Arizona has Changed Negatively
Phoenix, Arizona is also known as the valley of the sun with more than three hundred days of sunshine yearly. Its out door activities, and exquisite landscape gives it great tourist appeal and its population consists of many with different ethnic backgrounds. Phoenix is a primary resort destination, and a magnet for snow birds. The area’s dry desert soil began yielding crops for the Hohokam people, who spent centuries developing irrigation canals.
The weather in phoenix has attracted many people from different states of America. I came here July 1999 and fell in love with the land of the Hohokam people. Since gov. Jan Brewer has signed senate bill S.B.1070 on April 23, Arizona has changed and faced opposition and many challenges. I have worked as a director of out reach and development programs at the Somali Refugee community center in the valley.
I met Jan Brewer personally. Back when she was the Secretary of State of Arizona, I visited her office along with the lady council of care-AZ on American Islamic relations. She was very kindhearted and welcomed us with open arms. Jan Brewer is a charismatic political figure with honesty and integrity. we had discussed issues related to Muslims in the valley for example how many Muslims voiced their opinion and cast their votes during election times.
I was very shocked when she passed this legislation. If we are going to be able to effectively secure the border from immigration problems, drug cartels, and plagues in Arizona it would be better to deal with pre-existing laws. There is no need to pass a new legislation during this time of economic down turn. If we tremble or ignore the rights of other people, we begin to develop a system that spreads a sense of political animosity and hatred. We undermine what makes America such a great and prosperous Country. So we need to take a different approach in order to issue this problem. It changed the lives of many Arizonians and impacted them negatively.
This new legislation also gives the green light to Arizona police, those who conduct what they call “crime suppression sweeps” to do what they please, because no one regulates or limits how they command those types of operations. They always avoid details of the case to justify the probable cause for arrest so they are not held accountable for their wrongful conduct. This legislation also is the toughest of it’s kind like the employer sanction and the anchor baby, even though babies suffer the consequences of the actions of their parents committed every baby belongs to where he or she was born.
We faced many difficulties and boycotts towards the state of Arizona. We were criticized by political leaders, and the US department of Justice filed a law suit against Arizona over this new immigration law. It is not in the interest of helping Arizonians; it is more politically motivated which disconnects and isolates Arizona from the rest of America.
Therefore, our moral responsibility compels to us. Anyone who has guiding principles should appose to this. Many Americans see injustice and just get upset but are too intimidated to voice their opinion and try to make change happen. George Washington had the duty to urge for justice, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, as well as Abraham Lincoln, and the family of John F. Kennedy each made sacrifices for the good cause of freedom and justice, so should we.
By: Mohamud Shalab