It's Time to Boycott Arizona

[Diva]

Two years ago, I was pulled over for speeding. (After 25+ years of not having gotten a ticket, it was upsetting, to say the least.)

But the thing more upsetting than that? I had my BF in the car with me ~ a Latino transguy ~ who froze. Was He legal? Yeah. But His fear ~ putting His hands on His thighs (in plain sight of the officer so ~ I found out later ~ it wouldn't be assumed He had a weapon in His possession...........WTF?!?!) and kept His eyes straight ahead so as not to make contact with the officer. He didn't want any kind of confrontation as to why a Latino guy was in the car with a white woman. (Call me naive, but it never occurred to ME that there could BE a problem with something like that!)

Just writing this, I have a knot in my stomach remembering His reaction to MY getting stopped.......and I'm as white as they come (Scot/Irish), but it brought to me a new appreciation (and awareness) for what my Latino brothers and sisters feel about this AZ situation.

And the whole thing smacks of "Good ol' Republican white boy" mentality. It makes me sick.

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by Diva

Two years ago, I was pulled over for speeding. (After 25+ years of not having gotten a ticket, it was upsetting, to say the least.)

But the thing more upsetting than that? I had my BF in the car with me ~ a Latino transguy ~ who froze. Was He legal? Yeah. But His fear ~ putting His hands on His thighs (in plain sight of the officer so ~ I found out later ~ it wouldn't be assumed He had a weapon in His possession...........WTF?!?!) and kept His eyes straight ahead so as not to make contact with the officer. He didn't want any kind of confrontation as to why a Latino guy was in the car with a white woman. (Call me naive, but it never occurred to ME that there could BE a problem with something like that!)

Just writing this, I have a knot in my stomach remembering His reaction to MY getting stopped.......and I'm as white as they come (Scot/Irish), but it brought to me a new appreciation (and awareness) for what my Latino brothers and sisters feel about this AZ situation.

And the whole thing smacks of "Good ol' Republican white boy" mentality. It makes me sick.

Here, another example.

Think, what if it were me. What if I had to be afraid 100% of the time that I might get picked up and taken to jail or worse for my skin color.

What about if you had kids who always forget their stuff....what happens the day they forget their "papers"?

Do White Republican Children have to carry their "papers" around?

What if it were you? Your kid, your Mom, your boyfriend...YOU.

What if you ran to the corner store to get an ice cream and forgot your papers?

I have lived like this, in Argentina. When I was a kid during the Peron years and then military goverment when people dissapeared right and left, I had to carry my "papers" all the time.

Pretty creepy actually.