Boycott Arizona!

By Fidel "Butch" Montoya
El Semanario 4/21/2010

The very fact that the Arizona State Legislature would pass SB 1070, a bill that outlaws and criminalizes undocumented immigrants as trespassers, and allows the police to use “reasonable suspicion” to stop and question a person about their legal status even if no other law has been violated is outrageous and immoral.

The worst racist and immoral piece of legislation of our time now sits on the desk of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer waiting for her signature to sign it into law.

In their feeble attempt to fix a broken federal immigration system, SB 1070 only opens the door to outright racial profiling and illegal questioning about a person’s status for being in the State of Arizona. It is frightening to see a legislative body take it upon themselves to outlaw a group of people based only on the fact that they may look like an undocumented immigrant.

This law allows law enforcement officials who have a “reasonable suspicion” to stop and question any person who looks like an “undocumented immigrant” and that may be in the State of Arizona without proper documentation.

No other law has to be violated for the police to stop and question you. It is simply the assumption that because you look like an “undocumented immigrant, you can be stopped, questioned, detained, and most likely deported.

Driving while being Latino will be the only reason the police can pull your over in Arizona. You don’t have to break any traffic or minor violations, just simply look the part of an undocumented immigrant.

The worst implications of this law are that it legalizes racial profiling and is targeted at anyone who looks Latino. If a police officer just suspects you look illegal, he will have the law on his side to stop and question your right to be in Arizona. It is the most outlandish, immoral, and illegal violation of our Constitutional rights.

Governor Brewer needs to veto SB 1070 and put an end to this legislative nightmare.

It may be if you are visiting in Arizona, you may need to wear a yellow star on your coat so that law enforcement officials will know of your status in the country. Hitler forced the Jews to wear these yellow stars so that they could be easily identified, intimidated, and sent to concentration camps.

Here we find ourselves in the 21st century in a neighboring state, which has passed a law that will deport anyone who looks like an undocumented immigrant and who is believed to be trespassing” and who will be required to carry the proper documents to prove ones legal status. Unbelievable!

By giving police the right of “reasonable suspicion” to stop you and question you, it will legalize racial profiling and lead to further police abuse and misconduct. It is wrong, it is immoral, and it is racism at its worst. It must not be signed into law and Governor Brewer must veto it.

On the other hand if Governor Brewer refuses to listen to reason and understand why we are demanding that SB 1070 be vetoed, a BOYCOTT of any business or vacation trip to Arizona will become our weapon of choice.

If the Arizona Legislature believes it can pass such a heinous law, and Governor Brewer believes she can sign it into law and not face any repercussions, they are sadly mistaken. The day SB 1070 becomes law will the first day of a national boycott of this state. Across this nation, people of good conscience and moral values will need to make it clear that all business and vacation visits to Arizona will stop.

Tourism is big business in Arizona and we will ask Americans across this country to boycott any trips to the Grand Canyon state. We can bring this state legislature and those who voted to create a climate of fear and panic in Arizona to their knees. If Governor Brewer does not veto this bill, I can guarantee a national boycott of Arizona will break the state budget and make the governor understand the implications of her signing this bill.

We can condemn the actions of the legislature, we can condemn the Governor if she refuses to veto the bill, and we can complain all we want about how immoral and racist this bill is, but unless we make a major decision to boycott this state and impact the budget and economy of this state, nothing will happen.

We call upon Governor Brewer to veto SB 1070 and condemn this bill for its attempt to outlaw a group of people who merely want a better life, or Governor, be prepared to face the biggest and most damaging boycott in the history of Arizona.

We too have economic weapons that can be used to bring the racist state assembly to the realization that SB 1070 is not only a bad bill, an immoral bill, an illegal bill, and one that might carry with it if it is not vetoed a big bill of financial loss to the State of Arizona.

Boycott Arizona starting today, and perhaps Governor Jan Brewer will see the illegality of this bill and veto SB 1070.

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Fidel "Butch" Montoya is Director of H.S. Power and Light Ministries. He was the Vice President/News Director of KUSA - TV Channel 9 News from 1985-1990, and worked at the news station for 24 years. Montoya also served as Deputy Mayor of City and County of Denver from 1995-1999; as the Manager of Public Safety for the City and County of Denver from 1994-2000. Montoya was Licensed to preach in 1972. He serves on the Executive Council for the Hispanic Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
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