Three Observations On Arizona Immigration Law Where People Can Be Asked For Documentation As If We Live In A Police State Run By A Dictator

In Arizona, U.S. citizens can be asked for their papers if a so-called law enforcement officer has an alleged reason to believe that a person is an undocumented resident of the state.

(Above–Writing this post about the new police state law in Arizona allows me run this nice picture of the Grand Canyon. Here is the link to the National Park Service Grand Canyon web page.)

This has been all over the news. Here is a New York Times story about the new law with some of the details.

From that story—

“…Ron White, 52, said he felt a sense of relief that something was finally being done about “the illegals” — whom he blames for ills like congregating on the streets, breaking into homes in his neighborhood, draining tax dollars and taking jobs from Americans..“I sure hope it does have an effect,” Mr. White said of the new law as he packed his car with groceries. “I wouldn’t want to show proof of citizenship, but I also don’t feel it is racial profiling. You are going to look different if you are an alien, and cops know.”

You don’t want to be caught looking different in Arizona.

I have three observations about this new law.

1. The people of Arizona have no doubt been happy enough to take advantage of low-wage services offered by  undocumented folks.

2. As we all know—though you can’t say enough—our land here in America was taken from the original inhabitants in what was little more than a genocide. None of the yahoos who ran all over Indian land had to show any documents.

3. If President Obama had signed a law allowing for police officers to ask for the documents of people legally in the United States, he would be called a fascist or a Hitler by the right. However, when far right-wingers actually do enact such legislation, that is okay with conservatives.