Sadly, McCain has decided to don some steel-toed boots and dance the watusi on the remains of his integrity. Via Politico:
Sen. John McCain praised a tough Arizona anti-immigration bill that will let police arrest people who aren’t carrying identification, the latest move in McCain’s rightward shift in advance of a tough Republican Senate primary this summer.
[snip]
Under the Arizona law, which passed the state Senate today and sent to Gov. Jan Brewer (R), police can arrest anyone on “reasonable suspicion” that they are an illegal immigrant. If they’re not carrying a valid driver’s license or identity papers, police can arrest them.
Got that, Dad? If you happen to find yourself in Arizona, better keep your naturalization papers handy. Otherwise, if the police catch you ordering tea in the mid-afternoon, they may toss you in the clink and ship you back to County Durham with nary a "fare-thee-well."
Ha, ha. I'm kidding, of course. My father is white, so I'm sure he can stroll the streets of Tucson with impunity. Somehow, I suspect that "reasonable suspicion" correlates strongly with skin melanin levels.
Why has McCain decided to throw his diminishing weight behind a draconian, flagrantly xenophobic law? Could it be his primary challenge from frothing reactionary J. D. Hayworth?
This is all hilariously short-sighted, of course. The Hispanic population is a growing demographic and voter block, and watching the GOP pander to its nativist base makes me wonder if anyone in the party hopes to launch a credible national campaign over the coming years/decades. But in the meantime, my primary lament is for the remains of John McCain's soul.
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Dude, I heard John McCain just said, and I quote, "Tom Tancredo is a pinko liberal who ought to get serious about defending our nation's borders against illegal immigrants." Tomorrow, the SPLC will declare John McCain a "growing threat." And if your dad avoids putting a lime in his tea in AZ, he'll be good to go.
ReplyDeleteThe one huge flaw in the law is that Arizona seems to have no idea that Puerto Rico exists. Spanish is the local language of the American citizens there (and they have been American citizens a long time) so you can be 100% American and not speak a word of English.
ReplyDeleteWait until they start arresting Puerto Ricans who are visiting Arizona to go to the Grand Canyon, etc. for not having proper ID
The lawsuits shall be quite amusing to watch.
My family is from County Cork and people from County Durham are nothing but pikers so if your da is from County Durham, I say ship him back posthaste.
On a more serious note, this is essentially a rape or rob illegals and get away with it law. I imagine the police will flout this law and put out to the community that if any crime is committed they will do their best to ensure anonymity. Of course, if it goes to trial then they will have to enact new statutes that people involved in it won't be deported, yada yada.
You want to fix the situation in Arizona, issue a State ID card with biometrics to be used soley to gain employment. Hire someone who doesn't have it, get fined and/or go to jail. And to get a card, go to any Passport office or Drivers License agency, pay the fee, and then you can work there.
charo
Sigh, all this blog writing and he still thinks I come from Durham. The family comes from the mining village of Eglingham, which I most recently wrote about on Sunday . I even threw in some art, a movie reference or two, and a tad bit of history to make the tale more appealing.
ReplyDeleteNo respect, I tell you, no respect!! And as for them folks from Cork, they can't even talk the Gaelic properly, so why give them attention. (Grin you may have to look that one up).
I know you're not from there, but it seems as likely a choice to plunk you as any. (Lord knows, I've toured that castle enough times to consider it your likeliest destination.)
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