Arizona immigration law based on lies

[Nancy Waterman]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/09/AR2010070902342.html

Brewer's mindlessness about headlessness is just one of the immigration falsehoods being spread by Arizona politicians. Border violence on the rise? Phoenix becoming the world's No. 2 kidnapping capital? Illegal immigrants responsible for most police killings? The majority of those crossing the border are drug mules? All wrong.

This matters, because it means the entire premise of the Arizona immigration law is a fallacy. Arizona officials say they've had to step in because federal officials aren't doing enough to stem increasing border violence. The scary claims of violence, in turn, explain why the American public supports the Arizona crackdown.

lots more...

[Xipe Totec]

1. If you want to see headless bodies, look to the Arizona legislature nt

[Cleita]

2. My family has Arizona ties and so does my boss's

family. We had an argument about the law. First, if you don't know, I am Latina but don't look like the stereotype. So I said something about the fact that I can't visit Arizona because I might be profiled. He said, I wouldn't be because I look like an average white American.

To which I replied, "Exactly. That is what is so racist about this law. What about all the illegal Irish, Scandanavians and Brits? Are they going to be asked for their papers too?"

Honestly, his jaw dropped because he had never looked at it from this point of view. He was in favor of the law up until I make it personal about me never being profiled because of what I looked like. btw unlike many Mexican Americans who were born on USA soil, I was born in South America, which makes it more imperative for me to carry papers proving my citizenship than them, yet I have never been asked even by employers ever about my legal status.

[moparlunatic]

3. I don't see what the big deal about this is

these are just a few of the many times I have to show my "papers".

1. Pulled over by the police.
2. Making purchases on my department store credit card.
3. When I show up for a doctor's appointment.
4. When filling out a credit card or loan application.
5 When applying for or renewing a driver's license or passport.
6. When applying for any kind of insurance.
7. When filling out college applications.
8. When donating blood.
9. When obtaining certain prescription drugs.
10. When making some debit purchases, especially if I'm out of state.
11. When collecting a boarding pass for airline or train travel

Am I being profiled?

[Cleita]

4. So you have to show your birth certificate each and

every time? I'm assuming you were born in this country. Well other than applying for your passport, I don't think you do. Otherwise you would be showing your driver's license in most of those situations or other picture idea, but not your birth certificate or your immigration Green Card. So you are not being profiled as a possible illegal immigrant of hispanic ethnicity.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cleita]

7. If you are Mexican/American or Native American

and are asked for a birth certificate or a Green Card by a police officer, it's racial profiling plain and simple. Unless they make a law that Gov. Brewer has to show her birth certificate every time she gets stopped by a police officer and everyone in Arizona has to, as well, then it's a fair law, but not until then.

[Spazito]

8. Uh huh, I see...

If you are hispanic and only hispanics are being asked for their birth certificates in Arizona while snowbirds from Canada, you know, the caucasian ones from out of country, are NOT stopped and asked for their visa or birth certificate then, yes, it certainly is racial profiling. Do you see the Arizona law enforcement stopping everyone, regardless of their ethnicity, for their birth certificates? I don't think so.

[jefferson_dem]

6. Hey there! Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[JoeyT]

9. Your "papers" as you refer to them are your driver's license.

Not a birth certificate, driver's license, passport, and whatever else may or may not be good enough, since it's entirely up to the officer. You're also not allowed to be arrested for walking down the street without papers. Well, unless your skin is a few shades too brown in Arizona.

Just to make the point abundantly clear: All the activities you listed are voluntary activities, the only important one is #1. The rest are simply identifying yourself for business transactions. Driving is a privilege, not a right. That's why you have to carry a driver's license. As the law stands in Arizona, you can be hauled off for existing if your skin is too dark and you forgot your wallet.

"Am I being profiled?" I dunno. Are you white? Because minorities rarely deny profiling happens, usually because we've dealt with it.

The only way to make this not a racist law is to demand the papers of every single person the police run across, which would make it unconstitutional.

[Iggo]

10. Do you have to show your papers because you have brown skin?

No?