Posted on 04/24/2010 8:06:24 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
With the signing of Senate Bill 1070, draconian legislation that would force police officers to arrest anyone they "suspect" is an illegal immigrant, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer turns her back on the momentum and outrage that has built around the country in opposition to the bill.
In the last few days alone, national law enforcement organizations, immigrant rights' groups, the ACLU, and even Senators Schumer and Graham--the authors of bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform legislation--have said in no uncertain terms that the Arizona bill is bad law that should never be enacted.
So who's against it?
The People of Arizona. According to an article in Thursday's New York Times, approximately 85 percent of the calls going in to Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's office are being recorded in OPPOSITION to the legislation.
Law enforcement groups. Law enforcement groups and agents in Arizona and across the country have opposed the legislation. The Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police this week issued a statement, noting in part, "The provisions of the bill . . . will negatively affect the ability of law enforcement agencies across the state to fulfill their many responsibilities in a timely manner. " Individual Chiefs of Police across the country, including in Colorado Springs, Raleigh, San Francisco and Sacramento, have also come out in opposition to the bill.
President Obama. At a press conference Friday, Obama slammed the bill as "misguided," stating that "the recent efforts in Arizona, which threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe."
People of Faith. Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony, who heads the nation's largest Roman Catholic archdiocese with 4.3 million members, spoke for many people of faith when he lambasted the bill on his blog, stating, "The Arizona legislature just passed the country's most retrogressive, mean-spirited, and useless anti-immigrant law. The tragedy of the law is its totally false reasoning: that immigrants come to our country to rob, plunder, and consume public resources. That is not only false, the premise is nonsense."
Sojourners CEO Jim Wallis has also spoken out against the bill, writing in Huffington Post, "[E]nforcement of this law would force us to violate our Christian conscience, which we simply will not do. It makes it illegal to love your neighbor in Arizona."
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Groups--Including the ACLU, the NAACP and the Anti-Defamation League. "The passage of SB 1070 is a catastrophe in the making that would institutionalize racial profiling in a misguided attempt to fix our broken immigration system," said Wade Henderson, President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
Deborah Lauter of the Anti-Defamation League, which fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry and protects civil rights for all, concurred. "Laws like this one and the immigration debate that surrounds them have become a flashpoint for racist and neo-Nazi extremist groups that foment bigotry and blame immigrants for all of our country's problems. Other groups in opposition include: the ACLU, the Asian American Justice Center, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the NAACP.
Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Leaders of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, including Reps. Gutierrez and Grijalva, have asked President Obama to block the Arizona legislation if it passes. "The president of the United States should simply say, 'On the issue of immigration, the Constitution is clear, my power is clear -- I'm going to regulate immigration in the United States from a federal level,'" Gutierrez said. On a call with reporters, Grijalva added, "When you institutionalize a law like this one, you are targeting and discriminating at a wholesale level against a group of people."
Immigrants Rights' Groups. "This bill throws the door wide open to the racial profiling of Arizona's Latinos, the vast majority of whom are native-born U.S. citizens and legal residents, without doing a single thing to protect the people of Arizona," said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States.
This afternoon, Gov. Brewer explained her decision to sign SB 1070, saying that "decades of federal inaction and misguided policies" have created "a dangerous and unacceptable situation."
Ironic choice of words, considering one could describe this xenophobic bill--which essentially legalizes racial profiling--with the exact same turn of phrase.
Do you have thoughts about the passage of SB 1070? Send a message to Jan Brewer and we'll make sure that she receives your concerns about the bill.
Obama is sending in his THUGS to Arizona.
This will test the resolve of the conservative movement.
Who will BLINK first?
Very true.
And murder laws discriminate against a group of murderers, tax laws discriminate against tax cheats, unless they are part of the Obama administration, rape laws discriminate against rapists, unless you are a former democrat president, hate crimes discriminate against hatemongers, unless you are a liberal, etc.
We need MORE laws that discriminate against groups who do illegal things, which is why this group is called "ILLEGAL" aliens.
Lindsey Graham has already blinked on this issue.
As far as I can tell this is a gross misrepresentation of the actual bill. Doesn't it only allow them to ask for proof of citizenship, not allow them to "arrest" those whom they "suspect?"
Given a choice between these union IDIOTS and the majority of the illegals, let’s decide on banning ALL government unions and sending them to Mexico whilst allowing selected Mexicans to work in our govt.
Double advantage...we get folks in our govt with measurable IQs and we can raise our national intelligence by getting rid of these union losers.
And losers they are - can one imagine actually hiring any of these - things - for a profit making company?
We are a republic, a nation of laws. Illegals are killing Americans, innocent civilians and cops. So I guess these people want that trend to continue? That’s not counting the crime, gangs, drugs, tax-payer money confiscation in the form of medical, food stamps...
FSEIU
I wake up this morning wondering if what we felt is anything like the typical informed citizen of Virginia prior to April 12th, 1861. What will be our "Fort Sumter"?
Right now, I don't see a reasoned debate from Washington. I see open thuggish threats against the rights of our people to enforce the law as the Federal government is specifically stated to do so, but does not.
We are well within our rights to defend ourselves and our property. This government seems to pit itself against that basic God-given right. I do not see reconciliation with a tyrant who opposes even the most basic ideas of freedom.
What tomorrow brings, God only knows. I will hope for the best but continue to prepare for the worst.
Lindsey is hardly a conservative. He kisses leftist back sides so frequently that his mouth is taking on a permanent rictus.
He thinks he needs those Latino illegal votes when they all later are legalized through amnesty. Lindsey is not blinking, he is salivating,its easy to tell the difference.Lindsey knows he is about to get Arlen Sphinctered.
Yes, indeed. A friend of Marxists.
Good post!
Know your socialist enemies ping.
Yes, indeed. A friend of Marxists.
Got it! Thanks.
DITTO!
SEIU = Enemies of Liberty and freedom ,Screw that bunch of Maggots.
That was my impression - the stuck pig squeals.
See post 24 for link to Governor Brewer's e-mail contact. Please thank her for signing Senate Bill 1070 into law. The left and their press running dogs are now attempting a Palin style character assassination. Will it work? HELL NO! We won't let it work!
Sorry Christy but phony seminar callers don't change reality...
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 70% of likely voters in Arizona approve of the legislation, while just 23% oppose it. http://www.freerepublic.com/%5Ehttp://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/arizona/70_of_arizona_voters_favor_new_state_measure_cracking_down_on_illegal_immigration
Must be hell for the communists to come thaaaaaaat close to their "utopia" only to have a half white President pizz off real American Citizens thus producing votes like this.
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