Racial Politics: SB 1070's New Crime: Breathing While Brown

There are two issues in the new immigration law in Arizona (SB 1070): Principle and Practice.

I will accept that the law does not allow police to just run around and pick up brown people off the street corner and accuse them of being illegal (though the practice of at least one sheriff seems to contradict that statement as we will see).  However, there are still problems.

In principle the law allows police broad discretion to use their prejudice to determine who might be here illegally.  When they pull me over and demand to see my liscense, which I have forgotten at home, am I going to be accused of being an illegal?  No, because I have pale skin and I speak excellent english.  Would my father be accused in the same circumstance?  probably, even though he speaks impeccable english, he has dark skin.  Would me grandmother?  most likely yes, because even though she is a citizen, she looks hispanic and she speaks soft english (but still fluent).  the problem is that even though each of us is a citizen, the police would be responsible for deciding which is more or less likely to be a citizen and make an accusation accordingly.  Thus, my problem.  My citizenship status, or that of my family members, is not decided by the police, and they have no right to accuse me of not being a citizen without cause.  And not having a driver's license on me is NOT cause.

In practice it appears that all the fears were warranted.  Today, Huffington Post reported that a Phoenix sheriff when on a crime sweep and rounded up 89 criminals 61 of which were illegals.  seems kinda strange that 61 of your 89 would be illegal.  If you are just rounding up criminals regardless of their status and with no prejudice why would such a large proportion be illegal?  Unless you are stupid enough to subscribe to the myth that illegals are here to commit crimes against us, this should make you question whether the cops were really out to find people they suspected of being illegals.

If you really believe any of the following you might be a little bit racist:
1) illegals are here to commit crimes against americans
2) illegals commit more crimes than other people in their communities
sorry to tell you but neither is true.  most illegal immigrants are here to find a peaceful life where their children can become successful and wealthy and live the American dream.

Looking to the future.  This whole debate has dug up issues from English as the National Language in Alabama to racist comparisons in the US House to censorship in schools.  Clearly this is a great law if it has such great affects.

Common Sense

Anti-Gay Rhetoric 101: How to Destroy a Republican Senator.

Usually it makes me smile when a self-righteous republican gets outed as a gay man (there are so few republican women that the probability of one of them being a lesbian is pretty low).  Lindsey Graham being accused of being gay is only slightly less amusing for me.  Not only because he seems like a decent guy and senator, but because it's almost like watching the kids in Lord of the Flies go crazy and kill the fat kid.  You wish that we were civilized enough not to kill the weaker members of the pack, but the GOP proves that we are not.

This seems to be just another example of the infighting going on in the GOP, but also it reveals that when you want to discredit a republican all you have to do is insinuate that they are gay.  It may or may not be true (Lindsey Graham seems like he could definitely be gay), but the point is that the insinuation is enough to make national news.  The GOP really thinks they are not homophobes and bigots?  I'm sorry, but if your whole strategy is to destroy someone's career by stoking fears that they MIGHT be gay, thats textbook homophobia.

On to a deeper point, lets say Lindsey Graham is gay.  If you've seen the movies Outraged (which you should watch to gain some perspective on the subject of closeted republicans) or Gay Republicans, you know that being gay on capitol hill is common for either party.  The republicans even have very open gay supporters.  So, why are they attacking their own people?  for the extreme anti-gay religious right?  for a voting block of a few million people?  As they say in Outrage, the gays make the capitol run on time.  In my experience the gays really do influence everything.  From the stereotypical gay fashionistas to the powerful mega-lesbian CEOs and senior business women.  Those are just stereotypes, gay men and women come in all shades in between those two extremes, but the point is YOU can't live without us, so why are you taking us on?

Common Sense

On The Environment: Drill, Baby...Spill?

There is plenty of hoopla streaming across the national media regarding the recent oil spill, and I couldn't help but notice a few rather interesting contradictions.

1) The big name "Drillers" from Palin to Steele haven't said a word.  Palin did however take time to point out that she too was part of an oil spill from the Exxon, and so she sympathizes with the families of the oil rig.  Thanks Sarah!  now how about some action.  Don't just say "I went through that too" and then continue to advocate policies with disastrous consequences (isn't the definition of insanity "doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result each time... I knew she was insane).  How about you actually advocate policies that don't cost billions in clean up costs and even more in irreversible natural loses.

2) Everyone is up in arms about the impending environmental disaster ... except 83% of fox news online viewers who when asked whether this disaster should result in a scaling back of oil drilling in the gulf responded "No, off shore drilling is necessary to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.  Drill, Baby, Drill."  It seems impossible to argue with that logic ... unless you have an ounce of basic intelligence.  First of all, drilling off the coast will only fractionally decrease our dependence on foreign oil reserves.  In fact, if we were able to immediately draw out all of the oil off the coast it would last about 5 years.  Thats not reality.  Reality is that working at full capacity, the best we could hope for is that we would meet less than 1% of world demand.  Since we only just opened up the coastal oil fields, and rigs cost $2 Billion and ten years to build, you do the math.  even our kids wont see our oil production at full capacity.


Now the question is, are we really willing to sacrifice our environment for a fraction of 1% of the market?  apparently the answer to these selfish neo-con thugs is yes.  And in 300 years when all the oil on earth runs out (assuming we survive that long) they can look forward to cleaning up the giant mess they made.  but if they have their way we wont survive that long.  we'll barely make it to 2050, at which time we wont have much of a planet left.  Thanks neo-cons.


3) where is the righteous indignation about "oil rig safety" that accompanied the disaster in the West Virginia Mine collapse?  Everyone is more interested in making this about Obama's energy policy (Fox News, HuffPo).  So, coal mine collapses, it's a labor issue, but if an oil rig explodes it's an issue of energy policy?  And where is the coverage of the 11 people who died on the oil rig?  I couldn't turn on the TV a week ago without hearing about the miners who died in WV, but I actually had to dig to find any mention of the oil rig crew.


Lesson learned?  1) GOP leaders are hypocrites.  2) Fox news viewers are selfish and more interested in driving their cars than perpetuating our planet past 2050.  3) The media grabs onto the first story line that causes controversy and pushes it till it's dead (or till all the people are dead).


Common Sense

Return of the Blogger

So, I just spent the last 4 months writing, defending, editing, and submitting my Master's Thesis.  Now that it's over and graduation is growing near, I have time to dedicate to blogging again.

It is also worth mentioning that one of my colleagues today informed me that she reads my blog and finds it amusing.  Thank for the support Mary. =)

So, where to begin?  there is just so much that has happened in the past 4 months that demands a little common sense.  Stay tuned...