you're missing the point. it's not the fact that they're asking for proof, but how they go about asking, and who. .

by Anonymous 13 years ago

The only way they're allowed to question you is if you're already in the process of being investigated for another crime. If you're pulled over and you can't show your license, that's an immediate tip-off that something isn't right. If you're being arrested for robbery, you're going to be asked to prove your citizenship.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If they have a reason to ask why someone's here legally, like say they get arrested for another reason, to just randomly ask while they're on the street is racial profiling.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Not if they literally just ask random people, like when cops set up a station and pull everyone over to see if anyone is under the influence.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I love the argument saying that the law in Arizona is racist, because it will lead to racial profiling. Well it's not like there are a lot of other races coming here illegally, so they are going to have to check the race that actually does it. It's not that they are pulling you over because you are brown, they are pulling you over because the immigrants are.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

LOL exactly. If the problem were Canadians coming into the country, we would be targeting them with the law. However, it's not just any random person who looks illegal. The person asked for their ID has to be getting arrested for another crime. That should be the standard anyway, white, black, brown, or green.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Couldn't agree more.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

YOU guys are missing the point. If they get arrested for another reason, they would ask for some ID. if they have no license, that is reason for suspicion of being an illegal immigrant, and they would then ask for your proof of citizenship or a green card. Nothing racist about that. obviously if there are cops pulling over every brown person they see for no reason other than to see if they are legal or not... that would be racial profiling. but if they pull you over because you are speeding, and you show them your valid driver's license, taht right there is proof of citizenship. and if you have no license... that right there is reason for suspicion.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

but what if because they can stop people because they are committing a crime and ask them for proof of citizenship, they start to say that Latinos are committing crimes when they really aren't, like if they are playing music loudly, and a police officer says that they are disturbing the peace. Then they could ask that person for proof of citizenship, even though they weren't doing anything really wrong.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Well if they do ask and find that they aren't here legally, then they WERE doing something wrong. If that isn't the case and they can show the proof, then they can go on their merry way.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

my apologies... I misunderstood your comment avgisnotsmart. you were agreeing with me.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

to this i agree. . if you're doing something wrong & they stop you & ask for a non-existent ID, then yeah ok. i just wish it was actually enforced that way..

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You do realize . . . This means FLAMEWAR. daffy.jpg

by Anonymous 13 years ago

It's a federal law that police can ask you for your ID. Arizona made it one step up, and made it a state law. They DON'T go up to any Hispanic and say, "ID?" If someone commits a crime, they ask for ID. It's not racial profiling. I can see how people think it is if they don't read the actual law, or have the full details, but it's completely legal. Go OP! =D

by Anonymous 13 years ago

do you think if a white person commits the same crime as a Latino person who speaks english with a spanish accent, that the Latino person AND the white person will be asked for proof of citizenship? No way will a white person be asked for proof that they are here legally, but the Latino person will be. It is racial profiling, just like the "random" screenings at airports. They say it's random, but the only people ever called for the screenings are people who have Middle Eastern sounding names or who fit the stereotypical look of a Middle Eastern person.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Of course the white person will be asked for proof of citizenship. You get pulled over, you get asked for your license. You get stopped by the cops for anything, you get asked for some form of ID. That's the law everywhere, if you have a valid license or state ID like everyone is supposed to, that's your proof of citizenship, no further questions.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

They ask everyone for license and registration. My dad's gotten pulled over and asked for his license, and he even has stickers and plates from the State Magistrate Association. Some people are a bit racist, but these are scary times. There are a lot of radical religious people that try to blow us up and there are people that just hate us that try to blow us up. Normally, those people tend to be from the Middle East. I'm not being racist, it's a fact. There are thousands, maybe millions, that use planes daily. Forgive us if we're a little paranoid about the safety of many. It doesn't mean all Middle Eastern people are terrorists. Many are genuinely good people. With all of the craziness going on now, though, people do get a little out there. In that sense, you're right. Some do profile.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

that is not true at all. There are plenty of white people, black people, Latino people etc etc, who have committed acts of terrorism. Saying that more people who are middle eastern did terrorism is quite racist. So to pick out the Middle Eastern passengers on a plane to check them only is racial profiling

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I don't know what you've been reading/watching, but a lot I've read [neutral] has something to do with the middle east.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

for example, the oklahoma city bombing, Irish terrorism in Arizona, Mexican extremists in CA, groups of white supremacists, etc etc. People focus in on the Muslim extremists. In the Muslim religion, it is not considered right to do the things that the extremists have done. There are plenty of christian extremists, but we don't hear nearly as much about them because we are a mainly christian society.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I haven't seen any violent Catholics. Yet. And as an atheist with a strong dislike for the Catholic church, this view is impartial. I recently learned about the Islamic religion, and we learned that they think it's okay to sometimes commit crimes for your god. I'm sure the intention means well [like if you're under attack] but some people misinterpret it. That also makes people a bit paranoid.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Different ethnic groups do things differently. If I told you some college kid killed himself via seppuku, it wouldn't be racist to ask if he was Japanese. If I told you a guy got alcohol poisoning drinking Manischewitz, it wouldn't be racist to assume he's Jewish. If your checking planes for terrorists check the people whose ethnicity have a history of that, and who still threaten to do it again. Japanese people did it sure, but they aren't still an enemy threatening to do it again.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

but it's wrong to single them out as the ones who will commit the crime. That's called racial profiling.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

so if you're saying it's wrong to punish someone if they're here illegally, it's right to reward someone if they're illegaly? hmm..

by Anonymous 13 years ago

no. that is the stupidest thing anyone has said on here. If you are at school, and you punch someone in the face, you will be punished. Does that mean if you DON'T punch someone in the face you should be rewarded? no. people don't get rewarded for not breaking the law.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Well actually Arizona has the legal right to do that. It is their right to enforce the laws they need. I doubt they want to do that, but illegal immigration is becoming such a big problem something has to be done about it. See what I'm saying?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Unless you're a Native American, stop bitching about immigrants. Universal health coverage works great everywhere it is implemented. I for one am ashamed that the U.S.A has worse health care than Saudi Arabia.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

You must understand, Americans hate bureaucracy, health care is bad enough without the gov getting involved. The US just had the health-care bill passed, and the bill is written terribly, nothing could satisfy everyone, so there was a compromise that satisfies no one. Just watch as the shit hits the fan. Bureaucracy at work.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Thank you for realizing this! I thought I was the only one who thought about this, but I guess I'm not the only one! There are major problems in Arizona that needed to be fixed. They asked the federal goverment for help, and they didn't. So they did something about the illegals. It's about time!

by Anonymous 13 years ago