June 8th, 2010
AZ Racial Debate: Because TX Can’t Have All the Fun
Arizona and Texas are playing a deadly game of one-upmanship. Most recently, Arizona changed immigration laws to include such nonsense as making not carrying your immigration papers a misdemeanor and requiring police officers to detain people they reasonably suspect of being in the country without authorization “when practicable”. This put them ahead of Texas–and nobody messes with Texas. To prove this point, Texas decided to change their textbooks in the name of “adding balance” to the curriculum. I blogged, at length, about this recently. Because Texas is the largest market for textbooks in the country, which means that their standards could potentially shape the minds of children from California to Maine, and this move got them up there with Arizona on the country’s list of things to be angry about. Arizona isn’t one to back down from a challenge, and when their spotlight was taken by Texas, they had to do something.
Changing the Face of America’s Youth… with White Paint
An elementary school in Prescott, AZ was in the process of getting a lovely mural painted. The mural was encouraging “green transportation” and just so happened to be located at a prominent intersection, where passersby were able to shout their support for the cause… by shouting “racial slander from their cars.” Why? Because the mural depicted a few students who attend the ethnically diverse school in a larger-than-life fashion. It just so happened that–you guessed it–the students were not white.
A city councilman, Steve Blair, got the town all riled up by ranting on his radio show. My personal favorites of his quotes:
“To depict the biggest picture on the building as a Black person, I would have to ask the question: Why?”
“Personally, I think it’s pathetic. You have changed the ambiance of that building to excite some kind of diversity power struggle that doesn’t exist in Prescott, Arizona. And I’m ashamed of that.”
Wait, I’m sorry, just what are you ashamed of, Mr. Blair? The irony? The kids go to the school. I wonder how he feels about Obama’s presidency–yikes. Fortunately, he’s been fired from his radio show. Even more fortunately, the principal of the school has apologized for his previous statements, saying now that the mural will go up as it was originally intended. Now, if only we could get Texas to put all of that history back in the books, we’d be in business.
“All Men are created equal”! The founders had it right, when attempting to form a perfect union and they also knew that they were not there yet but knew we one day would get there. Lincoln moved us forward as did JFK and LBJ. This Nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.
It is my contention that this AZ law is not constitutional and will fail when challenged (unless, of course, they keep adding more amendments), pretty funny for this so called perfect law, that many internet blogs claim it was copied “Word for Word” from the Federal law, which I frankly do not believe, if it was then no amendments would have been made, right?, of course.
As for the undocumented workers, as was attributed to Ronald Reagan “It’s the Economy, Stupid”. When the economy is good we say let’s all celebrate “Cinco de Mayo, my brothers” but when the economy is down “it’s all your fault, you damn immigrant”. This too will pass. The real problem is the narcos, arms and people smuggler that’s what the focus should be on.
Don’t you find it funny that no one ever voted for Brewer for Governor, it’s all about politics and getting elected, do not be fooled. Busy Brewer has passed S.B. 1070, no permit conceal weapons law, the famous Birthers law, banning Ethic studies law, (could she be behind the Mural in Prescott, Arizona) and if history is a lesson she should look up Arizona’s House Bill 2779 from two years ago (which failed when legally challenged) and the craziest one the boycotted Martin Luther King Day, not wanting another holiday, how crazy is that. I believe there is an undercurrent to their enactment of new laws, they real love following a distinct pattern. Poor Brewer, last week, she first she said her Dad had died in Germany fighting the Nazi in World War II (war ended 1945) and we find out her father never was in Germany and died in California in 1955 (watch the spin doctors go into overdrive) and then she went to Washington and came back empty as always, poor dear.
Comment by Benito — June 9, 2010 @ 5:48 pm