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Some don't buy Arizona boycotts
A sign reading 'Arizona, The Grand Canyon State Welcomes You' along the state's New Mexico border on Interstate 10
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Kai Ryssdal: Seattle is the latest city to boycott Arizona. Kind of. The Seattle City council approved a boycott last night to protest Arizona's tough new immigration law. But they managed to do it in a way that maintains the only substantive contract the city has with an Arizona company: $1.3 million to run Seattle's red light cameras, if you're curious. But even token protests like that can add up. Other cities have approved actual economic boycotts. So those who favor tougher immigration laws are fighting back, trying their best to support Arizona financially.
Janet Babin reports.
Janet Babin: Genevieve Peters vacationed in southern Nevada this past weekend. But the L.A. native also went out of her way to cross into Arizona.
Genevieve Peters: We went over there and spent money. We filled up our gas tank, and we ate breakfast before we traveled home.
Peters is what's called a "buy-cotter." She uses her pocketbook to support Arizona's new immigration law. Los Angeles, Boston and New York are among a growing list of entities boycotting Arizona because of the bill.
Peters says they have no right.
Peters: Have you checked with the people? Have you taken a poll? No, you haven't.
Not only are some groups supporting the buy-cott, they're hoping 13 others states enact similar laws.
Opponents of the bill say it could lead to racial profiling. It certainly led to funny comedy skits, like this one from Second City that features a Latino tourist running from the law.
Sound of police siren in Second City skit
Man in skit: Arizona, it's not for everybody.
Woman in skit: From the Arizona Office of Tourism. Come for the barren desert wasteland, stay for the hospitality.
That's the type of profiling Kristen Jarnagin with the Arizona Hotel and Lodging Association wants to avoid. The group's trying to put a face to the people the boycott impacts the most.
Kristen Jarnagin: We have 200,000 people in our state employed by tourism. When people cancel meetings or they decide not to come, those people who are hurt the most are the hourly employees.
Jarnagin says the first goal is to stop the bleeding, and prevent other cities from joining the boycott. Then, the group will focus on the long-term challenge of getting tourists back to Arizona.
I'm Janet Babin for Marketplace.
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I served in the US army, proudly and love this great nation, now I know why we are hated around the world, cause we act like idiots and biggets, all we think about is me me, yes Im hispanic, but it makes me sad when we play god, and we seperate families, children. We protect animals better than humans. Hispanics been here longer than any of your readers here, and haved served this nation, and with great pride. But it really pi--- me off when you have idiots in Arizona dictating laws and profiling people, like we are supposed to take the back seat. I will go to war against this BS. Hispanics are hard working citizens and do not need to be harassed by your inconsiderate laws. hispanics will unite and there will be no simpathy for Arizona. California will not vote for this nonsense.
New York has a huge illegal immigration problem whom enjoy the support of our dysfunctional Albany legislature. I can attest to the fact that New Yorkers do not support this nonsense about boycotting Arizona. We would welcome a law much like Arizona's. Further, I am one of many New Yorkers who support the BUYCOTT of Arizona businesses and its products. We also support its law enforcement, Gov. Brewer and the good people of Arizona.
I don't get the outrage against Arizona. People from NY are not living AZ's problems.
Arizona is tired of having its cops ambushed and killed. People are tired of illegals.
And what about all the legal immigrants? They did everything properly and are tax paying citizens. Illegals undercut them too.
PS: The requirement of immigrants to carry their immigration card or documents is a federal law that has existed since Roosevelt (that would be the dude that fought the Nazis). Arizona's law is one that requires police to request these papers.
J Acosta wrote:
"MOST legal Mexican-Americans like myself, completely support the law"
Speak for yourself, J Acosta, or change that sentence to say:
"MOST legal self-hating Mexican-Americans like myself, completely support the law and don't mind being racially profiled at all."
Honoring the sanctity of one nation's borders is one of the most widely accepted practices among all members of the United Nations. The U.S. always welcomes immigrants, but illegal immigration is a violation of our national sovereignty and poses real threats to US legal residents and illegal immigration.
Boycott Arizona | Wrong Move
Dear Seattle
The people of Arizona who support legislation to stop illegal immigration are not racist. The people of Arizona who are against human trafficking, drug smuggling, uninsured motorists and other crimes are not racist. Nothing in 1070 supports your twisted view or your attack Arizona’s economy.
Wrong Move.
E.M.
Scottsdale, Az.
GOD BLESS THE GREAT STATE OF ARIZONA. Someone has to take the lead. All the states that border Mexico should adopt the same policy.There's nothing wrong withArizona defending her people and property. If Washington was doing it's job this wouldn't be needed. People who are protesting this law have no idea what it's like to have their state invaded. Lets go Texas and New Mexico, get on the ball. California is a lost cause. Go Arizona.
It is a recurrent theme of comments on the immigration law in Arizona that Americans are not well informed about the laws of their own country. First, the federal government controls our borders. This is an essential part of our federal system and has been in place since 1789. Arizona's law is a direct challenge to the American constitution. It may be as fundamental a challenge as the issue that we fought a Civil War over. But Arizona's law must fall. It can not stand in our federal constitutional system. Second, as one commenter posted, it is common for State laws to cooperate with federal law enforcement, specifically immigration laws. Arizona's laws go much farther and empower state law enforcment to enforce what is really a federal matter. We can argue as to whether it will lead to racial profiling, but that outcome seems obvious. Think about the peace officer trying to do his job. Who is he/she most likely to stop and challenge? Third, the reference to Terry v Ohio is really not appropriate. That dealt with whether we may be challenged by peace officers while we are minding our own business. The Supreme Coutt said we could not, unless there is a reasonable suspeicion of criminality. Once there is such an articulable suspicision (looking strange doesn't suffice) then the officer may pat down the person for weapons.
What is not reported much is that Arizona turned this reasonable approach on its head. Arizonians can now possess, without a license, concealed weapons. So we have a very volatile situation developing in Arizona. Police officer challenges a person but the person may be packing. This is worse than the wild West. At least most of the gunslingers had the firearm strapped to their leg.
Whatever the purpose of Arizona's laws - the anti immigrant law or concealed weapon law - they were ill conceived and dangerous. States can and must do better. Breaking the constitution to get the federal government to tighten up immigration laws is like burning down your house to cook a hamburger.
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