immigrants are, but to stop people on the streets where they aren't committing a crime, again this seems to be a great overreach."Chen,I think this law is simply ridiculous, just because a person speaks English with an accent doe snot mean the person is undocumented. I do feel bad for the people of Arizona. I truly believe that the state's economy will suffer.
~Rose
What you say resonates with me, Rose-Marie. I believe that any kind of prejudice against groups of people is based on repressed and unresolved fear and anger. Never in the history of the human race has it ever resulted in anything other than massive damage to all parties.I hate Arizona's law which I think belongs to a police state. It legitimizes search warrants without cause and sets a dangerous premise. Who's next on the list? It can't possibly bring solution - it already has polarized Americans and fostered more anger than existed before.The short-sightedness and plain "meanness" of it breaks my heart.Thanks for writing this impassioned article..
