What has changed in the US that makes anyone think, that just because we live here, regardless of legal status, that the laws shouldn't apply to all of us?
As an adult, native-born citizen of this country and resident of Texas, whenever I've been stopped by law enforcement the police officer says:
"The reason you were stopped is......" Then, in effect, commands:
"Papers, please," and asks for my identification and proof of insurance.
Before my son got a driver's license, there were times he and his friends were stopped for whatever reason.
When someone he was with was detained by law enforcement, everyone in the car had to show identification, regardless.
The "Papers, please" that he had to produce:
(1) an official photo ID applied for, paid for and issued by the state of Texas
OR
(2) an official photo ID mandated (for a yearly fee) by the school district.
Not being able to show 'proof' of either, regardless of age, race or gender, will result in automatic tickets, in addition to the probable cause of the offense(s) and a court date to show those "Papers, please."
Municipality fund-raising aka tickets, court costs and insurance increases for those offenses come at a very high price in Texas. The process has been the same for every resident in this state for as long as I can remember.
Either you have it, or you don't. If you don't, you're breaking the law(s) and will have to pay the price. If you don't and you can't prove that it was an oversight, then more tickets and astronomical costs compound. The word you does not include race or gender or ability to pay.
How does this differ from Arizona laws or any other state, for that matter? If you're found guilty of breaking the law in Texas, the courts take legal action(s) against you, the perp.
End of story. You play, you pay.
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libbyliberalnyc
Fay Paxton
Bob Eckstein
dianaani
Abrawang
femme forte aka candace
Salon.com
Comments
In the state of Texas, I cannot find one citizen (and I've lived here nearly all of my adult life) from any political party or none, who is not concerned about the effects of illegal immigration.
Breaking the law is breaking the law.
For the record, and just so you'll know: I'm a die-hard Liberal and former Hillary Clinton supporter, so don't even go there about SP.
Check out my post on SP -- then, think again.
In reality, Driving While Mexican (DWM) will now be an offense allowing a traffic stop in AZ. Having a "real" reason for the stop will be only a formality. This opens the door to police abuses and harassment.
Initially, the law was written to not even pretend that profiling was not what they were intending; in the original law, people could be stopped and questioned if they just appeared to possibly not be citizens. How on earth could anyone tell that?
Now there is language in the law stating that police need to have a pretext to stop someone, but that's how things were in the pre-Civil Rights South, and 40 years later, my black friends still talk about being ticketed for DWB (Driving While Black) in certain areas of the country.
The intent behind the law can't be ignored or glossed over. Arizonans are angry at the illegal immigrants in their midst and the problems that they perceive those people to have caused. The real truth is that it's our insatiable hunger for under-the-counter, cheaper-than-our-labor -laws workers coupled with our insatiable hunger for illegal drugs that have enabled the coyotes and the cartels.
What's the answer? Many states are posing similar laws because they can no longer shoulder the cost.
http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2010/05/costs-of-illegal-immigration-vs-state.html
NEUTER
DEPORT
BTW-Will this put the tanning places out of business?lol
I am also a native American.
I am a caucasian who was born in Chicago.
I have lived in the U.S.A. all my life other than the time I spent in Nam.
ILLEGAL=ILLEGAL=ILLEGAL.
These criminals are breaking the law and stealing our money through the official mexican American social security~~WELFARE.
I paid IN to it.
I pay INTO a lot of bullshit programs from which I get nothing other than a bill.
As far a politics, I'm pretty much on the fence as, I fully support the dignity of a woman's right to her own body, etc.
I may be a veteran however, I am not a 'flag waver" without reason.
I AM angry at these greasy bastards who sneak over here and steal what I have worked for.
May 21, 2010
For National Release
CONTACT: Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC)
(866) 703-0864 WilliamG@alipac.us
www.alipac.us
One of America's national organizations fighting against illegal immigration is announcing that 17 states are now filing versions of Arizona's SB 1070 law which is designed to help local police enforce America's existing immigration laws.
Numerous national and local polls indicated that 60-81% of Americans support local police enforcing immigration laws.
"Our national network of activists have been working overtime trying to help the state of Arizona and the brave Arizonans who have passed this bill," said William Gheen, President of Americans for Legal Immigration PAC. "Arizona no longer stands alone and we have now documented state lawmakers filing, or announcing they will file, versions of the Arizona bill in seventeen states! We will not stop until all states are protected from invasion as required by the US Constitution."
ALIPAC has documented the following 17 states are following Arizona's lead in response to citizen pressure.
ARKANSAS, IDAHO, INDIANA, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW JERSEY, OHIO, OKLAHOMA, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, TEXAS, UTAH.
The why of the Arizona law is to somehow "combat" illegal immigration. On its surface it encourages "profiling" even if there is some sort of real or contrived probable cause.
The why of the Texas law, seems to me, to affirmatively be able to identify persons who come into contact with law enforcement, irrespective of race or nationality.
If we agree on those 2 assumptions, then there is a huge difference between the laws in the 2 states. One is law enforcement centered (TX) and the other is immigration status centered (AZ). On the face of it that still makes Arizona wrong.
the gambling casinos,
or,
gentleman pole clubs.
I was invited to a party.
A farm helper had party.
Her grandfather ninety?
Eighty-something (?) old?
It was a Elder birthday party.
I had casually met the geezer.
Charleston, WV's wild country.
Ya need a job? Golden Horseshoe?
It;s a gentleman Pole dance parlor!
I never been there. It's a hour away.
Maybe I'll go see? O, so wonderful?
I never got there! I got stopped tho.
Cops stop-check! I was stopped 5 x's!
I was lost. Sober! I could not believe!
Cops ask me over and over. Ya drunk?
Can Ya walk a straight yellow line huh?
Ya ever been injured in your lower leg?
I ask them to No Tease, shoot, or Tease.
No tell cop you were shot in a dumb war.
If they ask can Ya walk Ya wobble wiggle.
They request to prove it and show scars.
Five-times in one night. Homeland safe?
I can hardly believe it. Cops look sixteen.
Scary. They have guns, and big goon club.
I am almost afraid to go walk down a lane.
Since Bush's era I's been jailed in 2 states.
Homeland Security? These DC cats stink.
They're bad-pole-cats? I know many cops.
Stay on the good side? Cop? Some is loco.
I never had violations. One skinny dipping.
That is still on my record pre-Draft to war!
I ain't never seen or been at stranger Place!
Ay, I still get the mid-finger for slow driving!
The nation need Help. It's too loco for folks!
People grew old fast there
and left faster, as well as I re-
member or heard my parents say -
Sounds like, though, that you had a
rowdy time during your wild and randy stay!
I'm trying so hard
to emulate you,
But, alas
there's only one.
Thanks for the vision(s)
And Meet you on the Kanawha.
;)
BR
From what I've read and heard, the ethnic studies in question had devolved into a form of isolationism as opposed to the inclusion of ALL students. Apparently, they had become revolutionist breeding grounds, incited violence, etc.
As a long-time public education employee, I can tell you that whatever it was that prompted those changes in to law had to be very, very drastic.
"Read that law if you want to see stupidity in action. Today, they announced how teachers with too thick of accents will not be allowed to teach English "
It's not only the accents, but overall communication skills in lesson plans, to students, parents, administration and community especially in English classes. ALL Teachers in Texas, and I would say every other state, have to comply with strict communication policies and are evaluated on all of those aspects, on which I have had to comply during my entire career.
Teachers who do not meet the mark with at least an "Acceptable" rating are put on a Growth Plan. If they don't comply or improve, they get transferred to another position within the district, or they are non-renewed. No doubt, it's the same in AZ and where you are as well, in public education.
I'm not defending AZ laws, only trying to compare them to the same instances with which I've had to comply for as long as I have been teaching (past tense).
"Blaming Latinos for coming to America to better their lives is wrong. Turn the tables and most of us would do the same."
It's not the 'blaming' of immigrants for wanting to better their lives, it's the illegality of so many millions and counting. The immigration problem would be solved if they would simply apply for some kind of path to citizenship.
" Lock up employers who hire undocumented workers. A few fat-ass Republican businessmen in handcuffs on television and it would all be over."
Part of the problem with locking up those who hire illegals is that here it's illegal to ask whether someone is a citizen or not. Can't do it. Not even in the school system.
"Arizona would grind to a halt without Latino labor... Cheap labor is what this is all about."
AZ will take a huge economic hit on the one hand and retain millions in resources with the other.
Given the 1200 troops that Obama has sent, announced today, to monitor the border, the strive there is much more than we realize.
What then, will we do when those 17 other states implement their own versions of those laws?
"I support your right to voice your strong opinion as I have always admired your thinking here. But I disagree, this time."
Thanks, Dr. Spud. I heart your comments. ;)