July 13, 2010

-Senate Bill 1070 has caused controversy, disagreement,and protest among not only people in Arizona, but also people in the entire nation. However, some of the criticism may be caused by exaggerated skepticism, ignorance, and misinterpreted understanding. One major misunderstanding based on the senate bill is that the bill is allowing racial profiling and random accusation of innocent citizens of illegal immigration. According to section B of Article 8 of senate bill 1070, law enforcers can only request proof of legal right to be in this country after a "probable cause" or "lawful contact", meaning they can only do it after a person has committed a misdemeanor or crime really. Some people are also under the idea that law enforcers are given the opportunity to get away with racial profiling when suspecting only certain people of being illegal immigrants. First of all, racial profiling is illegal as demonstrated and explained in the fourth amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which says people should be protected from unreasonable search and being taken without probable cause, as well as the fourteenth amendment of the U.S. Constitution which says all U.S. citizens should be treated equally. Secondly, when speaking of reasonable suspicion of someone being an illegal immigrant, the state isn't referring to taking race, age, and other things like that into consideration but rather to consider things like not having a driver's license or something.
-If senate bill 1070 is taken into effect, there will be benefits to Arizona socially and economically if not now, then later. I agree with an article from www.azcentral.com that businesses dependent on illegal immigrants as laborers and customers may suffer, but I also agree that the bill can provide higher wages to citizens and allow more legal residents to get jobs (Will SB 1070 Help or Hurt Economy?, Ronald J. Hansen). If more U.S. citizens are able to get jobs then the unemployment rate can improve. Another thing that could be helped in Arizona is the drug cartel problem that's apparently spreading from Mexico into the U.S. According to an article from huffingtonpost.com, Mexican drug cartels are trying to be pushed into the U.S. and has increased kidnapping rates as well as shooting rates and what-not (Mexican Drug Cartels' Turf War May Be Spreading to Arizona, Randal C. Archibold). If the SB 1070 was taken into effect, Arizona can have a better shot at helping the economy as well as decreasing increased crime activities. I support the bill for the most part because although it comes with social consequences like protesting as well as economic consequences like business problems, it still has potential to stop rising crime rates in Arizona and help with illegal immigration problems.

-Randal C. Archibold. "Mexican Drug Cartels' Turf War May Be Spreading to Arizona." huffingtonpost.com. Huffington Post, 24 February 2009. Web. 13 July 2010.
-Ronald J. Hansen. "Will SB 1070 Help Or Hurt Economy?". azcentral.com. azcentral.com, 11 July 2010. Web. 13 July 2010.
-U.S. Constitution
-SB 1070