Driving while Hispanic in AZ

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Well, a broadly written law that basically allows the police to harass any person that they deem illegal "looking", and regular citizens to harass the police so it in turn harasses suspected illegal immigrants was just signed by the governor of Arizona:

http://www.salon.com/wires/us/2010/04/23/D9F908LG0_us_immigration_enforcement/index.html

Fundamentally, it means that if you look Hispanic (or Arabic, or Indian, or Native or, well, non-white) you can be stopped by the police and asked for a proof of residency in the state of Arizona (a valid Driver's license from a different state doesn't work).

Needless to say, as a Hispanic I'm not setting foot in AZ in the foreseeable future, nor anyone in my family.

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

I hadn't heard about the ID having to be Arizonan. But I had heard about this. How Nazi-esque.

What's more is the impact of penalizing drivers (who are correctly colored for AZ, or are properly ID'd) who have incorrectly-colored passenger who lacks Arizona ID or ID at all. They go to jail, which makes Good Samaritans less likely. So now, if a person who is too dark is dying on the side of the road, or is stranded, or whatever else, fewer people are going to pick them up to help them get to the hospital, etc. because having an incorrectly colored person in your car is cause to pull you over, and the driver is penalized with jail and/or a fine.


And the best part is this: if a "potential illegal" is picked up sans proper ID, they will be sent to a detention facility, which can be out of region or out of the state, with no way to contact friends or family who can prove their citizenship.

Welcome to Gitmo 2.0, now even more unconstitutional!

[Aggie]

 

[Swatopluk]

And in a country without a standard ID for every citizen (unlike most European countries) this is essentially a get-into-jail-free card.
What is even worse (and shows the actual intent of the proponents) is the nonsense now spewed by GOP officials (with the Son of Cain in the lead) about how to spot illegals. [snark]It would be easy, if they were all Jews. Then the shape of the earlobe would be an umistakable indicator[/snark].
I had not yet heard about the Arizonan driving licences part. Does that mean that non-Arizonans are not allowed anymore in Arizona at all or that any federal or other state ID has to have an extra approval by Arizona? Is the president still allowed to go to Arizona?

[Aggie]

He'd better bring his birth certificate if he does...


I'm likewise confused about the AZ driver`s licence - was considering a trip down there, but can I be arrested and deported for driving while Canadian too?  I suppose I'd better keep up with my sunscreen, I tan to a suspicious shade quite easily.   (edit: immigration papers are required, a passport with a stamped visa should do.  I imagine for out-of-state landed immigrants, your immigration card would work, but packing that thing around is a hassle and worry in itself, what if it gets lost or stolen?).


I'd be with if native people had to show proof of residency, if the whole thing wasn't so repulsive. 

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Personally I find idiotic that I would have to take my US passport (and some say that isn't enough) to go there, but the harassing part is bad enough*.

So I will NOT be visiting grand canyon for the foreseeable future, and I would suggest to anyone who has any brownish looks to avoid the state altogether.

*some nazi senator said somewhere that the illegals would be recognized by their clothes not by the color of their skin. So poor/"bad taste" people should avoid the state also.

[Opsa]

Well, I'm Germanic in physique, and I won't go there, either. Foo on them, and worse! We ought to boycott Az and let all the fascists go there and blow themselves up. Heck with 'em. They gots their heads in their Az.

[Swatopluk]

I have a great business idea. Let's sell "I love Rush and Glenn" tshirts with confederate flags on the back with a special discount for non-citizens in Arizona. Also "My papers? Here's my concealed carry permit!" 

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Or drive in a tinted car with bumper stickers of the NRA and the confederate flag, but once they figure out the person inside is not white they may accuse him/her of deception.

[Swatopluk]

The Son of Cain believes that illegal immigrants are reckless drivers. More sane people believe the opposite. Illegals tend to be especially careful not to speed or violate other rules of the road because that carries the risk of being pulled over by the police.
So better arrest everyone but road rowdies

[Griffin NoName]

Doesn't this show the need for another slaying of the firstborn? Kill all the eldest boys* excluding those with sheep's blood on their gateposts. There are bound to be illegals amongst them so it should get rid of a few at least.

*I thought of making it apply to girls too but it seemed all wrong somehow.

[Swatopluk]

All Arizonans should be obliged to get a barcode tattooed to their foreheads after passing the test of citizenship. Anyone found without the tattoo 3 month after this becomes law can be shot on sight by the police. Visitors get a fading tattoo in a different colour. Any illegal caught gets a big "PIG" (Persona InGrata) as a permanent marker.

[Darlica]

US of A never stops to amaze me...

I find this very frightening. It violates the basic human rights and nobody in the central government lifts a finger to stop it?

I pink as I am I'm staying away from AZ and the states in general. Too many trigger happy idiots in the wrong positions for my taste.

We have racism here too no doubt about it, but in Sweden so far we haven't got any laws like this, and I hope we never get them either (that'll be the day when I'll go from having no political affiliations to standing on the barricades).

[Swatopluk]

I think this looks worse from an US/Anglo perspective because personal ID is considered the first step to tyranny (and not a rather convenient item like I consider my German ID card). But there is hope (though faint) that this very fact will undermine the law. If everyone has to carry an ID because the state is forced to avoid open racial profiling (despite that being the unspoken primary purpose of the law) then the 'patriots' are likely to rebel because many will consider that state intrusion even worse than to have 'illegals' running around unharassed

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Fundamentally, it means that if you look Hispanic (or Arabic, or Indian, or Native or, well, non-white) you can be stopped by the police and asked for a proof of residency in the state of Arizona (a valid Driver's license from a different state doesn't work).

Excellent.  If true, this particular clause is a direct violation of the authority given specifically to the National Government by the Constitution.

I.e.  the Constitution specifically grants the national government power over inter-state commerce, regulation, etc.

It's what forces other states to recognize the legal marriage of gays done in a gay-is-legal marrying state, for example.

It has since their invention, forced other states to honor the driver's licenses of all states within their borders.

Specifically prohibiting non-AZ licenses in the law will kill it, as soon as someone sues.   I imagine there are lawyers already drooling at the thought of the revenue they are going to earn over this fiasco.

And the poor AZ taxpayers will have to foot the bill, of course...

... McSame ought to have his fortunes garnished to cover the cost ...