HOME OF THE BRAVE

Prologue: A federal judge has blocked the major provisions of Arizona's controversial new immigration law, SB 1070. Arizona governor Jan Brewer vows to appeal the ruling.

Went to work the other day--THIRTEEN years at the same company--and they said: "You need to sign some papers and produce some documentation to prove you have a legal right to be in this country." This country where I was born--just down the road at St. Mary's Hospital.

And I said what if I didn't--and they said you'll never work in this town again!

And the form said, in effect: Are you now, or have you ever been an illegal alien/terrorist scum? And I remembered that I had been an illegal speeder and red light runner, and I had been an illegal jaywalker, and an illegal accumulator of about a dozen unpaid parking tickets...but I didn't equate that with "illegal alien/terrorist scum," and so I marked the box that said no.

And then it said provide one form of ID from column "A," or one from column "B," AND one from column "C." But I don't normally carry my passport and/or birth certificate around with me--here in this place where I was born, just down the road apiece--and so I shrugged and said: No lo tengo.

And they looked at me...suspiciously...here in the place where I've been coming in every morning for the past thirteen years--where everyone served up a friendly smile and knew my name--and suddenly, I was Jimmy Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life: BERT! ERNIE! DONCHA KNOW ME? IT'S ME--GEORGE BAILEY!

But they didn't know me. I had ceased to exist. I had no DOCUMENTATION. Documentation that divides us as a nation into US and THEM. And if there's anything that frightens the bejesus out of us--here in our land of the free and home of the brave--it's THEM.

"Bring in your passport tomorrow," they said...and I could feel their eyes following me as I walked on down the hall...

TIMOTEO SEZ...

NOT EVERYONE IN ARIZONA IS CRAZY !

Amidst all the hubbub and the uproar over Arizona's new immigration law, which allows police officers to demand proof of citizenship from anyone they suspect of being an illegal immigrant, I think a little clarification is in order. If all you know about this fine state that I live in is what you hear on the news sound bites, you may be thinking that Arizona is filled with right-wing whackos. I'll leave that alone for now, but it's a fact the state legislature has been dominated by Republicans for decades now. Pair them up with an unelected republican governor who took over when former democratic governor Janet Napolitano moved up to her post in Homeland Security, and you've got a situation where the inmates have gained control of the asylum.

Right-wingers like to try to apply simple solutions to complex problems, and with the passage of the new law, that's what they've done. In all fairness to them, there IS a big problem with our borders, not the least of which is the violence from the Mexican drug cartels that is spilling over into the border towns just a tad south of here. But how is the harassment of a few more people on the streets going to stem the tide of immigrants flowing into Arizona each and every day?

It's not.

And the Arizona legislature and Governor Jan Brewer know it. Their action was for SHOW--to make a "get tough" statement--and in their hearts, they know that's what it was. Now, let's ask them if making a statement to the world was worth the consequences. Economic boycotts against our state that are growing in number each day. Students withdrawing from our universities, or deciding not to come here in the first place. And our state...our beautiful state...my birthplace...now the laughing stock of the nation and the world. Such incredible lack of foresight on the part of those responsible is inexcusable.

The good news is, (I am convinced) the law is going to be struck down in the courts as unconstitutional. There are several court challenges already in the works. But the damage to my beautiful state has already been done.

Just for the record, I live in Tucson, and Pima county is the more progressive-minded area of the state. There are plenty of folks around here who are not happy campers about what has happened. Just wanted to let you know...NOT EVERYONE IN ARIZONA IS CRAZY!

Your comments, rants, raves, or tirades are welcome!