Thursday, July 29, 2010

Bullet Closes Grijalva's Yuma Office

The media narrative would have you believe that those of us who are against Arizona's Shame: SB1070 are a bunch of violent squatters, but in reality, it's the gun-toting vigilantes in support of racial profiling and ethnic cleansing who can't control their tempers

Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., has closed his Yuma district office for the day after staff discovered that a bullet had shattered a window earlier Thursday.

A news release from Adam Sarvana, Grijalva's spokesman, says police are investigating the vandalism and have not released details about a possible motive. Grijalva will re-open the office as soon as possible, his office said.

AZCentral.com

Recall that when SB1070 was signed by Jan Brewer a couple of months ago, Justin Haynes was arrested for calling Grijalva's offices and threatening to "blow the brains out" of the Congressman and his staff.

The AZGOP have created these violent monsters, it's their responsibility to denounce them and prevent further violence.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Jan Brewer's Stimulus Hypocrisy

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer joins a long list of Republican hypocrites who are trying to take credit for Federal Stimulus funds that they opposed.


Jan Brewer is a socialist. Who knew?

Federal Judge Blocks Portions of SB1070

Good news. The following portions of Arizona's Shame: SB1070 have been enjoined (put on hold) by Federal Judge Susan Bolton:
Portion of Section 2 of S.B. 1070
A.R.S. § 11-1051(B): requiring that an officer make a reasonable attempt to
determine the immigration status of a person stopped,
detained or arrested if there is a reasonable suspicion that
the person is unlawfully present in the United States, and
requiring verification of the immigration status of any
person arrested prior to releasing that person

Section 3 of S.B. 1070
A.R.S. § 13-1509: creating a crime for the failure to apply for or carry alien
registration papers

Portion of Section 5 of S.B. 1070
A.R.S. § 13-2928(C): creating a crime for an unauthorized alien to solicit, apply
for, or perform work

Section 6 of S.B. 1070
A.R.S. § 13-3883(A)(5): authorizing the warrantless arrest of a person where there
is probable cause to believe the person has committed a
public offense that makes the person removable from the
United States

.pdf of full ruling here

Friday, July 23, 2010

Gov. Brewer Runs From Media Scrutiny

Looks like Nevada's Teabag Senate Candidate Sharon Angle isn't the only one running from media questions.

Watch Arizona Governor Jan Brewer burn rubber after getting asked about her staff's ties to the private prison industry and whether it had anything to do with her signing of SB1070:

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Why I Stopped Blogging Regularly

You would think that given that I've been blogging immigration-related issues for over five years while based in Arizona, the past several months would be peak time for writing at this site. Unfortunately, I'm suffering from outrage fatigue and blogging sends me into an unproductive place.

SB1070 and HB2281 fucked with my very being, my very identity - to put it bluntly.

The salt in the wound is watching poll after poll show sizeable majorities of the populace agree that brown-skinned gente should bend over and take the violation of our civil and human rights with a smile on our faces. We should "do our part" by accepting racial profiling, the oppression of our culture, and the militarization of our ancestral homeland all in the name of a false sense of security.

A rage has been building inside of me that I recognize as unhealthy, so I remain silent on this page in deference to speaking out in real life through everyday conversation and community organizing (Socialist!!!). Scanning headlines and reading commentary used to be soothing, but with such potent hate gathering around those of us targeted in Arizona, I find it depressing and paralyzing.

What's worse is that it will only get worse before it gets better. I think that's why I find myself unable to watch the downward spiral from the front row.

I'd rather sit on the stone bench in the corner of my mountainview yard, close my eyes, and listen to the wind. It gives me the strength to keep fighting for what I know with every habanero flake in my veins - history will not judge the actions of the current era in Arizona very kindly.