20 April 2010, 2:02 pm
Phoenix, Arizona was the site of new legislation passed on April 18 making it illegal in Arizona to be an undocumented immigrate in the state. State and local police will be required to arrest or detain anyone who can not show proper identification of being in the state legally. Jan Brewer the Governor of Arizona will now have to sign the bill into law.
Cardinal Roger Mahony and Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill or two of the biggest critics of the bill. Mahony said the bill would encourage "German Nazi and Russian Communist techniques." Gutierrez had a press conference on Tuesday to call for Arizona representatives to take action against the bill. Many believe the bill will lead to racial profiling and cause many to fear reporting crimes to the police.
The bill contains several provisions. Among them, it would create a new state misdemeanor crime for failing to carry alien registration document. Republican Sen. John McCain is in favor of the bill along with most Republicans. Only four years ago though Ted Kennedy and John McCain co-authored a bill which amounted to amnesty for illegal immigrates.
Arizona state Sen. Russell Pearce, who is sponsoring the measure, dismissed claims that the bill would lead to arbitrary profiling and said the bill is needed to help Arizona deal with rampant crime.The bill is in response to the killing of rancher Robert Krentz it is believed an illegal immigrate killed the rancher.
With many bills which become laws in America they are brought about by a tragic event. In the days and months after 9/11 many laws were passed claiming to make America more secure and safer. Even though there were laws in place already which could have prevented 9/11. Over reaction to events are dangerous and can lead to a slippery slope of the loss of America's civil liberties. Immigration laws are already on the books and could to be enforced as they are written.
Some already call America a "prison state" so adding new laws will only lead to more people in prison by giving more power to police to stop and search anyone at will. Arizona is already a state on the verge of bankruptcy. Where will the money come from to handle the prison overcrowding and wrongful arrest lawsuits which will be a result of this bill?
Robert Krentz death was tragic. But lets look at the real cause of his death which appears to be drug trafficking. Marijuana is brought across the border every day into Arizona and costs the state millions to fight the traffickers and lock them up. This marijuana money leaves the state everyday in the millions. Maybe the solution to Arizona's money problems is not in passing more laws but doing away with one law? Legalizing marijuana would help the state financially and help put a stop to some of the violent illegal immigrates which traffic marijuana across the border.
In a state where one can buy a liter of vodka in a Circle K on every corner how can one argue the legal use of marijuana. The answer to the states problems can not be found in more government control. Do you wish for your children to live in a state where they are required to present id badges upon entering a mall? So before everyone gets on board the ship just be aware of where you are headed because there is no return.
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