aw shouldn't be a problem, right?? WRONG!!! Just as with the legal system and law enforcement in general, I have no problem with the concept itself, it's the day-to-day operation of the enforcement that lends itself to corruption and flaws. So - switching back into my Conspiracy Brother mode - now the law has given cops a free pass to harass anyone they deem as "suspicious," namely minorities. It's not a surprise that the police are regular people, many of whom are caught up on the power the police shield bears. Many Americans, especially those in border states, have a problem with the fact that so many Latinos are illegally crossing the border and stealing so many labor jobs from US citizens. So it's undeniable that there is some element of this prejudice that is backed by the power of the police shield. So enforcement can start as simple and straightforward as stopping anybody they feel like on the streets and checking their legality. Later, they could be using this as an excuse to shut down parties and any gathering of populations they don't favor; similar to the unwritten Jim Crow practices that police weren't to allow gathering of more than three Black people at a time in public places. In time, they will be able to use the law as a loophole to get around warrants for searches and seizures. Imagine turning on the news and some raid has taken place and the cops justify going in without a warrant by saying "we saw people walking inside that we suspected may be illegal immigrants, so we broke the door down and happened to find some suspicious things." And if those who do have green cards can land in police custody if they don't have them on their person then the police have an easy scare tactic/threat to back up any prejudice an officer may bear. Law enforcement officers already tamper evidence and find loopholes to support widespread corruption and racial profiling; I predict this law will do nothing but make it worse if a firm hand does not keep street level enforcers in check about how they're allowed to go about enforcement of this law. I don't have confidence that someone will keep them in line adequately. I'll end by saying, I'm glad I'm not a Latino living in Arizona right about now; and that coming from a young Black male living in the South. My Inner Conspiracy Brother has spoken...P.S. I know that picture had nothing to do with the topic but it was too funny to pass up. Distasteful, I know, But I've Been Called Worse...
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
My Inner Conspiracy Brother: New Arizona Immigration Law
As a young Black male who's has either experienced first hand or heard closely about many of the possible ills with our law enforcement and legal systems, I'm never going to think the way that our traditional lawmakers do about their legislation. Another example of that has arisen lately. In Arizona, a law has been passed giving law enforcement the authority to stop and demand the proper identification from anyone they deem as suspicious. The concept is to safeguard against illegal immigration, which has identified as a major problem in that area. At this point, everything sound legit, after all, there are some 25 million illegal aliens or more in the US many of which cross the border in Arizona or nearby. This simply reinforces existing immigration regulations that most people, myself included, have no real problems with. So this new l
aw shouldn't be a problem, right?? WRONG!!! Just as with the legal system and law enforcement in general, I have no problem with the concept itself, it's the day-to-day operation of the enforcement that lends itself to corruption and flaws. So - switching back into my Conspiracy Brother mode - now the law has given cops a free pass to harass anyone they deem as "suspicious," namely minorities. It's not a surprise that the police are regular people, many of whom are caught up on the power the police shield bears. Many Americans, especially those in border states, have a problem with the fact that so many Latinos are illegally crossing the border and stealing so many labor jobs from US citizens. So it's undeniable that there is some element of this prejudice that is backed by the power of the police shield. So enforcement can start as simple and straightforward as stopping anybody they feel like on the streets and checking their legality. Later, they could be using this as an excuse to shut down parties and any gathering of populations they don't favor; similar to the unwritten Jim Crow practices that police weren't to allow gathering of more than three Black people at a time in public places. In time, they will be able to use the law as a loophole to get around warrants for searches and seizures. Imagine turning on the news and some raid has taken place and the cops justify going in without a warrant by saying "we saw people walking inside that we suspected may be illegal immigrants, so we broke the door down and happened to find some suspicious things." And if those who do have green cards can land in police custody if they don't have them on their person then the police have an easy scare tactic/threat to back up any prejudice an officer may bear. Law enforcement officers already tamper evidence and find loopholes to support widespread corruption and racial profiling; I predict this law will do nothing but make it worse if a firm hand does not keep street level enforcers in check about how they're allowed to go about enforcement of this law. I don't have confidence that someone will keep them in line adequately. I'll end by saying, I'm glad I'm not a Latino living in Arizona right about now; and that coming from a young Black male living in the South. My Inner Conspiracy Brother has spoken...P.S. I know that picture had nothing to do with the topic but it was too funny to pass up. Distasteful, I know, But I've Been Called Worse...
aw shouldn't be a problem, right?? WRONG!!! Just as with the legal system and law enforcement in general, I have no problem with the concept itself, it's the day-to-day operation of the enforcement that lends itself to corruption and flaws. So - switching back into my Conspiracy Brother mode - now the law has given cops a free pass to harass anyone they deem as "suspicious," namely minorities. It's not a surprise that the police are regular people, many of whom are caught up on the power the police shield bears. Many Americans, especially those in border states, have a problem with the fact that so many Latinos are illegally crossing the border and stealing so many labor jobs from US citizens. So it's undeniable that there is some element of this prejudice that is backed by the power of the police shield. So enforcement can start as simple and straightforward as stopping anybody they feel like on the streets and checking their legality. Later, they could be using this as an excuse to shut down parties and any gathering of populations they don't favor; similar to the unwritten Jim Crow practices that police weren't to allow gathering of more than three Black people at a time in public places. In time, they will be able to use the law as a loophole to get around warrants for searches and seizures. Imagine turning on the news and some raid has taken place and the cops justify going in without a warrant by saying "we saw people walking inside that we suspected may be illegal immigrants, so we broke the door down and happened to find some suspicious things." And if those who do have green cards can land in police custody if they don't have them on their person then the police have an easy scare tactic/threat to back up any prejudice an officer may bear. Law enforcement officers already tamper evidence and find loopholes to support widespread corruption and racial profiling; I predict this law will do nothing but make it worse if a firm hand does not keep street level enforcers in check about how they're allowed to go about enforcement of this law. I don't have confidence that someone will keep them in line adequately. I'll end by saying, I'm glad I'm not a Latino living in Arizona right about now; and that coming from a young Black male living in the South. My Inner Conspiracy Brother has spoken...P.S. I know that picture had nothing to do with the topic but it was too funny to pass up. Distasteful, I know, But I've Been Called Worse...
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