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It's really puzzling as to why Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer decided to piss off the entire Hispanic population of her state by signing a bill that basically legislates racial profiling but does nothing to actually address the problem of illegal immigration. The idea behind it was to use legislation to solve the "problem" of illegals, the crimes they commit and the strain on the state's system rather than just fixing the porous border between Arizona and Mexico.
I mean, she's not as ditzy as Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, but it was a dumb political move nonetheless. All that notwithstanding, the new law, which kicks in after 90 days, barring any successful legal challenges, presents an opportunity to bring together the African American and Hispanic communities, healing long-strained relations between the two.
Not that this law was a good thing at all. Not only does it give police permission to yoke up anybody they feel like, it encourages bigots to Nazi-snitch on anybody they don't like too. It also diminishes the state's economy by insulting its largest consumer market, thereby encouraging nationwide boycotts, and kills any chance the Republicans have in the upcoming fall elections, where not only she, but a handful of her party colleagues, are competing for positions.
It's ironic that the Republicans have spent the better part of the last six months bitching about government intrusion on people's lives through health care legislation, but have no problem with government intrusion with people they don't like.
Rev. Al Sharpton has pledged to protest the new law both in the courtroom and on the asphalt. He and Hispanic Federation President Lillian Rodriguez Lopez are expected to announce a legal challenge and will march arm-in-arm Montgomery-boycott style.
But black and Hispanic relations have not been stellar over the past couple of decades. As the Spanish-speaking population began to grow in America since the 1970s, divisions have drawn deeper. In a 2007 poll released by New America Media, researchers found that while immigrant populations, including Hispanics and Asians, were optimistic about their opportunities in the United States, as many as 60 percent of blacks felt the opposite.
It also found that about half of African Americans felt that Hispanics were taking away land, jobs and political power, while 44 percent of Hispanics were afraid of blacks because they blamed us for high-crime rates. Around the same time the poll was released, Los Angeles police were reporting an increase in racially based violent crimes perpetrated by black and Hispanic gangs in that area.
Each ethnic group in this country has its own individual causes and issues to deal with that other groups cannot understand or relate to. Racial profiling, though, is a common enemy that all of us can join together under the same umbrella and fight. That's the reason Sharpton is jumping in to the fray. This flavor of profiling is targeted directly at Hispanics, but if allowed to go unchecked, it provides precedent for profiling anyone due to a cop's whim.
Besides that, it's an unconstitutional violation of the Fourth Amendment, which states:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
The people who will be affected by Arizona's Immigration law will mostly be naturalized immigrants, resident aliens and citizens of Hispanic descent. This law will do little about illegals, though, because the businesses need them like they need electricity and water. If we're smart, we'll take a look at the Hispanic community (as well as all communities of color) and begin to understand what we have in common that race-based legislation can affect, making us all stronger and politically respected in the long run.
Comments: (37)
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By: MustangMadnezz on 4/27/2010 3:23PM
I totally agree with Smittyt. Blacks need to sit this one out becaue I dont recall any Hispanics standing up for any of our rights!!
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By: Lola on 4/27/2010 3:30PM
In my opinion, some of the illegal Mexicans are more down to earth than those born here. The American Mexicans tend to exercise their own form of racism in an attempt to be view as white. They are also exclusive of other races, blacks in particular. This new law just brings the point home that they are not white and they should have been in accords with blacks all along. Because of the American Mexican's I will not fight against this new law. In fact, I plan to go to Arizona asap. Maybe I can plan to retire there after all.
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By: Brandon on 4/27/2010 4:59PM
And whenever you hear an american say something negative to blacks or feel like they are somehow over us, remind them that it if wasn't for the 14th amendment which was created FOR free blacks, they could not call themselves Americans.....
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By: Mike on 4/27/2010 4:31PM
And WHO'S JOBS do you think they are taking by working for near nothing?
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By: Brandon on 4/27/2010 8:07PM
No, If blacks were smart we would realize we have more in common with our american brothers and sisters, including white people. There is still a lot of respect and level we need to gain economically and socially in the U.S. That would be suicide to help another outside group advance ahead of us. Obama could not have been the first black president without the help of whites, yeah we were brought here as slaves, but look at us now, whites brought us over here and we doing the damn thang. It was not only blacks who fought in the civil rights movement it was whites too and some of them gave their lives. Now we gon turn our back on them because of race???? You got it all twisted up. We do not have an oppressor and we do not need to "team up" with any other race in our own damn country. Illegals need to go to the back of the line and obey the laws like everybody else, I don't give a damn about how sorry Mexico is, if your poor, is it okay to break in your neighbors house because you feel everyone as the right to be rich??? NO, yeah everyone does have the right to be rich, and everyone has the right to be free in America. When you break the law you give up that freedom, and when they crossed our border, they gave it up.....Period. Black people should be outraged that they are disrespecting our history by using our ancestors hard work to try to justify their actions and make it about race. It really pisses me off, not only because the civil rights movement was ACTUALLY RACIALLY MOTIVATED, but because blacks and whites have come VERY far in race relations, and we are just letting them come in and pull us back to situations we and our kids should not be dealing with.
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By: Ray on 4/27/2010 5:02PM
i couldn't disagree more with the posts here. i live in arizona and if these racists get away with doing this sort of thing to the latinos, what do you think they will do to black people?
this state doesn't recognize anything to do with anyone non-white. this state only recognizes MLK Bday because the NFL made the state recognize it for the superbowl.
don't blame the latinos for coming to america to work, blame the damn companies who entice them to come here illegally.
if you want to see the latinos stand with black people, we might want to offer them an olive branch in the form of support against a common enemy.
again, i live here...i see this crap play out everyday. next will be black people, then the arabs...then what? it never ends...unless we make it stop.
and if it isn't in the interests of black people helping the latinos, then why is it that al sharpton will be organizing a huge march here this summer?...you better think about it.
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By: tired of poor me attitude on 4/27/2010 10:32PM
You have no rights if you broke the law to get here. Go home and come legally. Haitians float for weeks to get here and thy are forced back, are you better than Haitians?
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By: Magoo on 4/28/2010 7:40PM
I agree with you Ray because what is allowed to be done to one group, will be done to another. See how Bad police have started even beating down whites. Liberty and Fairness is for all by all.
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By: Stevelc on 4/28/2010 11:10PM
I remember to well in Minnesota when we asked the Hispanic to join us in out struggle for human and civil rights. The leadership told us that they didn't need us, nor will help us, and that they had their own organizations. What will happen like already (A Hispanic women got picked for the Supreme Court before a Black women) they will use the Blacks to obtain their goals and then turn their backs. Hell NO, they are ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, they broke a Federal law. Al Sharpton should take his butt home and play church. I'm surprise that J Jackson hadn't been on TV and in AZ. No, it is wrong to just ask a person for ID, without probable cause. However, what AZ should had written the law much better than they did. They could had written an anti-loitering law, and a curfew law,etc.
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By: sarahb on 4/27/2010 6:57PM
Hey Ray, It is my understanding that this law is to get rid of illegal immigrants. How many illegal black immigrants do you think are in Arizona? None? Oh that's what I thought. So how does this apply to black people? I wish all states would adopt this law. As far as Al Sharpton, Does any one in the US listen to that bigmouth. Not ME nor any of my black friends. Some of the poor black people pay him for running his big mouth and starting trouble. Somehow he cinvinces them that he is a very important spokes person for them. He is a joke.
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