Arizona ... Right or wrong?

[Henry Hawk]

?...what do you guys think?..

[me]

I think they are correct in what they are doing.  I would venture to guess the only ones complaining about it are the illegals, who should have no voice in it anyway, and the "politically correct" crowd who are idiots.  As far as calling it racial profiling if you're looking for Mexican illegals who else are you going to stop?  There seems to be far too much Mexican drug gang activity to sit back and do nothing.

[followsthewolf]

I think anyone in Indiana who looks like they are from Illinois, Iowa, or Ohio ought to be required to show their id to any police officer that thinks they might be from another state, whenever any officer requires them to do so. Then they should be shipped to Arizona and put right on the border.

[Palehorse]

I hope that was sarcastic. . . I am from Illinois! 

[Henry Hawk]

I hope that was sarcastic. . . I am from Illinois! 

well, you most certainly LOOK like an Illini...

[Palehorse]

well, you most certainly LOOK like an Illini...

[Henry Hawk]

SORT OF...

[followsthewolf]

I hope that was sarcastic. . . I am from Illinois! 

Makes about as much sense nonsense.

[Palehorse]

Makes about as much sense nonsense.

Gestapo tactics

[me]

I think anyone in Indiana who looks like they are from Illinois, Iowa, or Ohio ought to be required to show their id to any police officer that thinks they might be from another state, whenever any officer requires them to do so. Then they should be shipped to Arizona and put right on the border.

But we can legally travel from state to state so that is like comparing apples to oranges.  Illegals are a different thing altogether, they are breaking the law just by being here without the proper papers, and Mexico would have no qualms about stopping or arresting an American if the situation were reversed.

[Palehorse]

But we can legally travel from state to state so that is like comparing apples to oranges.  Illegals are a different thing altogether, they are breaking the law just by being here without the proper papers, and Mexico would have no qualms about stopping or arresting an American if the situation were reversed.

IMHO this law was written too vaguely. Officers may stop and demand documentation of those they "suspect of being illegally in the US" but does not define how they may become suspicious of their status. The way it is written they can pretty much stop anyone they like and demand they prove their citizenship with 3 pieces of ID. WHO carries three pieces of ID around with them all of the time?

And before you even say it, "they cannot stop you because of race, sex, religion, etc."; EVERYBODY knows damned good and well that law enforcement will use this as a tool for which it is not intended. That is not to say they are all bad, but rather that the ones that are will abuse it above and beyond what they are already doing due to the vagueness of the law itself. In fact, even the law abiding officers will be sorely tempted to use it outside of its intended purpose because of this.

This thing is creating a gestapo squad waiting to be unleashed. . .

I cannot see how anyone in their right mind would be supportive of it. . .

[Sandy Eggo]

Not really apples/oranges, me. How someone looks is subjective. Not everyone who looks foreign is. Think of all of the people who were born here and therefore are citizens who are going to be harassed as result of this new law. Believe it or not, there are people who've never seen the native country of their ancestors who look as if they stepped off the boat yesterday. Which BTW people from Mexico aren't the only ones who are in the country illegally. But everytime this discussion happens it quickly turns into a bash Mexican-fest.

Think of all the ways this law can be used to harass citizens under the cover of eliminating illegal immigration.

[Henry Hawk]

IMHO this law was written too vaguely. Officers may stop and demand documentation of those they "suspect of being illegally in the US" but does not define how they may become suspicious of their status. The way it is written they can pretty much stop anyone they like and demand they prove their citizenship with 3 pieces of ID. WHO carries three pieces of ID around with them all of the time?

And before you even say it, "they cannot stop you because of race, sex, religion, etc."; EVERYBODY knows damned good and well that law enforcement will use this as a tool for which it is not intended. That is not to say they are all bad, but rather that the ones that are will abuse it above and beyond what they are already doing due to the vagueness of the law itself. In fact, even the law abiding officers will be sorely tempted to use it outside of its intended purpose because of this.

This thing is creating a gestapo squad waiting to be unleashed. . .

I cannot see how anyone in their right mind would be supportive of it. . .

The poll found "70% of likely voters in Arizona approve of the legislation...those people who live there KNOW of the violence and retorhic that has been going on....SOMETHING  needs  to  happen...

[Sandy Eggo]

IMHO this law was written too vaguely. Officers may stop and demand documentation of those they "suspect of being illegally in the US" but does not define how they may become suspicious of their status. The way it is written they can pretty much stop anyone they like and demand they prove their citizenship with 3 pieces of ID. WHO carries three pieces of ID around with them all of the time?

And before you even say it, "they cannot stop you because of race, sex, religion, etc."; EVERYBODY knows damned good and well that law enforcement will use this as a tool for which it is not intended. That is not to say they are all bad, but rather that the ones that are will abuse it above and beyond what they are already doing due to the vagueness of the law itself. In fact, even the law abiding officers will be sorely tempted to use it outside of its intended purpose because of this.

This thing is creating a gestapo squad waiting to be unleashed. . .

I cannot see how anyone in their right mind would be supportive of it. . .

That was what I was trying to say. For example, in San Diego, law enforcement uses vagrancy as a way to "flush out" illegals and it's very obvious that they're doing so. You rarely, if ever, see them questioning one of the hundreds of people wandering around or laying on the sidewalk, who are obviously homeless,  but you will see them walk up to a group of people and request ID. It happened to a group that I was with. I didn't have ID because we were riding bikes and I honestly didn't think to carry it. The officer checked the ID of two people who happen to "look" Mexican. We had someone from the Philippines, Korea and a Canadian native in our group and everyone else got out their IDs, but he didn't look at them. I was ready to explain that I didn't bring my ID and accept a fine, but he didn't even look at me. Soooo, since it was obvious that we were all together, we looked less vagrant than the other two?

[followsthewolf]

But we can legally travel from state to state so that is like comparing apples to oranges.  Illegals are a different thing altogether, they are breaking the law just by being here without the proper papers, and Mexico would have no qualms about stopping or arresting an American if the situation were reversed.

That is NOT the point.

The point is:  WHAT DOES AN ILLEGAL ALIEN LOOK LIKE??

And, before you get all huffy about the profiling debate, think about this ----

How many American citizens will be stopped and required to produce papers because they "look like" an illegal alien?

Just because YOU don't look like you are of Asian, Mexican, African, etc. descent, and YOU won't be stopped countless times to prove you are here legally, you really don't give a crap if someone else gets nailed 4 or 5 times a day, do you?