Oh My Land!

Hey Arizona, can we talk? Because seriously, I don't know what the fuck is going on with you these days. We used to be so close, me living in you for seventeen years and all. You always kind of had your problems, with Sheriff Joe Arpaio consistently getting reelected despite the fact he's a blatant racist who doesn't give arrested people their Miranda Rights in anything other than English and puts untried persons in tents in the middle of Arizona summer. And your incredibly high Mormon population. And all the really intense conservative people. I mean, you had your quirks. Ok. But right now? WTF. W...TF.

As many of you may know, about a week ago Arizona signed a "stringent" immigration bill into law. "Stringent" meaning that they're going to toughen up their borders even more, and allow not only police but citizens the right to demand papers from anyone they think might not be living in the state legally. Anyone without the appropriate papers is jailed, fined, and likely deported. The authorities will not be focusing their efforts on the illegal Russian immigrant, or French person of course. Chances of those people getting questioned is close to nothing. This is clearly targeted at Arizona's large Latin population -- the dark-skinned people.

When you didn't think it could get any more effed, part of the law denies teachers with "heavy" accents -- educators for whom English is a second language -- the opportunity to teach English courses. Ethnic Studies classes are also apparently 86'ed from now on. All this despite the fact Arizona's education system has specifically recruited native Spanish speakers for years to teach in the state.

Not surprisingly, people are freakin out. Obama tsk tsked the new law, and there's a call for an Arizona boycott -- no visiting or buying products from the state (apparently hearkening back to a boycott after Arizona denied making MLK Day a state holiday...remember when I talked about that? Full circle people). California has also denied Arizona events to be held in CA, and also will ban all energy imports from AZ.

I guess we'll all just wait and see how long this here law's gonna last. I wish I could boycott until shit gets in order, but my bro is getting married in Phoenix in August (a wedding/sweating). Partay.