Arizona's Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik says he will not enforce the state's new anti-immigrant law because it is unnecessary as well as probably unconstitutional. It's nice to finally hear some straight talk out of that state rather than the echo chamber of political proponents and opponents.beating the drums and creating mass hysteria.
Here's the video clip from the Keith Olbermann "Countdown" show on MSNBC. With apologies for the Pillsbury commercial, note the politician blowhards preceding the sheriff's interview.
Readers comments are welcome as long as they remain civil. We reserve the right to delete any comments that are vulgar, libelous and totally irrelevant to this posting. -- Jer
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(Editor's Note -- An email circulating the Internet decries the Hispanic students at Montebello High School raising the U.S. flag upside down.)
Well, I think this email most certainly makes clear its position. Mine is simply that the Arizona law is a disgrace to what this country stands for and will be ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court. Last time I noticed, states can't preempt federal law. Slice and dice it as you will, this law, if enacted, will provoke racial profiling and raise it to a new level. It harks back to the exclusion laws of this country in the early 20th century that at the time were blatant reactions to (mainly) Chinese and Japanese immigration to the USA. These movements always seem to crop up during times of unease, whether it be economic (mainly the current motivation I suspect) or social (the notion that someone of color could actually live next door!).
Having said this, that the Arizona law is wrong and, to me, an embarrassment to this country, I can appreciate the frustration that has caused the law to be passed. To me, it's a simple reaction to the lack of an effective immigration law, the existing ones at the very least begging for an overhaul. Not to disparage the seriousness of the intent of Arizonans in supporting passage of the law, but it could be partly symbolic: whether or not state officials actually believe the law would stand the test of judicial scrutiny, at least it will have the effect of motivating the Congress to do something about the problem. I'm not suggesting anyone agree with this supposition, but a rational person might ponder it for awhile. And if so, then the students at Montebello High School, a very heavily Hispanic populated area of East Los Angeles, turning the American flag upside down might be interpreted similarly, as a gesture of their own frustration. And let's not get too carried away about the outrage such an act provokes. How many of you get similarly lathered up by southern states hanging the Confederate Flag on a flagpole standard next to the flag of our country.? Didn't think so.
To be sure, Arizona's actions will provoke a new look at our immigration laws by the Congress. But don't be surprised if exclusion laws aren't part of the solution. Hispanics today have political clout, locally, regionally and nationally. They no longer are passive citizens letting others dictate matters that effect them. As such, I suspect Congress to pass laws making entry into the USA tougher and step up enforcement efforts to round up illegal immigrants already here. But when the hyperness calms down, what we'll really have is a lot of lip service to the laws. Because like it or not, illegals serve a profound economic service to our local polities, especially along the border states and increasingly the left and right coasts. Ultimately, economics will trump knee jerk conservatism.
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