Racism In America: Brown is the new Black
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A New Form Of Racism
WIth the election of Barack Obama in November 2008, the United States took huge strides to erase its history of racism against minorities. Countries around the world celebrated the election as evidence that perhaps the United States had finally grown up.
However, since the election of Barack Obama it has become more and more apparent that the United States is not as enlightened as we all hoped. The President and his policies have been continuously protested by many who simply do not like the fact that the United States has a black President. But under the surface, a new form of racism has taken root. To put it simply, the United States has declared war on any person who happens to be brown.
Arizona
At the end of the Civil War, most southern states passed laws that frustrated the very freedoms granted to African Americans by the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. These laws included that African Americans had to carry papers showing their citizenship to the United States and if they did not have proper papers, they could be arrested on the spot.
Now carrying papers is nothing new to the world. In the former communist Soviet Union, Hitler's Germany, and the Eastern Bloc countries, citizens were forced to carry papers wherever they went to show citizenship or religious affiliation. During the Cold War, the United States railed against these policies as the antitheses of freedom and liberty.
Well, the old Soviet Union has come to America. Not in health care or energy policy, but in a law passed by the State of Arizona. The laws mandates that any illegal immigrant found in Arizona can be arrested on the spot, unless they have the proper paperwork. And to ensure that this law is vigorous enforced, anybody looking suspicious, meaning Brown, can be stopped and harassed by the cops, whether they are doing anything wrong or not. So basically if you happen to be a brown person in Arizona, you must have proof of citizenship or legal immigrant status. If not, then you can be detained and even deported. And because the Arizona legislature doesn't believethat law enforcement can be trusted to "properly" enforce the law, individual citizens have been granted the right to sue their local police departments for their failure to enforce the law. This law is so outside the realm of reality that Tom Tancredo, a long time anti-immigration advocate in Congress and perhaps the most vocal and vigilent anti-mexican member of Congress, stated that the Arizona law goes too far.
The True Face Of Anti-Immigration: Russell Pearce Is The Author Of The Arizona Bill
I Want My Country Back
In America today, if you are Muslim, Hispanic, or just well tanned like George Hamilton, you are automatically suspect. If you are brown, it is now longer your right to board an airplane, drive a car or go to a hospital. What is a bleeding Mexican to do? The law in Arizona is only the start. Oh, by the way, African Americans are not off the hook either as it obvious that America's original sin is alive and well today.
I want my country back. I want the United States back where ignorance and fear do not dictate public policy. Where leaders actually lead and not just lets mobs dictate their opinions. The law in Arizona simply legitimizes and codifies hate. It deputises the "minutemen." In short, the law in Arizona does what the Jim Crow laws did after the Civil War, only it goes as far as to honor today's version of the KKK.
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Do You Think The Arizona Law Is Racist?
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Totally agree. And I have looked at the background of Mr. Pierce, and yes, those who are not racists should take a look.
Thanks for the comment.
Thank you for the article, I'll send you a private message with some additional information about this matter. Maybe you will like to include some of it in your already well done article.
Thank you much
Thanks for writing this. Very well said and I want America to also go back to being the leader of human and civil rights in the world. Right now, we in Canada are ahead of you in that regard.
Scary times potentially in the US if the economy tailspins again xenophobia becomes an even more serious problem.
UW, ageed. But I think we are coming back in many ways. But the reaction to the comeback is very scary.
Thannks for the comment.
Billy,
xenophobia is a serous problem anytime. But I get your point. For now at least, the economy is on the rise.
Thanks for the comment.
bgpappa, when is enforcing the law a crime. If the law is overruled, the enforcement of illegal immigration will not be done anymore, and the borders could be considered wide opened. U.S. can't enforce the law and send anyone back one, nor keep them out.
Why does everyone want to play the race card? I am so sick of the freaking race card. Where is my rights when these guys have no rights under our constitution. They have the right to be shown the way home.
I do think we can open our borders more and let these guys in, but they need to come in legally. Illegal is still illegal, unless Webster has change the definition of it.
Most of the espanic are great people, and I am friends with several, but if the are illegal, it tell them they need to get things done properly and become legal. They are making me a criminal by just knowing them.
Keep on hubbing!
Eovery,
It is not playing the race card if it is actual racism. I agree, many times the race card is used without justification, but here there is justification. And this isn't about illegal immigration, it is about Mexicans. Brown Mexicans, that is who this law is aimed at.
That is not to say that the borders should be open. There are laws on the books now. Illegal should go home. BUt this law doesn't punish only the illegal immigrants. It punishes anyone who is brown. Anyone who looks like the could illegal is automatically under "reasonable suspicion." And reasonable suspicion is mandated to be excercised how individuals want it excersied, not just law enforcement.
If the thousands of canadian and russian immigrants were going to be subject to the same scrutiny, then your argument would hold water. But this is about brown people. The US doesn't like em, so legs get rid of them.
As always your point of view is always welcomed and thanks for the comment.
So we can't enforce illegal immigration? I guess they could card everyone in Arizona, so it isn't profiling, are you happy then?
It is pretty bad when we can't stop terrorist (who have all been a certain profile, but we can't profile them)
We can't stop illegal immigrants, who 95% fit a certain profile, we can't profile. Darnit, if the shoe fit you have to wear it.
I guess the law should say to check everyone's status, and then boot out the illegal, this would do away with profiling.
Keep on hubbing!
Yes, the law should say check everyone. Terrorists come in all forms. Illegal immigrants come in all forms. Our laws should not be based on some current fear, especially when they are unfounded and gross exaggerations of reality.
If they wrote a bill doing these things at the Canadian border and the Mexican border, then I wouldn't have a problem. But they don't, they just don't like Mexicans, whether they are citizens or not.
The argument that this is the price you pay for looking the way you doesn't fly in my opinion. Freedom and liberty are hard and it means it has to apply to everyone, even those people do not like.
But if they are committing a crime and are illegal, boot them out. I have no problem with that regardless of what color they are.
Thanks for the comment.
Arizona does border the Canadian border.
Keep on hubbing!
You mean does not, but I get your point. So it is just the Mexican border then. Many of the terrorists on 9/11 came through the Canadian border. In fact, no terrorist has come through Mexico. I would however be willing to call some of the crime today going on due to the Cartels terrorism though.
Thanks for the comment.
You're right I mean Arizona doesn't border Canada, so they (Arizona) can't write a bill about that.
You do bring up a good point that we do need to control both borders better. I think they are doing more on the Canadian border than before 9/11. We have to control borders, but the other think is it might be too late, so that is more the reason why we need to purge the illegals. There are could be terrorist among the other illegals. I think Arizona's law does include all illegals and not just those from Mexico.
Keep on hubbing!
Eovery, your post points out the problem. The Arizona law says the police have the discretion (and must unless they want to be sued by individuals) stop anyone who has a reasonable suspicion of being illegal. This means the police can approach and make contact with someone standing on a streetcorner doing nothing wrong if they suspect he or she is illegal. If a Russian guy is standing on the corner, they aren't going to approach and make contact. If I am standing on the corner, they can ask me for papers, and if I don't have my California Driver's license, they could detain me. (I am part Hispanic and a bit brown). The law as written is racist. And as for the terrorists, the ones that were here illegally, came through Cananda not Mexico. Most had expired Visas
Thanks for the comment.
bgpappa,
I think everyone is over reacting. This law gives the police officer the ability to get rid of illegals if they are found. I think the are "smart" enough to know what is harashment and what isn't and will do accordingly and get lawsuits. The same words are written in drunk driving. When they have probable cause to check, they can check. So they usually limit this to people the have already pulled over for another cause, or if they see someone swerving in a car.
I think you guys are over reacting and playing the race card a little premature.
Keep on hubbing!
Eovery,
Have you heard of the things done by the Sheriff in Maricopa County? He doesn't use probable cause as the standard. And to use your drunk driving example, the way the law is supposed to work probable cause is created if you are swearving, driving erratically, etc, before the police pull you over. Under this law, all you would need to do is be in or near a car and that would be probable cause or reasonable suspicioun. I don't think we are overreacting, and it is not playing the race card if race is actually involved.
Thanks for the comment.
But the weaving is not written in the drunk driving. All it says is probable cause, the same as the illegal immigrant law.
The liberal cry about the over reaction conservatives and the tea party does. Well, this is an over reaction on the liberal part. Welcome to the game.
Keep on hubbing!
But how do you know there is a reasonable suspicion of someone being an illegal immigrant? It is reasonable to think someone is drunk if they are weaving. In Arizona, under this law, it is reasonable to think someone is illegal if they are brown.
Thanks for hte comment.
Generally, they will probably have the person questioned or talked to on an other account, and if they are illegal, they can be dealt with.
I don't believe they will do it with out enough probable cause because of being sued. And they will be sued. They are not that stupid. Give them the benefit of some brains, will you. If not, a lot of you browner colored skinned people will be a lot richer. This is why it won't get out of hand.
Keep on hubbing!
The Sheriff in Maricopa County is already doing. And yes they will be sued, by citizens who don't think the law is being enforced. That is who is going to sue.
We do agree on this: If someone is caught breaking a law, and they are illegal, then they should go immediately.
How and who will be able to sue that the law is not being enforced? There has to be a circumstance for it?
Keep on hubbing!
As I understand the law, and I did read it, private citizens are given a right of action to sue local authorities to enforce the law if they don't think the authorities are doing enough. The how and who is vague, and that is the problem.
The law provides a private right to action to citizens to file suit against any government entity that "adopts or implements a policy or practice that limits or restricts the enforcement of federal immigration laws to less than the full extent permitted by federal law." Local authorities could be subject to a fine of up to $5000 per day.
Thanks for the comment.
Interesting. Thanks for that knowledge. Well, since Americans are getting killed, i.e. the farmer and others, this opens up some cans of worm. This could make our government enforce the laws. If the law is there, they don't enforce them, they are liable.
Keep on hubbing!
But my question is whose discretion is being used to determine reasonable suspicion? Trained police officers or members of the public? Oh, and if you can sue for not enforcing laws, can I sue the police when my car gets smashed in?
There are many Constitutional problems with this law, let alone the racial issues.
Thanks for reading
I have to agree with you, bgpappa. How do you decide who is an illegal? Unless a law has been broken, and you have reason to ask for an ID, there is no difference between an illegal and anyone else, other than perhaps race. (: v
Exactly,
We are talking about people who break the law. We are talking about people who aren't breaking the law and just happen to "look" like they are illegal. That is racial profiling.
Thanks for reading.
excellent article.
the repubs will get nowhere without a good peice of the minority vote. no whitehouse, no way!! it might be all the blues(dems) have to hold on to.
read my opinion peice on the right's vitriole towards minorities."the rights anti immgrantion rhetoric' thanks and bless you, Sir slave
THanks for reading
Great hub! I agree. Racists should just admit that they are racists. We know who they are, and they can 'justify' their intolerance until the cows come home, but that boat don't float. Like the President said, 'You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.'
Shea, I agree to a point. I think many people believe that they are not racist, but, yet, don't like a person or group of persons for unexplained reasons. They mean well, but it is hard to change mentality overnight.
Thanks for reading.
CaribeM 2 years ago
Good discussion. What is even more eye-popping is that pretty much the same people (Federal Lawmakers) that are blocking the efforts to make a comprehensive Immigration Reform Law, are applauding and excusing Arizona for approving that infamous law because the Federal government haven't done an immigration reform! (WTF!).
On the other hand, the people who denies the racist roots of the law should take a look to the trajectory and "friends" of the sponsor of law, Republican State Sen. Russell Pearce.