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There's been a little discussion on the Redbadbear list about two developing Arizona legal approaches: immigration and carrying concealed firearms without a permit. These developments are of considerable interest nationally. It's obviously self-evident that both Arizona and the Federal government are racing each other in anti-immigrant stuff in Southern Arizona. And much of this is certainly going on in comparable locations in other southern border states. One would hope and at least cautiously expect that the Arizona immigration law is tossed by the Federal courts. As we all know, that approach isn't the answer. But it looks like the Obama administration, even it wants to really meet challenges of this sort in a constructive fashion -- and I frankly think it's too chicken and maybe too callous to do so -- isn't going to be able to get to first base on meaningful immigration reform. None of these things are going to functionally stop "illegal immigration" -- and a big part of the solution lies in Mexico itself [about which it's hard to feel short-range optimistic at the moment.] Some of this hysteria, of course, will burn itself out -- but a lot of people are going to be hurt. I don't see the carry-without-a-permit thing as being motivated primarily by Anglo racial paranoia at all. [And I've never seen race as the primary Tea Party motivant.] In a country like this, those racist strains are always present. But just as the Tea Party thing is symptomatic of some failed and failing government people policies -- mixed with a whole lot of ignorance -- this non permit gun carry thing stems, at least in my opinion, from the rapidly mounting crime rate in Phoenix metro which involves offenders from all ethnic backgrounds. The other part is, as I alluded yesterday evening, a "macho" thing. With this new state gun law, people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds are going to "pack" guns because it gives them a sense of individual worth and personal power, commodities in short supply for many these days. Sensible people -- including sensible gun owners -- aren't going to do that at all. And sensible gun owners feel the same way about the militia thing [which I continue to see as mostly harmless play/soldier wannabees whose greatest danger is to themselves.]. This law may be "legal" but, in a word, it's stupid. [It's legal to drive down a switch-backed mountain road at 55 mph, too.] As I've noted many times -- and I like firearms much and respect them greatly -- I have in some situations quietly carried a concealed revolver sans any permit. My reasons were good. But I don't think most people have those "political" reasons. In Phoenix, as in Chicago and other big cities, low income people of all ethnic backgrounds are vulnerable to predatory criminals -- especially at night, in their homes.[And this can certainly be the case in smaller communities as well.] Concurrently with that are frequently poor police responses vis-a-vis those "poorer" neighborhoods.-- and there, within one's domicile, a case can certainly be made for keeping a loaded firearm handy. [Here, where we live in Idaho, we don't have to worry much about crime -- there's only one long road out of here. But I do have a couple of loaded firearms, including a revolver -- because there are still people in the region who resent us, after 13 years, being here.] I think eventually the effects of this new Arizona gun law will fade. In one's day to day endeavors, it's often a nuisance to carry even a small handgun. About Arizona itself, I continue to see Arizona as being basically healthy. In a very real way I see two Arizonas: the real Arizona which those of us with real roots in the state will always like very much -- and Phoenix metro [which I hasten to say does have some good people within it.] Given the massive numbers and certain types of people that have entered the Phoenix metro region over the decades, it's not difficult to see why a scoundrel like Arpaio continues to survive politically. Solidarity - Hunter [Hunter Gray] HUNTER GRAY [HUNTER BEAR/JOHN R SALTER JR] Mi'kmaq /St. Francis Abenaki/St. Regis Mohawk Protected by Na´shdo´i´ba´i´ and Ohkwari' I have always lived and worked in the Borderlands. Our Hunterbear website is now more than ten years old. It contains a vast amount of social justice material. Check out our Directory/Index: http://hunterbear.org/directory.htm See Big Distress Challenges In The Eastern North Carolina Night -- Followed By, A Magnolia Tale http://hunterbear.org/big_distress_challenges_in_the_e.htm The Next Great Step Of The Way: John Beecher's Grassroots Poetry: http://hunterbear.org/next_great_step_of_the_way.htm ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
