Linda Greenhouse, who writes about the Supreme Court and the law for The New York Times, says she won’t be visiting Arizona again “as long as it remains a police state, which is what the appalling anti-immigrant bill that Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law last week has turned it into.”
Greenhouse — a Pulitzer Prize winner who teaches at Yale Law School — warns that all the soothing jabber about “reasonable suspicion” and “lawful contact” is so much chin music, a scanty “fig leaf of reassurance,” given that this odious law provides that a person “is guilty of trespassing by being present on any public or private land in this state” while lacking authorization to be in the United States, which she says creates “a new crime of breathing while undocumented,” a lighter shade of DWB (Driving While Black).
She goes on to say that while it’s by no means a safe bet, given the current roster of the Supremes, pre-emption by the federales seems to be the best line of attack, noting that high-court precedents “make clear that immigration is a federal matter and that the Constitution does not authorize the states to conduct their own foreign policies.”
In the meantime, she proposes that “the good people of Arizona — and anyone passing through — walk the streets of Tucson and Phoenix wearing buttons that say: “I Could Be Illegal.'”
That ought to punch their buttons.
Mad Blog Media 
If I had any reason to go to Arizona I’d get one of those buttons — but better to stay the hell out and let the racist bastards alone…and encourage the rest to undo this silly law. The Italian government is headed this way though divisions are showing up against the Northern League BS that may prevent it. Meanwhile, who’ll win the Giro? I’ll be going up to Montalcino to see the (hopefully) epic stage on the white roads of Tuscany, then to the Terminillo stage and finishing with the Cave di Tirreni stage…all pretty easy to get to from here in Viterbo.
With me being of Lebanose extraction and my bride a Punjabi, I think we will stay outa Albania, er, I mean Arizona… until they come to their senses or unless we want to win a civil rights lawsuit.
As we say in New Mexico: the reason its so windy here is because TX sucks and AZ blows.
Bottom line is we need a real immigration policy in the USA. With Congressional Donks and Repugs more intent on buggering each other (and us) than on doing work, we will keep waiting.
I live in Phoenix. Where do i get one of these buttons?
Can’t wait for Officers Hernandez and Garcia to start pulling over Thurston B Howell III in his Lincoln Town Car, or Charles Emerson Winchester (also III?) in the backseat of his chauffeur-driven Bentley, to point out that they failed to signal during that lane change, and oh by the way, while we’re pulled over here, how about showing us your declaration of citizenship papers?
Steve O’ – Yes, He was a third too. That exactly what I’ve been suggesting that needs to happen. I can see that law being used as one of those lovely “add on” charges.
Makes me glad I don’t live in the jurisdiction of Der Arizona Korps. I drove over to Palmer Park for a trail run this morning and neglected to take my papers with me. I could’ve been deported to County Clare, ancestral home to the Ó Grádaigh clan, renowned for its intellectuals, artists, authors, chieftains and tosspots.
Shit. Maybe I should chuck the wallet and move to Arizona. A free trip to the auld sod sounds pretty good right now.
I want a button too, just in case I slide too far south on a ride out of Durango. Though, read this (especially the comment section) and you might add Durango to the “do not visit” list. I say come to Durango, but bring your Mountain Bike! Apparently the teabaggers here hate bikers as much as Palin hates -well, does she like anything really? Anyway, no road riding for me around here for awhile – this after last year a driver pulled a gun on the group ride!
http://www.durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/04/27/Cyclist_injured_after_hit_by_car/ and find
I can’t speak Italian well enough, nor a word of Arabic, in order to fake being a wetback, or I would just for shits and grins. When we lived in Hawaii, my wife, who grew up there, used to say I could pass for a “local” or “local Portuguese” as long as I kept my mouth shut and my rubber slippahs on. Once the piehole was open, everyone knew I was a haole transplant from New York.
“local” or “local Portuguese.”
lordy, that brought back some memories.
i remember my first windward-side HBL ride/luau. someone was looking for Gary. “Which Gary?” someone asked. “Chinese Gary, Portuguese Gary, haole Gary, or mixed Gary?” funny how matter-of-fact everyone was with race or ethnicity. In fact, you could tell anyone you were anything, and they’d take you at your word, but then they’d hold you to it. You claim to be from Upper Slobovia, and you’d better bring a Slobovian dish to the next get-together.
That was the great thing about Hawaii–everybody was a minority, and everyone was pretty frank about it without too much baggage. Where else in the country could Frank DeLima have gotten away with his brand of humor:
http://popup.lala.com/popup/937030201852824319
Well, there were a lot of great things about Hawaii, its honest and usually gentle racial banter one of them. Not to mention Zippy’s chili and rice with mac salad after a long tandem ride on the Windward side and back to Hawaii Kai.
HBL was fun too, if I don’t say so myself as one of its past presidents.
Khal, I still have a couple of Iron Okole t-shirts that seem to be holding up fairly well, despite appearing to have shrunk by two sizes over the last fifteen years. Yeah, it’s the shirts that are getting smaller, not my belly getting bigger …
I still have a vast collection of HBL ride t-shirts, three HBL jerseys, and a whole raft of aloha shirts. Like you, mine look a little…um…small for me these days. Darned if I don’t have a single Iron Okole t-shirt.
Does anyone here on the Mainland ever ask you what the “iron okole” was? BTW, when were you out in Paradise? I lived there from 1987-2001.
“The potential tech backlash over the law may have begun yesterday with a call by San Francisco City Atty. Dennis Herrera ‘to adopt and implement a sweeping boycott of the State of Arizona and Arizona-based businesses.'”
Does Arizona actually export anything of value?
Roger on the “iron okole.” Weirdest thing was wearing my Great Aloha Run t-shirt while running around in St Louis, walking into REI there, and seeing someone else with the exact same shirt.
I will see the occasional Wet Okole seat cover around here.
Was there 1996-1999. Lived in Kailua, worked at Ft Shafter. Loved how folks from Honolulu called Kailua the “country.” Oh, you live in the country, they’d say. Like it was a million miles away.
Ben,
When I lived in San Diego the locals always dreaded this time of year. The Zonies made their yearly exodus to the coast – sort of like people going to “the shore” in Jersey – except they are older, can’t drive worth a sheit and always infused way too much blue hair into any mall scene. So to answer your question: NO…as long as by “value” you mean the usual definition.