First, they gave us the wilted lettuce, green bologna and pink jailhouse garb and we smiled.
Then, the Chain Gangs and hot houses, we kind of smiled and cringed.
The Maricopa - Arizona Patriots 1st Division MMP a prominent chapter of the vigilante Minutemen Project, we stopped smiling and just cringed.
The announcement of a bill proposed by Skull Valley Republican Judy Burges and sponsored by 40 of Arizona's 90 state legislators - that would require presidential candidates to submit documentation proving their eligibility to serve as president before appearing on Arizona's ballot, caused pause, consternation and concern and then…
The Arizona Senate voted Monday to approve the final version of the bill, which was voted up on a party-line vote by the state House. If signed by Gov. Brewer, it would give police broad new powers to arrest and charge people suspected of being in the country illegally and we screamed…Those Inglourious Basterds!
Friends of thePoliticop have asked over and over again; Are you Conservative, Liberal, Independent or what? This is one of the few social issues that falls smack-dab in the middle of both political classifications. Most of us are Conservative in our thoughts that we need to "rid" the country of illegal immigrants and "take our country back". Stop using "our country's" resources to benefit the less fortunate immigrates who do not have the intent, ability, desire, knowledge, resources or capability to become a United States Citizen. Either assimilate, or get out.
Although I can't type that last paragraph without conjuring up the old 1970's image of Iron Eyes Cody. (The "crying Indian" in the "Keep America Beautiful" (PSA) in the early 1970s.)
Funny quick story about him: Did you know that he was actually born as Espera Oscar de Corti in Kaplan, Louisiana, a son of Antonio de Corti and his wife, Francesca Salpietra, immigrants from Sicily, Italy. Talk about your irony… but I digress…
Concurrently, most of us are also Liberal in our thoughts that the United States represents a land of opportunity and freedom, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door." And that is what makes this country such a great and opportunistic place to live and raise your thriving families. "Each one – Teach one", "It Takes a Village to Raise a Child", "We Are All Brothers in God's Eyes" yadda-yadda-yadda. (Seinfeld)
It is in the muddle (yes muddle, not middle) of these positions that we find our largest and most polarizing social debate. Now that we've put that whole Health Care Debacle to rest ;-)
What do we do about our immigration problem?
While I don't have the immediate answer to what we should do about immigration, I can tell you what we shouldn't do. We should not violate the rules, policies and principles that this country was built upon simply because it is the "most convenient" way to rid a problem.
Violating the Constitution to address immigration is basically "cheating" to win.
Our 4th Amendment outlines: the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Specific case law establishes what constitutes probable cause or reasonable suspicion. Appearing Hispanic or speaking Spanish shall not be factors on their own.
Now, here is the little hidden secret. Authority figures can squash this "violating 4th Amendment" argument by switching to what is called "the chickensh*t book".
What's "the chickensh*t book"? This is the book that police officers refer to when practicing "retroactive police work." It's a growing trend in police circles with the newer, less experienced police officers who do not know what they have, until after they make their arrest.
Totally Hypothetical Example: Two officers driving down the expressway and see two male white (bandit) types on motorcycles stopped at the tri-light in front of them about to enter the expressway. There has been talk in the town about a motorcycle gang planning to throw a wild, raucous, rowdy, criminally intent party at the local convention center. The officers make the decision to stop the two riders. As they approach, one rider asks the officer, "Why are you stopping us, officer?" The officer tells the rider that he will explain in a minute, then ask for his driver's license and registration. The rider complies. A check for wants and warrants determines that the motorcycle rider is not wanted. But when the rider puts his wallet back into his pocket, the flaring of his jacket reveals the butt of the handgun in his shirt. The officer detains the rider and arrests him for carrying a concealed weapon. Both motorcycles were impounded and the officers conducted thorough inspections of the bikes.
The arrest report says that the officers observed the two individuals on motorcycles stopped at a tri-light. The passenger officer noticed that the rear tire on one of the bikes had "regrooved tires (it's illegal to have a tire which the tread has been burned or recut – CVC 27461). During their traffic stop, they observed the weapon in the jacket.
This is an example of retroactively turning an illegal detention into a legal arrest…with the help of a "chickensh*t book".
I bring this example up to clarify what can and will happen should such a law be put on the books in Arizona.
Now, with this law as our new foundation, can you envision our society ten years from now?
Phoenix, AZ
A black Ford Crown Victoria creeps to a halt in front of the weathered duplex on the tree-lined street. Two burly men get out of the car wearing black, military camouflage, ski mask and a pair of plastic cuffs. The point man kicks in the front door and screams at the top of his lungs, "Show Me Your Papers." The point man hollers over his shoulder to his partner, "Hispanics". The partner holds up an 8"x12" clipboard, flips through to the tab that reads "spanish", he turns to the tab and reveals a paper, with the phrase "muéstreme sus papeles" pointing it at each person in the house. When they fail to react accordingly, the point officer detains them with the plastic-cord cuffs.
New York, NY
A black Ford Crown Victoria creeps to a halt in front of the weathered duplex on the tree-lined street. Two burly men get out of the car wearing black, military camouflage, ski mask and a pair of plastic cuffs. The point man kicks in the front door and screams at the top of his lungs, "Show Me Your Papers." The point man hollers over his shoulder to his partner, "Italian". The partner holds up an 8"x12" clipboard, flips through to the tab that reads "italian", he turns to the tab and reveals a paper, with the phrase "mostrarmi le sue carte" pointing it at each person in the house. When they fail to react accordingly, the point officer detains them with the plastic-cord cuffs.
Trenton, NJ
A black Ford Crown Victoria creeps to a halt in front of the weathered duplex on the tree-lined street. Two burly men get out of the car wearing black, military camouflage, ski mask and a pair of plastic cuffs. The point man kicks in the front door and screams at the top of his lungs, "Show Me Your Papers." The point man hollers over his shoulder to his partner, "Turkish". The partner holds up an 8"x12" clipboard, flips through to the tab that reads "turkey", he turns to the tab and reveals a paper, with the phrase "Oyunu bana kagitlar" pointing it at each person in the house. When they fail to react accordingly, the point officer detains them with the plastic-cord cuffs.
thePoliticop totally understands the need for Federal, State and Local intervention to address the rising illegal immigration problems and the constant migration of immigrants to the United States. But this is a pretty cheesy way to start.
In an effort to break away from the norm, which is "complain, complain, complain while offering no solution," and to keep with our M.O., thePoliticop will offer a "better" band-aid to the problem…
Draft a Federal Law and staff an agency that targets any and all employers in the country who employs even one illegal immigrant. From Wall Street to Your Street, if you have a business license and employees then your financial records can be audited at any given time. If you are caught paying anyone without a social security number for fees, dues, goods or service then your business is subject to a fine up to $50,000 first offense. License revocation plus $100,000 second offense. Jail time third offense.
That seems fair, doesn't it? And fairness is all we really want, isn't it?
Nothing More, Nothing Less