i love noam chomsky.....thank god he is not in arizona :)

I don't understand....why do people automatically assume that illegal immigrant= Hispanic person????

there are plenty of canadians who r living in the USA illegally to avoid taxes, or because they have not paid their taxes,,,plenty of individuals from ireland, germany, austria, korea, china, vietnam, ....

well anyway, I am not fond of the law, but something needs to be done to stop the influx of illegal immigrants brought in to the USA by corporations so they can pay slave wages and exploit workers; tho i do think it would be better to fine the corporations so much they have to lower their stock dividends....but John McCain would not like that,,,his wife might lower his allowance.

Very good point! There are undocumented workers from all over.

I don't know about Arizona, but in my state they don't pull over anyone for looking Canadian though.


I do not agree that we need to stop people from immigrating to the US, but I do agree that the huge corporations need to be fined for their hiring practices and their penchant for using indentured slaves.

I won't be boycotting them.Things got so bad,specially near the borders that something had to be done.Gov.Brewer did what she thought was necessary in order to gain attention to this serious immigration problem,because it is a huge problem in this county.God knows that Mr.Obama isn't doing much to solve it,well,he might if it gets him another 4 years in office.Actually,that may be what he's planning now.Oh,to have the latino vote,good call Mr.Obama.

We as Americans have to go by the law,what is so wrong with wanting people to go by the law?.Yes,there will be a few racist assholes out there,but you can't say the every law officer in Arizona now is a racist cop because he or she is pulling over those they suspect are in this country illegally,they are just doing their jobs,right?,right.

I have Mexican blood running through my veins.I have black hair and brown eyes and skin.If I get pulled over in Arizona someday because of that,trust me,I will have my camera rolling and I will be taking names and badge numbers.The lawyers will love me.But I have this gut instinct that they'll be having fun regardless if that day ever comes.

But I do understand why the good state of Arizona was 'forced' into this law.

This is just how I feel and I know not everyone will feel the same way,so be it.

ANYway....

I too have Mexican heritage, therefore why I give a shit..... I love my culture, I live my people, I love how hard we work, how deep we are, and how passionate we are.. So therefore when I see my people being targeted with more shit than they already put up with, I wanna be there front line with them.

See, I beg to differ. If they assist in implementing racist laws, and take a paycheck for it, and don't speak out against it, or try to impact change, then they are indeed very racist cops.

And no, not all American citizens have to "go by the law", nor do they get busted for it when they are not following it. Millions upon millions of white people cross into the US through the Canadian borders illegally each year, and we will never ask our police to yank them out of cars and send them back to their country. Never. I don't suspect cops will be looking for British "illegals" (I quote that because we are very quick to point out Mexican "illegals" but never the ever so pale Brits!) when they are trying to "follow the law." It will be their own personal biases which are used to truly carry out the law, and, I am quite sure, as I said, white people (and there are millions but that is never highlighted because we are a racist country, and so we don't mind white immigration) won't be harassed, or jailed and then shipped up and out of here.

US Immigration "issues" or "problems" are always about brown and black skin and never, really ever about white skin--despite the millions who are here.

Gee, Obama's been in office a little over a year. He's had to deal with pesky little things like economic meltdown and two wars.

McCain, meanwhile, has been Arizona's elected representative in Washington for 28 years. This should be at the very top of his priority list, yet after 28 years, it's still a problem. Why point the blame at the new kid on the block instead of at the guy who's been around and representing that very state for almost 3 decades?

It's not Obama trying to gain minority votes that pushed this up the priority list. The Republicans did this. The AZ legislature started it and several other states and lots of big mouths on Faux Newz are pushing it along. If Obama gains latino support from this, it'll be because of what the Republicans are doing.

By the way, why is a bad thing when liberals court minority voters, but not when conservatives court those voters? It's politics and public elections - it's ALL about courting votes. That's what elections are, and I wish that people would quit talking about it like it's wrong.

thanks for mentioning this (as well as the rest of your post). i also don't get the qualifier, 'minority' to define a voter. like, as if their vote is somehow less desirable.

Fucking a, hell yeah we do! Particularly because they are often put in place by really super duper rich people looking to protect their property and interests.

Great quote by the way, and absolutely on point.

And what always gets me is that immigration "issues" and "problems" are always spawned by the media and their primary funders--our government and corporate interests, and the camera zooms in on what is black and brown, but those corporate interests save billions of dollars in not paying workers (immigrant workers) legal wages or insurance for that matter (oh wait, but in America we're supposed to follow the law!). Think of all the CEOs who should be, yes, I'll say it, rotting in jail for breaking the law (as well as for being able to own four homes and a private jet, and sleep all sorts of cushy, and all off the backs of immigrants--their sweat, lost limbs, and, yeah, deaths). Those interests, the ones the rich keep so dearly protected, are even further strengthened when, and you can check the historical patterns just by doing a quick google, we get a democratic congress or ahem president and there is buzz/stir/a few goosebumps about maybe one of those camps--the president or congress-- looking at amnesty again. And so whenever amnesty is even mildly, so very quietly whispered, we have a "real war" at the border and make all the apathetic, fearful white people in this country scared again about the "immigrants."

The real war here, for me, however, is the human rights violations that are occurring every living second of this day, the racism behind immigration and what being "illegal" really means.

Why aren't the cops also arresting all sorts of people for hiring "illegal" labor? Why aren't those folks going to jail for abusing people, say like in the construction industry, there is no medical comp for an immigrant. He just loses his arm, or leg, and his family doesn't get to eat. The CEO just fills the spot and carries on with his fucking golf game. We, the US, have been breaking all sorts of international human rights violations--breaking international law (but we're all supposed to follow the law!) for as long as the US has been here and has been choking the ever loving shit out of Mexico, since well before Mexican Independence.

Sorry, I have a specific rant here with respect to Mexico and US relations, because it's a bunch of mad fuckery, and I can't help myself. I am not denying that we are on a sociopathic hunt for all immigrants of black and brown skin, but in Texas, immigration "issues" or "problems" are always Mexican.

Hence why it's important to *me* it feels like a bounty has been put on my people and they are scared, and don't fucking anyone (yes I know you will) come in here and sell me the shit that they are not...


Also....... This is not just this whole *brown* people issue, it's a *HUMAN* issue, ffs they are people, not vermin and to portray them as such...is so ugly---This is just so so ugly..... and sad.

it's absolutely a 'human' issue-- racism, bigotry, prejudices erode our society, despite who the TARGET is.

I get the prudence of carrying ID.
 

I really do.
I mean... I REALLY REALLY do.
I can still hear my mom say

"você tem que ter seus documentos em ordem!"

she was very particular about that kind of paperwork, and I'm very grateful for that.

But I never thought in a million years that her prudence and lessons would be needed for the level of grief I have in North American border crossings. So yes, I understand if you're close to the border, have your papers if you plan to cross...

but on your person? Every time?

Now, just suppose SB 1070 was in BC. I like open water swimming. you realize if SB1070 existed literally in my backyard, I could be stopped and harassed because I don't happen to have my SIN or my DL tattooed somewhere on my ass.


I'm wearing a pair of shorts right now with no pockets. I have to walk to the mailbox to get my mail. Are you telling me I should take my ID with me if I want to go for a 10 minutes walk?

or what if I just plainly forget my ID/wallet but I'm on a bus somewhere in Victoria? I paid with a ticket, I have my house keys, I might even have a $20 bill on me.

But if SB1070 existed up here, I'd be nervous as fuck.

Two years ago, I paid for a friend of mine on Nova Scotia to get his birth certificate (it was -- ha ha, a birthday gift actually, I'm a fan of practical gifts). Both him and his boyfriend don't update their IDs. I almost find it weird that 'regular' Canadians (people born in Canada, not naturalized like me) don't keep up to date passports.

It's been ingrained in my head to have my papers in ordered... (like my momma taught me). But honestly, I'm a little jealous at my friend's lack of interest... (some might say lack of responsibility)..

but, I also see it as a type of privilege that I've *never* felt... the privilege of being free of worrying of harassment of questioning of who I am, and if...

I 'actually' belong in the country of which I'm citizen.

I am racially profiled at borders... Wanna know what's saved my ass each and every time?

I sound Torontonian. Not Portuguese.

So, while I believe in the prudence of it, cybersuebee, I also see the bullshit behind it. Knowing that my parents lived in a fascist country prior to coming to Canada in 1974, I understand now where the fear was instilled from. And it ain't pretty.

I don't have the all the links, but you can start with this guy......Kris Kobach ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris_Kobach ) then follow up with FAIR (mentioned above) and The Pioneer Fund and guess who .......the John Birch Society.

The fun thing about Kobach is he wrote the AZ law and a similiar law in OK that was tossed out and declared unconstitutional by federal courts. The AZ is unconstitutional based on the 14 amendment.

Another fun thing is the AZ law requires police officers be trained in how to implement the new law and guess who that rat bastard Arpaio is going to use to train his officers at 300 bucks an hour.

There is also another little clause in that law that allows citizens of AZ to file suit against any law enforcement agency they think is not enforcing the law. The law is apparently set up so Kobach can represent either side in the suit.....guess he can't decide which is more important: racism or money...

reading the law and doing some research is kinda interesting sometimes......

How about the sheriff in Pima Country....Tucson and a whole bunch of the AZ/Mexico border..............

Pima County (according to Sheriff Dupnik) has the highest rate of detaining and turning over to ICE undocumented folks using the laws already on the books. He pointed that the new law requires police to arrest and detain folks in local/county/state jails/detention facilities. This will cost AZ taxpayers a whole bunch o money......before this law was passed, if you found an undocumented person, you called ICE and they came and got them.........no cost to AZ....it's a federal cost.

Sheriff Dupnik says the law is unconstitutional and he will not enforce it. The laws on the books now work just fine.

Just gotta say something
 

While "Mr. Obama" is a "Mister", he is actually much more than just a "Mr."

"Mr. Obama" is actually "President Obama" It is a title that only 43 other humans on earth have held. It is a pretty big damn title that has been and continues to be earned and should be respected.

By calling President Obama "Mr. Obama" it feels to me as a show of your disdain and disrespect for him, the man and for the office and title that he holds.

Just had to say something.

Carry on.

I may have missed it but I have yet to see any offer here of what exactly to boycott.

Here's a start:

http://padresunidos.org/node/515

Boycotting something that just has the name Arizona in it seems to be what a lot of folks are doing, hence the earlier comment about Arizona Tea.

Hope this helps... please note U-Haul is based in AZ. Heh. There goes the ole dyke first date thang.