ARIZONA IGNITES FIRESTORM

Governor Jan Brewer and the state of Arizona set off a firestorm by enacting Arizona SB1070. Why within days of the bill being signed, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, President Obama, Attorney General Holder, and Janet Napolitano, among many others started criticizing the bill as "Racial Profiling. It was only later, they all admitted to not having read the bill. Gee, can you imagine forming an opinion about something you don't have enough information with which to form a FAIR opinion?

So, what does SB1070 really do? It empowers law enforcement officers who have a LEGAL basis to question a person, to ask them to provide documentation of a legal right to be in the United States. Officers must have a reason to come into contact with a person, such as a traffic stop or some other infraction or cause to have contact with a person. Then, if the person cannot speak English...Duh isn't it then REASONABLE TO ASK FOR IDENTIFICATION AND LEGAL STATUS? This applies to anyone, not just Mexican, Central or South American immigrants (legal or not).

Let's examine the real reason for all the hand ringing. First of, if we deported all the illegal immigrants from Mexico alone, the Mexican economy would crash and burn worse than it already has. Mexico DEPENDS on American money earned by illegal immigrants and sent back to Mexico. Secondly, the strain on their health care and educational systems would cause them to collapse. Thirdly, the American agriculture, and hard labor industries business would have to pay significantly higher wages to American workers who have wage guarantees. Our own economy would worsen (for awhile).

Having said that, we would then be able to save millions, if not billions we are currently spending on social and health care services we are currently providing for illegal immigrants, and could reduce taxes and/or redirect much of the money saved.

As for the argument this law will lead to racial profiling, it is a bogus argument. SB1070 actually mirrors Mexico's own law. Mexican law REQUIRES all federal, state, and municipal authorities to question residency status of anyone they come into contact with. Furthermore, Mexican officials routinely stop, question, beat, shake down, and deport illegal immigrants from Central and South America. But Oh My God, it is just awful that Arizona has a law that follows our own federal immigration law. The fear is that now WE in Arizona, will actually enforce immigration policy. If I go to ANY other country, I must prove I have a legal right to work and be in that country whenever and wherever I am asked about my residency status.

This begs the question: Should there be a path to citizenship for those who are currently here illegally? I say YES, there should be. Many of the illegal immigrants here are hard working people who pay taxes. This is the path I would follow: Require them to go back to their home country, apply for legal residency, show proof they lived in the United States, were employed, and paid taxes. They may then receive a three year work visa and if, after three years they have remained employed and not committed a crime, they would be allowed to apply for citizenship just as anyone else can. No one who was here illegally and committed a crime would be allowed to return to the US under any circumstances.

And that's what Average Joe Thinks.