Arizona Scares Me

I wish I didn't care so much about politics. Or, to put it more accurately, I wish I was not so naive that I continue to be shocked by lack of empathy and critical thought by modern day people.

Arizona

I agree that roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US is a big problem. Immigration needs reform.

Giving police a legal right to stop any person based on reasonable suspicion of being an illegal immigrant (how does one look like an illegal immigrant?) is entirely un-American and scary. It harkens back to Japanese camps in WA during WWII and of course Nazi-era hysteria over Jews, gypsies, and homosexuals.

If I had slightly darker skin or darker hair, there is NO WAY I would go anywhere near AZ. As it is, I am joining others in boycotting anything AZ (no trip to the Grand Canyon for us) for producing such a racist, un-American law.

I've read conservative articles in which people say that if they were detained by AZ police for a few hours, they would be ok with that, as their detainment would be for the greater good of Arizona. Really? I find that hard to believe. How would you feel if your grandmother or your dark haired daughter were detained by police? What country are we in again?

I've also read conservative comments in which people protest strongly against undocumented immigrants because they are "illegal." When told, based on the 14th Amendment, it is illegal to stop people in the US to determine their citizenship status, these same people justify the awful new law by saying the 14th Amendment is wrong.

Really? Part of our constitution is just wrong? Sounds pretty anti-American to me. You can't counter something that's illegal with more illegal. You have to work within the laws and values of our nation.

What many advocates of the law don't seem to understand is that US CITIZENS will be detained in order to enforce this law. It is unavoidable that US CITIZENS will be detained to enforce the law.

As an American, I have inherited the fear of government. Having an official detain me, a family member, a friend, or ANY American or tourist to my country scares me. There are other ways to take care of the issue of illegal immigration. Infringing on the rights of US citizens in such a manner is not one of them.

Here are the companies to consider boycotting:

- Arizona Diamondbacks, Location: Phoenix, Arizona

- Best Western International, Inc., Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona

- Cold Stone Creamery. Headquarters: Scottsdale, Arizona

- Grand Canyon

- P. F. Chang’s China Bistro. Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona

- PetSmart. Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona

- Sky Mall, Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona

- U-Haul. Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona

- US Airways. Headquarters: Tempe, Arizona