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By Patrick Osio, Jr./HispanicVista.com

   

    June 8, 2010

Arizonians: So easily manipulated by racists among them.

By Patrick Osio

It doesn’t take much to get Arizonians riled up. They think of themselves as the last of the true Westerners, John Wayne’s spirit lives through them. They are high on law and order as they see law and order. They live in the days when the lawman was the ultimate enforcer, and so what if sometimes in the name of the law they trampled on the rights of some – that was the price that had to be borne by those few for the good of the community.

This mentality allows for a few to rile them up and manipulate them into action much like a few would instigate a group to take the law into their own hands – lynch the cattle and horse thieves, why wait for the court to render a decision.  It was after all, the voice of the majority in the lynching mob, in such cases it was only the about to be lynched who were opposed to the lynching.

So the few instigators who have personal biases and bigotries riled them up to support the newest lynch mob, but all under the protective cover of their newest draconian law – Arizona’s S.B. 1070 the so called “Anti Illegal Immigration Law,” that mandates police officers to demand documents of anyone they stop and have reasonable suspicion that the person(s) stopped are illegally in the country. 

The justifiable fear is that “reasonable” suspicion is the color of brown skin that will trigger the demand for documentation.  Ah, but those who complain are told, it is not possible – police personnel will be strictly forbidden from “profiling” – sure, just like the policemen were trained not to beat the hell out of Rodney King – ah, but that was an abnormality. Of course, we all know that.

It may be difficult for Arizonians to understand the concern of brown skinned people who happen to be US citizens or legal residents as to the potential of such a tool at the disposal of bigoted policemen or Sheriffs. The fear is not only for themselves but for their children. As citizens of the US there is no legal requirement to have proof of citizenship on themselves, and driver’s licenses are not such proof.

Imagine then a brown skinned mother walking her children four blocks to school. At a signal she begins to cross the street with the “Walk” sign on, but it changes while still in the intersection. A policemen driving up to the corner sees the “Don’t Walk” sign flashing, and stops the lady on “suspicion” of jaywalking and possibly if he is a real hard-ass cop, child endangerment. Now he has the excuse to demand to see papers – I am a citizen she says. Prove it, he says, because you have an accent which makes me suspicious about your origin and citizenship and how about these children? I want papers on them too. 

Or even suppose that the lady is not a citizen that she is, however, a legal resident and tells the cop this – ah ha, you are bound by law to carry that proof with you at all times – well, yes, she says, but I was only walking my kids to school and I didn’t bring my purse.  Tough break, lady – I am taking you in on suspicion of being in the country illegally – and your kids are going along for the ride where social services will take them before the lot of you get thrown out of MY country. 

Or even suppose the lady is illegally in the country – but her kids are US born. Now what? The kids have to prove their US citizens on the spot? Do they have to carry a passport or birth certificate to go to school? Does Social Services come by and take them?

Do Arizonans set this aside as – oh well, it’s not perfect but worth it. Trampling on Constitutional and civil rights of US citizens and legal residents is OK? Is this the America Arizonans truly want?  Are they sure this is a righteous path for the nation to take? 

And because Arizonians, are being verbally attacked for allowing this law to be passed they have stubbornly circled the wagons in defense of that which is so clearly wrong? Are they really that easy to manipulate by the few racists among them?

How sad, it’s a good thing John Wayne is no longer with us to see this.

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Patrick Osio is the Editor of HispanicVista.com. Contact Posiojr@aol.com

 

Patrick Osio, Jr. has written a short but intensive manual on the Mexican perspective on numerous issues between our two countries. The manual is an in depth primer on the culture and protocol for better understanding Mexicans that in turn allows establishing personal and business relationships, and how to avoid the most common faux pas that can ruin relationships and business deals.

For information on purchasing, write to HVCstore@aol.com

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