Arizona state House Representative Russ Jones has penned an opinion piece for CNN, offering excuses for Russell Pearce's bigot bill SB 1070, which now sits on Governor Jan Brewer's desk awaiting action.
I also penned an opinion piece for CNN on SB 1070, lauding the nine students who chained themselves to the Capitol's doors Tuesday. You can read my commentary, here.
Jones' piece is disingenuous on many fronts. His most misleading comments have to do with the so-called "civil rights" provision of the bill, as Pearce has dubbed it.
"Critics say this bill will lead to racial profiling," writes Jones. "The amended language makes this untrue. Racial profiling is something I would never have supported. Police may not solely consider race, color or national origin when stopping and interviewing an individual to determine his or her immigration status."
The key word there is "solely." Police, therefore, can consider any combination of those factors: race and color; race and national origin; color and national origin.
In other words, if you're Mexican or you look Mexican, the cops have "reasonable suspicion" to detain you, perhaps even arrest you until they sort you out. Jones says racial profiling is "something I would never have supported," but that's what he did by voting for this bill.
