Achtung, May I See Your Papers?

I’ve been ignoring the Arizona immigration law until I had time to really think about what it means and what the consequences could be.  Besides being a clear line in the sand between how conservatives and liberals (what else is new…) view the issue, the conservatives are railing on President Obama for showing support of President Calderon’s strong opposition of the new law. Many conservatives are accusing Obama of being un-American for not standing up in support of Arizona’s pro-active immigration stance and the recent Calderon exchange threw more gas on the fire.

Obama has been consistent is stating that people immigrate to America, not Arizona, and immigration is a federal issue. Conservatives complain that Obama and the Democrats are not moving fast enough on this issue, but they’ll do everything in their power to stonewall or filibuster any changes the Democrats propose. By the way, isn’t this just another issue that sat on the back steps for eight years under Bush like a large bag of overripe Zucchini in August??

People say unless you live in Arizona you can’t appreciate the “problem” that exists there.  We’ve had Canadians coming into New Hampshire forever and they haven’t created a problem. In fact, they’re an integral part of the social fabric in New Hampshire.  They make New Hampshire special. People say, yeah, but they were legal aliens. I wonder. The New Hampshire border was very porous until 911 came along. My son in law grew up in Colebrook. They could drive across unpatroled country borders like you’d go to a Seven Eleven.  I’m sure many Canadians made a life in New Hampshire “illegally”.

Arizona is the same. Arizona would not be Arizona without Mexicans. The culture and the social fabric of Arizona is defined by Mexican heritage as much as by Native American heritage. By not acting with empathy toward these people and their plight, Arizonians are rejecting themselves.

Least we forget, the US Government took Arizona through a war with Mexico in 1848, ending 300 years of Spanish domination in the southwest. If we take a long view of what happened in history, just who are the illegal immigrants, the Americans or the Mexicans??

I believe we should have an open border policy- let everyone come to America who wants to come here. That’s what made us a great country.  We should stand behind what is inscribed at the base of Lady Liberty:

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breath free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”