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A little insight to Arizona’s SB 1070: Domino effect from deported farm workers?
Here’s what some protesters had to say:
“I don’t think that this law is American. I think it’s discriminatory,” said marcher Chelsea Halstead, a college student from Flagstaff, AZ. “I’m offended by it because this is a nation founded by immigrants.”“This is not what Arizona is about, hate,” said Armando Diaz, an American citizen. “But that is what this law is about.”
“It’s my civic duty,” said Dennis DuVall, a retired bus driver. “It shows commitment. People are willing to come out and walk five miles in 100 degrees. It’s important.”
One university professor, Luis Jimenez, echoed what Arizona law enforcement recently explained to U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder—that enforcing SB 1070 will divert precious law enforcement resources away from fighting crimes and break down the trust that police have spent years cultivating with local communities:
“You’re saying to the cop: ‘Go pick up that day laborer. Don’t worry about that guy committing crimes,’” said Jimenez, a naturalized citizen from Mexico who grew up in Phoenix.Meanwhile, a crowd of supporters—whom the New York Times characterized as “mostly white and middle aged or older”—carried signs reading
“Illegals out of the U.S.A.” while “Hit the Road, Jack” played in the background. The crowd gathered at a nearby stadium to defend the law.“We are not racists,” said Anne Hyde of Chandler, AZ. “This law is about respecting the laws of the nation and the economic impact of illegal immigration, which is enormous. My state is broke and they cost us with spending on schools, hospitals and other services.”
“The operative word in all this is ‘illegal,’” said Christine Griswold of Palm Desert, CA. “It has nothing to do with their race. It’s that they’re coming to the country illegally.”
Posted by flashpointgrafix at 13:27 July 29, 2010 in: Neighborhood News »
Tagged with: interview, sb1070, wendy carillio
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