Papers, Please

I'm baffled, horrified, and yes, a little bit frightened by the new Arizona immigration law. Not that it will affect me all that much where I live. But the concept of the police being able to stop me because I "look" Hispanic and I would have to have papers on me to prove I'm a citizen. In Arizona. A US state. It's surreal.

Odds are I wouldn't get stopped, as I don't look extremely Spanish. But what about my mother? A legal immigrant and a US citizen for umpteen years? She looks Spanish. Very fluent in English, yet speaks with a Spanish accent.

In Arizona, she would have to carry proof that she is an American citizen. What the hell is going on with this country? And does anyone think that this is going to stop illegal immigration? Do you think these people are going to be scared of this? With the risks and dangers they face just to get here in the first place?

And what about those people of Hispanic origin, like my sister in law, or some friends of mine in CA, that are American born, American citizens? What about their kids, who look Hispanic? My nieces, nephew? They'll have to carry proof they're legal citizens if they're in Arizona or go there? WTF? And what is the proof? Social security cards? Birth certificates? Passports? All items we're not supposed to carry on us because of identity theft.

And those ID thieves will have a hey-dey. Anyone of Hispanic origin in Arizona will now become a target for mugging and theft, just for their identity papers. And isn't that a scary phrase "identity papers."  Hate to trot out the trite comparison with Nazi Germany. But there it is.

Are the cops even going to have the time or the will to implement this? I just can't see how this will be effective. Maybe it'll just be used on people that have been stopped for other crimes, serious crimes, not just traffic misdemeanors. I can hope, can't I?

If we are serious about immigration reform, we need to change our guest worker policy and the way we grant visas. Stop the "family first" and create a policy that responds quickly and efficiently to our economy and its needs first. Then we'll get in the workers we need, people will stand a better chance of getting in, therefore cutting down on need to come here illegally. Our current system and quotas are inefficient and dumb.

And personally, having been stopped by armed police in South America who demanded to see my passport and visa, it's a horrible feeling. Not something I'd want my mother, sil, nieces, nephew, friends or anyone else subjected to.