A very cool friend of mine (who looks a lot like Adam Savage from MythBusters; actually, I think he looks a little like Jamie Hyneman too, but maybe they're starting to look a little alike after years of working with each other and the husband and I have been watching an excessive amount of MythBusters the past few weeks...but I digress) posted this comment on one of the social networking sites:
"If a cop stops me in Arizona and says papers and I say scissors, do I win?"
And before anyone thinks I'm talking about the Urban Dictionary top definitions of roshambo, I'm using it more in context with the phonetic French for Rock, Paper, Scissors ("Ro! Cham! Beau!")
roshambo
- phonetic French for "rock-paper-scissors." (The 3 friends roshamboed for the bill after wolfing down a humongous lunch at the local diner. The loser promptly paid without protest.
All to say, I can't believe that day in and day out, more of "teh stupid" comes out of Arizona. Seriously, Arizonans, you're letting extremism impact your economy. Hate is not an economically feasible state policy.
'If you're brown, get out of town.' 'If you study, get white, buddy.' These are just some of the new state mottoes I've been kicking around because their old motto, "Ditat Deus," God Enriches, doesn't quite capture the flavor of the new and "improved" Arizona.
Fear, paranoia and ignorance are not family values; your beliefs, your way is not a singularity of perfection in this universe. Do I think something needs to be done to work out the problems illegal border crossings and undocumented workers? Yes, but on the Federal level so that the laws and applications of the laws are consistent state to state. I also firmly believe that you have to come up with options that don't include "shoot on site" and "deporting children of undocumented workers who were born on American soil ... and therefore...AMERICAN citizens" In addition, we need to financially demotivate companies from hiring undocumented workers; they get cheap labor, pay less taxes, we don't get the taxes from the workers paid under the table, etc.
Countries that build walls, fences and other means to try and tightly contain their borders were countries like the U.S.S.R. Granted, those countries were doing it more to keep their citizens in, and not to keep all us freedom-and-apple-pie-loving people out.
I know AZ will defensively try to tell you that they're just as worried about those Canadians and Irish and Finnish sneaking into America, but when you look at all the other laws being enacted at the same time, it's clear that this is targeting Mexico. Also, who else bears some responsibility in this? Mexico itself - you have a corrupt system and desperately poor people who need to survive - and it's economically beneficial to you, Mexico, when workers cross the American border...because they send money back to their families, which gets spent in Mexico...It's really a vicious circle and both countries use, abuse and discard the most vulnerable of all, the workers and their families.
I had to write this today, maybe only because my friend made that awesome comment. But on some level, I can think and speak more rationally on this topic right now, as opposed to all of the states that are aggressively passing laws that limit a woman's personal choice or eroding the civil liberties of GLBTs, women and minorities. Oklahoma...I'm looking at you and some of your wingnut counterparts across the country...
Now I leave you with some great song lyrics that I think hit the nail on the head...
Arizona by Kings of Leon
It took two days
For me to figure out
This isn't working out
But I lost my way
I drove all night
Just to be with you
But you weren't worth the view
I gotta hit the brakes
Now you know
Get up and go
Arizona, Arizona
A car wreck on the highway
Now you're burning by the side
Of the road
Arizona, Arizona
Is a million miles from Florida
Now you're history
I'm stranded
Get me out
I'm going home
Deep in your soul
Lies a lonely heart
That only ever pumps
For you alone
And I can't relate
So I gotta leave you here
I can breathe without you, dear
Just start walking away
Now you know
Get up and go
Arizona, Arizona
A car wreck on highway
Now you're burning by the side
Of the road
Arizona, Arizona
Is a million miles from Florida
Now you're history
I'm stranded
Get me out
I'm going home
Tell me, how does that feel?
With a grand canyon between me and you
And tell me how does that feel to see
Me waving gooodbye?
Took two days
For me to figure out
This isn't working out
I gotta hit the brakes
Arizona, Arizona
A car wreck on the highway
Now you're burning by the side
Of the road
Arizona, Arizona
Is a million miles from Florida
Now you're history
I'm stranded
Get me out
I'm going home [x2]
Cross-posted @ Blue Wave News Roshambo in Arizona