Arizona's madness

It is a terrible time in this state.

* Arizona has lots of racists, and their most powerful patron saints are Senator Russell Pearce & Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Backed up by hatemongers on radio and TV, these two have maintained power by relentlessly engendering fear in white voters and conflating hardworking migrants and drug smugglers .

* Pearce's new law SB 1070 (yes, I have read it all) is a stew of bills that he could not get passed before. It legally binds every law officer in Arizona to question people about their status if the officer is suspicious -- read brown people.

* It makes it a crime to give shelter or a ride to undocumented people if you know they are undocumented. Even waving your hand to request yard work is a crime.

* It makes it a crime for documented immigrants to move around without their papers -- again read brown people.

* Arizona's budget deficit is over $3,000,000,000 and the state is chopping education and healthcare and even closing highway rest stops, But this insane law is going to cost millions -- and it will distract police from fighting real crime.

* Hispanics are going to be afraid to report crimes like assault, sex abuse and robbery to the police.

I urge readers across Arizona, across our country and beyond to stand against this outrageous racial-profiling law. You can help by asking your relatives and friends to join in boycotting Arizona -- as tourists, sports fans, hikers, whatever. If they work for a company that plans a convention in Arizona, they can push for cancellation and choice of another state. Anyone can complain (24 hours) to Gov. Jan Brewer who signed the bill -- at 602-542-4331.

Si, se puede -- yes we can!