Take it easy, AZ

As we invoke the spirit of The Eagles (kindly referencing Winslow, Arizona) in their 1972 single, "Take it Easy" I'm having a hard time understanding just what Jan Brewer and Co. are attempting to enact less than 200 miles from Albuquerque. When did it become okay to bully people of different origins? The United States obviously has a history of racism and hatred of foreigners, but you'd think we'd be past that.

In case you haven't heard, Arizona has had quite a few items checked off on their bucket list to rid themselves of immigrants. SB1070, arguably the most publicized on the list, will allow law enforcement officers to question a citizen and turn them over to the INS if they suspect they're illegal. Granted, they can't be stopped just because they look illegal. There has to be another reason. Like speeding or littering or drug trafficking. It can be beneficial in some cases (as per the traffickers) or extremely harmful depending on the racism of the police officer in question. Essentially, you have regular cops doing the work of La Migra.

Arizona has also decided ethnic studies programs are not good for students, because they possibly promote differences in ethnicity rather than unification of all students. Different types of history aren't important, I guess.

Finally, our friends to the West have deemed that the only people capable of teaching English are native English speakers, regardless of the perspective non-native speakers bring when teaching a language. My most effective Spanish teachers have been native English speakers that are fluent in both. They understand the challenges that go into learning a specific language, when they first identify with the language the student is fluent in.


Cypress Hill has already canceled their summertime show in Tucson in a "show of resistance to the criminalization of immigrant communities." As your typical college student(a.k.a. liberal), I give serious props to Cypress Hill for their boldness. We were founded on the idea of opening our doors to the tired and poor. Mexico is still a developing country. What we should all realize is there's a serious difference between a migrant working in a restaurant to send money to his family down south and someone smuggling in Colombian coke.

When is Arizona gonna get with the times?