Arizona

Hi, Shoji,

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I'm sorry I can't comment specifically on the topic of Arizona's immigration law as discussed on your blog.  We are in the middle of our daughter's wedding events.  We are hosting a dinner this evening, then another on Friday after the wedding rehearsal, then the wedding and wedding dinner are on Saturday.

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So I will just make some general comments.

1.I have not read and studied the new Arizona immigration control law.  I suspect that most of those who have been commenting also have not read the law.

2.The law was passed by a Republican controlled government in Arizona, and outsiders assume that their intentions are nationalistic, authoritarian, and a little racist, because that is who the Arizona Republicans are--the party of old, white, angry men.

   1.(The sheriff of Maricopa County, the largest and most populous part of Arizona is exactly one of these men.  He is also the most aggressive, fascist bully in America.  I am not overstating.  He consistently uses force against his perceived enemies.  He has raided the offices of any politician who does not support him 100%.  The only comparison for him is a Mafia chief--no respect for the law, no respect for decency, a full commitment to violence against all who disagree.)

3.The spokesman for the Arizona Republicans claims that there is nothing in their law that is not in the national immigration laws.  They just intend to enforce the law more rigorously than the national government.  This may be true; I don't know.

4.The opposition to the new law comes from a wide variety of sources, including most Democrats about half the Republican office-holders from outside Arizona.  These are Republicans who have large numbers of Hispanic voters in their districts.

   1.I suspect that support and opposition are based largely on symbolic grounds.  Democrats are naturally sympathetic to the oppression of poor and minority people.  Republicans like to demonstrate that they are strong in maintaining the security of white people (especially angry white Southern men). 

    2.The new law may be perfectly reasonable, but Democrats will object to its symbolism (oppression of Mexicans) and Republicans who have Hispanic voters will object because they don't want to appear anti-Mexican.

5.Non-political organizations, such as sports clubs and teachers associations, have begun to cancel meetings in Arizona.  Any group that has Hispanic members or that represents liberal interests wants to show their disapproval of the new law.  A news story yesterday said that 26 meetings and conventions have already been moved away from Arizona.  The economic impact is expected to be significant. 

6.As I said, I don't know if the new immigration law deserves this sort of strong opposition, but the opposition is happening.  (Of course, this opposition doesn't change the minds of the law's supporters.  They will never concede.)

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That's all I know.

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Best,

Michael