Once upon a time, the State of Arizona was the lone hold out to not make Martin Luther King day an official holiday. Recently, the State of Arizona became the lone state to pass a law requiring that anyone wanting to be on their state’s presidential ballot provide an official Certificate of Birth. Now, the State of Arizona has passed a law that virtually permits racial profiling.
On Friday, Republican Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law a bill that gives local police the legal right to stop and detain anyone they wish, without cause or provocation, so as to determine their status as a legal U.S. citizen. In translation, that means that police now have the legal authority to stop any Hispanic person on the street, without cause, just for the sake of verifying their immigration status. If a legal U.S. citizen who happens to be Hispanic is stopped on the street and is not carrying proper identification, they can be arrested on the spot. No more jogging or going to the gym without your wallet or ID. If you can not prove your identity right then and there, you will go to jail!
“This is dividing our city and our state; it’s tearing us apart,” said Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, a Democrat who will seek City Council approval Tuesday to file a lawsuit against the state to block the measure. And Lillian RodrÃguez López, president of the Hispanic Federation, announced her organization will go to federal court this week to challenge the law. President Obama immediately criticized the new law as racially motivated and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is looking into the legalities of a state “doctoring” federal law.
At least 3500 protesters took to the State Capitol on Sunday to express displeasure against a law that many clearly see as racially unjust. Thousands more are already preparing to march on the Capitol building in the coming days and minority groups are organizing ways to create tourism and financial boycotts against the state. Acknowledging the contentious nature of her decision, Gov. Brewer who has been courting conservatives in her desperate reelection bid, said she “prayed for strength and prayed for our state” and concluded that the law “represents what’s best for Arizona.” She added: “We in Arizona have been more than patient waiting for Washington to act,” she said at Friday’s signing announcement. “But decades of federal inaction and misguided policy have created a dangerous and unacceptable situation.”
This legislation won't last long. It's unconstitutional and the feds will soon dismiss it. Stupid governor.