I find it interesting that so many folks who are against police state tactics that claim to be fighting terrorism, also seem to support police state tactics that claim to be cracking down on illegal immigration. This seems a little hypocritical to me, and it makes me wonder if the powers-that-be haven't found a chink in Libertarian armor. If a drug war didn't work, maybe re-igniting race conflict will make the people welcome overt control by the state.
Now, this doesn't mean that I am against regulated immigration. I am certainly not, at least not as our world is currently arranged. Illegal immigration such as the US sees, just supports the exploitation of the illegal immigrant, but cracking down on these immigrants is about as effective as throwing a drug abuser in prison. I say let in those people who really need and deserve the opportunity (if there is such a thing in the US anymore), and crack down on those employers or criminals who exploit illegals as labor or sex slaves.
It also doesn't mean that Arizona isn't in a difficult spot. The drug war has spilled over into that state, in a big way, and many illegals crossing the borders are not doing so by choice. If the DEA in Washington would back off, Arizona could make drugs legal and solve a lot of the problem immediately. Granted, the drug cartels would likely mount a wave of violence in order to try to provoke re-prohibition but at least all the cards would be on the table and Arizona AND the US could go back to seeming like the good guys.
Obviously this is an oversimplified argument but I think the overall logic works. And I do soooooo despise checkpoints and "do you haf your papers please?", which seems to be the only alternative.
3 years ago
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2 comments:
As the wife of a Mexican who was formerly an illegal Immigrant and the mother of brown, Spanish speaking children, and not to mention as an idealist who actualy believes in liberty and justice for ALL, I condemn the Arizona most strongly. In my mind, Arizona has become an apartheid state, and I wouldn't set footthere except for the fact that my frail elderly father lives there. My husband has already decided that should he be asked to "show his papers" he will truthfully state that he is a citizen and decline. In all probability that means he will be detained for a period of at least several days and possibly months. I support his decision although it would obviously represent a certain hardship to me. Personally I am shocked that freedom lovng, justice Lo ing Americans would allow people to be questioned arrested and imprisioned based on suspicion alone. I'm only 38 but I feel like qn old fogy saying "I don't even recognize this country."
Two years ago in Chicago, in my neighborhood, police were already stopping people based on racial profiling and asking for papers. This is highly illegal.
then you have the INS detention camps, some of which happen to be housed in Arizona.
Something about the drug cartel wars was just too convenient for my taste. And I am living witness to the fact that drug crimes are being committed openly by U.S. citizens yet nobody seems to care about those issues either.
Its all bullshit. I fully agree with Aimee. Arizona is an apartheid state.
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