Ever since Gov. Janet Brewer signed the new immigration law into effect in Arizona a firestorm of controversy has erupted. Arizona is no stranger to controversy especially controversy that has racial undertones. It seems they learned absolutely nothing from their refusing to celebrate and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And Arizona paid for it dearly in hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tourism revenue due to their insensitivity and being out of touch with today’s world.

I feel I can speak as an authority on this issue in Arizona. I was born and raised in the small hamlet of El Mirage . Arizona has always seemed to have an anti-Latino attitude as far back as I can remember. As a young boy in grade school I can recall vividly white teachers washing out the mouths of young Mexican students with soap for speaking Spanish in class. Yes, you heard me correctly washing out their mouth with soap for speaking their native language!

The only reason I speak Spanish to this day is because my mother was a proud Cuban woman who insisted that I speak both languages properly. Then take the case of the braceros who came to work the fields in the hot Arizona sun for measly wages. They were basically treated as chattel as something less than human. They were seen as beasts of burden to toil at hard manual labor in the fields from sun up to sun down for ruthless gringo overseers of the local farms and ranches throughout Arizona.

So this anti-immigration fervor that has hit recently is not a surprise. I do agree that we need comprehensive immigration reform. This move by Arizona has obviously forced the government’s hand to readdress the issue of immigration in this country. I find it amazing that the governor and all of her supporters are claiming there are no racial profiling provisions in this new law. Now I find that point to be very interesting, how could the authorities not racially profile since this is honestly aim towards Latinos or anyone who looks Latino?

The Valley of the Sun in the Phoenix area has long been hailed the second home of many Canadians who winter in Arizona. In fact you can see the Canadian flag flying at resorts in the posh suburbs of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Gilbert, and Tucson etc.  Canadians are welcome in Arizona with open arms and are never asked for their papers or their immigration status. There are quite a few white South Africans that reside in Arizona I doubt that they will be pulled over and asked to produce papers either.

Immigration debate has intensified as of late in Phoenix Arizona. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is regarded as the ultimate law enforcement officer when it comes to illegal immigration. This man seems to go above and beyond the call to harass and intimidate and persecute Arizona’s undocumented population. He is scorned by the likes of the ACLU and other civil rights organizations. But he is hailed as a hero by the hard right who believe that the undocumented alien is affecting the quality of life in the Phoenix area.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio likes to brag that he has been reelected five times in Maricopa County. Unfortunately there is a hard-core racist anti-immigrant faction in Arizona as well as other parts of the country that see Sheriff Arpaio as some sort of hero. I have had the opportunity to listen to
Sheriff Arpaio on several occasions on podcasts news programs and each time during interviews he is very recalcitrant, defensive and most importantly an unrepentant oppressor of undocumented aliens in Maricopa County Arizona.

My question is how much longer this will go on? As long as you have a faction of the population who sees this man is eligible for sainthood in his relentless pursuit of undocumented aliens. It appears that Mr. Arpaio has shredded the United States Constitution and thumbed his nose at federal authorities. This is being perceived by most sane people as extreme anti-immigration persecution.

I believe at some point Sheriff Arpaio will be held to account for these racial profiling type raids that he conducts on anyone looking Hispanic or appears to be undocumented. There’ve been countless reports that Sheriff Arpaio and his goon squad kicked down doors hauling off legal residents as well as some undocumented in these raids. Countless people have come forward showing that they are legal residents of Maricopa County and were unfortunate enough to be in the crosshairs of Sheriff Arpaio’s anti-immigrant posse.

At some point Sheriff Arpaio will cross the line and he will be brought to justice are held to account for his actions. Moreover, it will force the Obama administration to look at and review current immigration policy or reform. The dialogue on immigration has taken a backseat to more pressing issues like two wars the economy and health reform. I’m sure sooner or later immigration reform will be brought back to the fore. Ironically, Mr. Arapaio’s parents were both immigrants to this county! Go figure.

In the wake of Judge Sotomayor’s nominations there has been much ado about her qualifications. One sentence from a remark she made about being a Latina having more insight and sensitivity than a white male has caused a firestorm of controversy. Much to the chagrin of the GOP there’s not much dirt they can dig up on this infinitely qualified Supreme Court candidate.

She has a stellar record on the bench and has sided many times with the prosecution on her cases. Yes, she is a liberal but not some crazed radical that will try to make the law from the bench. She has impeccable credentials and a moving American story. Her rise from the projects out of the Bronx to her rise as an Ivy League judge is no small feat and it plays well in the media.

Given the implosion of the GOP and there need to expand the party, they must tread lightly as they contest her nomination. For Obama’s part, he’s not placating Latino’s. He has their support and is not pandering. The GOP has everything to lose if they go after her too aggressively.

It’s interesting that after 111 Supreme Court justices; all of which have been white with the exception of Thurgood Marshal and Clarence Thomas people would balk at this nomination! All the furor of her using her life experiences to render her decision on major cases. What about Chief Justice William Taney, who in the Dred Scott decision wrote a racist opinion stating that a black man had no rights that a white man was bound to respect,!

It seems like now that the pendulum has swung the other way and people of color have a little power folks are having a cow! We are all the sum of our life experiences. We wouldn’t be human if that didn’t enter into the picture. Bottom line, judge Sotomayor is capable and qualified and would serve with honor and distinction. If we look objectively at her experience and qualifications she is more than qualified and would be an excellent choice to the Supreme Court.

President Obama has shown courage and good judgment in her selection. He is a win win situation. His detractors stand much to lose in try to undermine this selection. If the GOP is sincere about winning latino support, they would be well advised to calm down and play nice.

The more vitriol that they spew the more it helps the democrats. The GOP tent is shrinking by leaps and bounds. The Rush Limbaugh’s of the world are only helping the Dem’s cause. They will need a messiah to repair the damage that has been done. Thankfully, we have our own in Barack Obama!