Immigration column/Arizona

he recent passage of a law in the State of Arizona allowing police and other law enforcement officials to pull over or detain anyone who looks like they might be an “Illegal alien” is an abomination unto itself, and should be repealed immediately.

What the heck is this country coming to?

The people running the show in Arizona have short memories. The United States wouldn’t be in existence if a bunch of European pilgrims had not come here, made the decision that “this is ours for the taking” and then did just that, killing, raping and ultimately stealing the land from the natives whose land it was for centuries.

In true capitalist fashion the white man tricked and fooled the natives out of their property. Trading blankets for land was a bargain indeed, since the blankets were infected with smallpox and other diseases, and the tribes were nearly wiped out.

Later, we decided that, “Oops, we did a bad thing and got called out for it, so let’s make reparations. We’ll give them a little land for themselves, call them reservations. Let them have their own laws and that will make it all better. “

What a crock.

All of that said, reality is now there is a ridiculous paranoia in this land. The dreaded Mexican menace is taking over “our” country. My God, build fences, install motion sensors, arm guards at the borders, keep these Indians out! Yes, folks, Mexican s are “Indians” too. Natives in what is now this country were Cherokee, Sioux, Apache, Comanche, Pima and many other tribes. To the south, Mayans, Incas, Tainos and other tribes were the rightful landowners. Who knows what might have happened if Columbus and his ilk had landed in Cancun?

The United States is a country that people want to come into. These days their sanity might be in question, but on the whole the standard of living here is better and there is a chance to make a life for oneself here. Let them come. Let them stay, let them work, let them become part of our economy and our communities.

We grant Cubans and others asylum. There is no asylum for Mexicans -- only harassment and deportation. They risk their lives to come here. Let’s reward that gamble with citizenship, or at the very least green cards or work permits. It will help this country.

“They’re taking our jobs!” cry the brave patriots. Yes, darn it, I was unable to get that great job I wanted selling oranges by the interstate, or the other gig I wanted throwing pine needles around those big houses in Alpharetta, or deep-frying stuff for rich Americans.

If anything, these workers who come north from Mexico are the victims of the real criminals, the corporations who hire them and pay them substandard wages and mistreat them in many ways. Show me any job of substance that is being done by an illegal Mexican alien and I’ll show you a bigfoot flying an UFO.

What is going on in Arizona is patently illegal and wrong. Narrow-minded politicians are targeting brown-skinned people with no probable cause. We have a Constitution and it’s being spit on.

We stole this land and now don’t want to let anyone else come and play! That’s the way it is. Shame on Arizona, and shame on us.