Juan-Manuel Sanchez Writes From The Heart About Unfair Arizona Immigration Law
When Arizona Governor Brewer signed that state’s unfair immigration bill into law there were many reactions. One of the most powerful however was the comment on this blog written in response to my post about the need to boycott Arizona until this matter is reversed. Juan-Manuel Sanchez wrote the following.
I thank you for reminding me of the decency we share as Americans. In times like these is easy for us to become polarized. It is easy for me to see a land divided by ethnicity. A country composed of us and them. My family is Native American with a Spanish surname which simply means the first European my ancestor came in contact with was Spanish. He was baptized into the Catholic church drafted at gun point into the Spanish army and became part of the band of soldiers who built the presidio at Monterey California. When my father was a little boy he and his family were deported in 1930 after congress passed the repatriation act of 1929 regardless of being in California since its inception. The law was to deport only the illegal Mexicans. My fathers and his family were guilty of only one thing, being brown. I grew up hearing those stories of my dad and his family being put in cattle cars at the Santa Fe railroad station in Colton California and arriving in Mexico and not speaking Spanish. My grandfather had been a switchman for the Sante fe railroad. I remember thinking as a child that it could never happen to me or my children because that law was passed then because people back then where not as informed or enlightened as we are now. I heard Governor Brewer exclaim this law only applied to illegal immigrants and she would not tolerate profiling! My children and I like my father are guilty of being brown. I forget about that most the time until things like these come up. I begin to think of us and them. Then I read your words and you are as incensed about the injustice of this as I am. You remind me of what unites us as Americans our shared values in justice and most common decency!
I Thank You
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No, it is I who thank you for the passion of your words. Together all of us who oppose this law will prevail and see it removed.
Rick,
Let me assure you that ‘hero’ has not read the bill. This is the level of depth of his comments on any matter. He will have to eat crow when the courts serve him dinner. Now lets work to get an injunction on this racist law.
Have you read the law? If you have then please explain how you can make such a statement that it is constitutional. You are blowing smoke!
Given your intellectual heft I will save your comment and in the weeks and months to come remind you of it.
well since there is nothing unconstitutional about the law its a mute point.
No, you are wrong.
I know you teabaggers think you know something about the Constitution. But a state can not make an unconstitutional law to deal with a problem they think the federal government has not handled to their liking. States can not take illegal acts just because they think they can.
Now go back and read the Constitution.
Could result in racial profiling, and possible it may be constitutionally legal which it is, and finally when the federal government refuses to protect its borders then the states have the right to protect its self interest and people. If the feds would do the job they are suppose to be stopping the illegal invasion from Mexico states would not have to take these steps. But hey don’t let little facts that cloud your hysterical reaction to a very good law.
The problem you have is that there is too much attention paid to the spin from FAUX News on this matter. It is clear to me from your comment that you have not read the law or know much about it. If you had read the law you would know it would result in racial profiling, give the state immigration enforcement responsibility the Constitution says should be left to the federal government alone, and possibly violate constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. I know that facts are pesky things you like to neglect.
what is so odd is this is not an anti immigration bill but a law to protect the borders and the people in this country from illegals who are breaking the law by coming here illegally. not real hard yo understand.