April 28, 2010

Arizona racism reached its peak this month when Governor Jan Brewer signed into law, a draconian anti-immigrant measure. The law requires the police to investigate if there is a “reasonable suspicion” that a person is in Arizona illegally.

Simply, the first step in that process will be to look at skin color and then demand identity papers proving legal Arizona residency. Because of this, the law is racist. Though the law does not make racial profiling legal, it tacitly requires the authorities to look at skin color as a starting point in their “reasonable suspicion” stop.

This will certainly ensnare many legal immigrants and United States citizens who have Mexican and Latin American origins. And what about the illegals who don't have brown skin? Those from Europe, African and Asia would get a free pass while police hunt down brown skinned Hispanics.

Of course white Arizonans and politicians see nothing wrong with this because it is unlikely they will be asked for identity papers. The law will not affect them and they have nothing to fear.

The right way to stop illegals would be to enforce existing Federal laws and prosecute businesses which employ illegals. But that won't happen because most of those businesses are owned by whites and supported by white politicians.

And since when is is necessary for citizens to carry ID papers with them? Totalitarian regimes have always required identity papers to prove you are “legal” and we must now add Arizona to the list.