Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Guilty of thinkin' about it...

Back in August of 1968, a mob of radicals raised a ruckus at the Democrat National Convention in Chicago. Seven were singled out, arrested and charged with conspiracy to cross state lines to incite a riot. After a circus of a trial laced with profanity and other outrageous antics, all were acquitted.

Later, I attended a rally held at Kansas Wesleyan University to hear Abbie Hoffman, a leader of the "Chicago Seven", speak. Hoffman was vulgar. Pointing to a young woman who sat cross-legged on the floor as he spoke, he told the mixed crowd "We came out here to ball on Ike's grave". (The Eisenhower Memorial and burial spot is at nearby Abilene, Kansas.) The point of Hoffman's speech was to rail against his having been arrested for, what he called, "thinking about inciting a riot". Such an outrage!

Well, perhaps he was right. They were charged with "conspiracy", "to cross state lines", "to incite a riot". Were they charged for just thinking about something?

I find it interesting that the Left is so disturbed when such a charge is levied against their kind... but quick to levy the identical charge against others, even when they are wrong.

In Arizona, overrun with nearly a half million illegal immigrants, law enforcement officers encountering what they believe to be an illegal activity - are prohibited by Federal law from asking the perpetrator about their citizenship. After repeatedly seeking help from the Federal Government, and being repeatedly ignored by same, Arizona passed a state law permitting local and state law enforcement officers to ask about citizenship.

One of the Arizona legislators sponsoring the bill, now law, explained that police could not engage a person for the purpose of discussing citizenship, but if stopped for suspicion of criminal activity, the officer could ask for proof of citizenship.

Now The Left, led by perennial troublemaker Al Sharpton, are screaming about Civil Rights violations, charging that Arizona policemen will apprehend citizens because they appear to be a Mexican citizen, not a U.S. citizen.

Worse, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says he may challenge the Arizona law because he fears civil rights violations may occur. Imagine! Those Arizona police officers may be thinkin' about it!

I live about 45 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. I cannot leave my city by highway without passing through a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint. When I reach one of the checkpoints, the officer asks, "Are you a U.S. citizen?". I answer affirmatively and he passes me on. I've done it a hundred times. It delays me for a moment, but I certainly do not feel deprived of my rights

If an Arizona police officer were to ask the same citizenship question, he would be violating my civil rights! Insane!

So, let's repeal the Arizona law. Not because anyone's rights have been violated, but because those nasty police officers may be thinkin' about it!

1 comment:

  1. This new Arizona law may be the catalyst for something much, much bigger. Groups on both sides of the issues are mobilizing, heading for Arizona to take a stand. For months, I have wondered how far the American people will allow themselves to be pushed before exploding - we may find out, very soon.

    The illegal immigration problem in this country is so pervasive - I suspect not many citizens have not had some kind of negative encounter with those who come here illegally with no intent to "assimilate" into our society. The near explosion that occurred during the last immigration debate may well turn nuclear this time. When we cannot feed our own, who can blame us for not wanting to feed the world?

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