REFLECTIONS ON THE ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW

Susie L. Hoeller, J.D.

May 26, 2010

Introduction

On April 23, 2010, the Arizona Governor signed into law, the “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act” (“S.B. 1070”). Section 1 of S.B. 1070 sets forth the legislative intent as follows:

“The legislature finds that there is a compelling interest in the cooperative enforcement of federal immigration laws throughout Arizona. The legislature declares that the intent of this act is to make attrition through enforcement the public policy of all state and local government agencies in Arizona. The provisions of this act are intended to work together to discourage and deter the unlawful entry and presence of aliens and economic activity by persons unlawfully present in the United States.”    

The law is controversial but polls show that a slim majority of Arizonans and Americans support it.   (more…)

Discussions and Stories II

An Informal Look at Democratic Ideals and Democratic Realities

By David Armando Zelaya

I last asked for a step forward. I now ask for a step back.  I ask that you step back from the minute by minute news ticker in perpetual rotation and instead exchange those minutes for days, your days for months, your months for years and your years for centuries. You’ll find that the jagged peaks and valleys on your Wall Street Journal turn to curves. The weather becomes something more serene. There is less to know and therefore less reason to worry. When Old-man Time is given leave to come and go, his volatile and chaotic whims and rants fade and blur, giving way like an old Van Gogh. It’s a trait not unnoticed and maybe even our cause for attributing wisdom to age.

In our previous discussion something was gained by this. Flawed democracy (more…)