so you'd be completely fine with this law if it said "with reasonable cause to be pulled over, etc., all people (not just Mexican-looking ones) must produce ID or be subject to the consequences?" I'm fine with that.
Ok, you lost me with that last one. Inkblot badges on sweaters? Is that a euphemism? Maybe I don't buy enough (any) sweaters to know? barfo
The anti-shoplifting devices that generally take forever for the sales force to remove from the clothing just purchased.
I love the difference between you and I. I totally thought that same thing, yet you thought AND then said it.
Anyone can be asked for documentation proving they're a legal citizen, but let's be perfectly honest here: The chances of a white person of possible illegal status from a foreign nation being asked to show documentation proving they're in the country legally is slim to none. It's going to happen to people of color, and the reason the law is flawed is because it gives people in a position of power a lawful excuse to engage in racial profiling and racism. The idea of solving the undocumented immigrant problem needs to be fixed, but this is a horrible way. You cannot give racists a chance to be justified, and that is what this law does.
I'm a little bit shocked at the responses in here making the assumption that cops in AZ are racists looking for an opportunity to wield their illegal author-i-tuh.
Humans are naturally prejudiced. I know you don't believe in evolution, but as far as I'm concerned, it's an evolved behaviour. It stood humans in good stead prior to the advent of major societies. It was good, for example, to develop a prejudice toward all tigers that they were terrorists and should be run from. No need to see the intent of each particular tiger...run from them all. It's much less viable in civilized society, where all white people or black people or women people aren't the same. But it's ingrained in us, part of our nature. So, in that sense, cops are prejudicial, as are we all. I don't think cops are particularly prejudicial, as a class...I just don't think any law should require people to selectively step in on others based on "looking wrong" to them. What "looks wrong" is going to be heavily determined by prejudice. Natural but still not good.
Do you really think that even 5% of the people in Arizona who will be stopped and asked for documentation are going to be white Europeans who may be here illegally? It's easy for you and me, as white people, to be like LAWL RACIAL PROFILING LAWL THIS IS JUST LIBERALS IN AN UPROAR when we can walk around and never be stopped for simply existing. I don't have a drivers license (don't drive), and I only ever carry my ID with me when I think I'm going to have to enter a bar. I never have to worry because I know I will never, ever, at any time, be asked if I am in the country legally. Why? Because my skin color gives me a free pass because I was 'lucky' to be born white. Documented immigrants who have paid their dues but are people of color are not afforded this luxury that you and I overlook on a daily, and perhaps by minute, basis. Immigration is a very big topic in Arizona (obviously), and because it is such a forefront and IN YOUR FACE WHATUP issue it is going to be on the minds of law enforcement at all time. If there are two men outside a Home Depot, loitering as you put it (or maybe just homeless men looking for shelter from the weather like Safeway lets homeless or down on their luck people do here in Albany), and one looks eastern European and one looks Hispanic in Arizona, who do you think the cops are going to question? Who do you think the cops are going to find a way to ask for documentation? It wont be the white guy they choose.
Sigh. You don't seem to understand the difference between settling a largely unpopulated country almost 400 years ago, and breaking through internationally recognized borders today. But then you're no Albert Einstein.
If I were living in another country legally, and hundreds of thousands of my fellow Americans were sneaking into that country and causing havoc with its laws and social welfare system, I would completely understand the need to stop Americans and determine if they were living there legally. I would proudly carry my I.D. card and gladly show it to any officer who stopped me. No problem at all.
Which also happens to be the case in every other stadium in the world. Yet somehow when the people in Arizona's stadium enforce said rule, they're awful people. There's no good argument against the Arizona law.
Well, given my one interaction with AZ cops many many years ago I don't find the assumption shocking (of course I'm a white boy so I didn't suffer from any racism myself at the time). barfo
Isn't the western US a largely unpopulated country now? I think you are just making excuses - our forefathers not only immigrated illegally, but they also got busy killing the locals. At least the immigrants today are not exterminating us white-folk in any great numbers. barfo
So, you folks that are against this law in AZ....what to you tell the ranchers that are out working their fences, facing illegal aliens trespassing on their land while transporting drugs from Mexico? Just die? Go Blazers