Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, May 20, 2010

BORDER WAR

Stop the legacy of hatred: It's a shame that many North Americans forget where they came from. Everyone in this country owes their life, literally, to immigrants ("Hopeless," Michael Lacey, May 6).

They built this country! They continue to build it. They come here every year, not to take it away, but to help it grow.

When are we going to stop this legacy of hatred? The world is getting smaller. Is this what we're going to leave to our children?
William Rosario, Miami, Florida

It will come down to a race war: The SB 1070 law is very wrong. We mothers already suffer daily from Sheriff Joe Arpaio's policies.

I know all this will all come down to a race war in Arizona.

What happened to all those people who stood up to Sheriff Joe during the Guadalupe sweep ("Brown Out," Stephen Lemons, May 29, 2008)? The only person we see almost every day in and around Guadalupe is William Robles. At least he has the balls to stand up like a true warrior.

Make entry to U.S. less appealing: I am a Hispanic immigrant, and I support the Arizona law. Controlling human trafficking is beneficial for everybody, and obviously one front of action is to make entry less appealing.

Your story is wrong on many fronts.

First of all, for your information, all immigrants are required to carry at all times their green cards. On top of that, the new law says it is acceptable to provide state ID (i.e., a driver's license) to demonstrate legality status.

Also, you are assuming that the law is targeting the 29 percent Hispanic legal population. This is not correct. Also, you obviously have not been in the border area, where crime is rampant and illegal immigrants are abused every minute.

Please remove the emotion from your speech and write with reason.
Juan Gutierrez, address unavailable

Law will only grow hate: I'm an immigrant, as well as Honduran. This law is far more than ridiculous, with the sole purpose of growing hate among all races. I mean all.
Oscar Alonzo, address unavailable

What do you have against adobe, Archer?: My God! Haven't we had enough of our border brothers whom the brown tide has swept across this country like a Biblical plague!

European-Americans built this country. They provided the money and expertise.

Sure, maybe these downtrodden Mexicans had some minor manual-labor roles, but on the whole, the country would be all adobe brick houses or less had it not been for the white middle class.

Yeah, and thank you Catholic Church for telling Pedro to go out and be fruitful and multiply at the taxpayers' expense! I am sick of these alien invaders crapping all over our American society. Enough! Get out and stay out.
Archer C. Magoski, Phoenix

New law is unconstitutional: Remember the America where law enforcement used to say: "We don't write the laws, we only enforce them"?

This is no longer the case for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, its neo-Nazi/white supremacist sponsors, and seemingly well-placed politicians.

The racial-profiling element proves that Arizona's new hate-immigrants law is unconstitutional.
Dave Nichols, Gilbert

Apparently, this Floridian is an expert on AZ: This article is a prime case of inciting racism and pointing the finger at white people. What a bunch of crap!

Being a light-skinned Cuban immigrant — but, most importantly, an American — I have no problem handing over my license, registration, and insurance when I get pulled over.

Arizona has it share of problems. It is a criminal nightmare, the kidnapping capital (after Colombia) of the world.

I tell you what: If people from another 'hood start putting tents in your backyard to live there, using your water hose, dealing drugs, and littering your property, would you let them stay there? I bet you would call the cops without delay!

Lastly, the law says, "No racial profiling." So you are saying the cops are going to just ignore that?
Jorge Rodriguez, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Blame it on early Europeans: Europeans have been illegal immigrants since October 12, 1492. They invaded our continent without papers as a part of their "Christian jihad."

They murdered indigenous people, stole our land, raped, pirated, and waged smallpox-biological warfare.

Europeans violated the sovereignty of every single First Nation government, and they refused to assimilate into indigenous cultures.

People of European descent should be the last people to preach about "legal" immigration.
Nican Tlaca, Aztlan/Chicomostoc

God bless Jan Brewer: Governor Brewer, keep up the good work. I only pray that all states will follow your lead. God bless America.
Daniel Waln, Miami, Florida

You're missing the point, Jim: There is little question that regulating immigration is exclusively a federal prerogative.

But the hyperbole about "Nazis" and "totalitarians" is unfeasible. It is not unconstitutional to require aliens to possess registration papers. Federal law already requires as much.

Pretty much every country in the world requires this. There is nothing inherently unconstitutional about authorized law enforcement agents investigating someone's right to be in the country.

It is absurd to suggest that the Arizona law does something beyond the pale.
Jim Lavers, Phoenix