An update on the immigration legislation in Arizona (see past entry): Yesterday the state Senate voted 17-11, nearly along party lines, to approve the immigration bill. The House had approved the bill on April 13. Now the bill goes to Governor Jan Brewer to sign into law. The Governor, a Republican, has not yet taken a position on the measure. A Brewer spokesman said that calls, e-mails, and letters were running 3-1 in favor of the legislation (oh great, Arizona residents are just as terrible as the state legislature. Although, let's be honest, who are the ones that spend tons of time calling and writing the governor and other legislators? Crazy old people. And then next in line is just simply crazy people. So that statistic probably doesn't have much weight. Though, I bet upon news of this statistic, those opposed to the law will increase their letter-writing campaign so that their opposition can be heard). Governor Brewer's predecessor Janet Napolitano, a Democrat who is now the Secretary of Homeland Security under President Obama, had vetoed similar legislation in the past.
Senator Leah Landrum Taylor (D-Phoenix) predicted that the legislation would lead to chaos because there would be growing suspicion among neighbors, friends, and relatives about who might be in the country illegally. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund has said they will challenge the legislation if it becomes law. They say that the legislation is unconstitutional because the federal government is responsible for immigration enforcement (not to mention the invasion of privacy -- being stopped by the police, asked about your status, and having to show documents simply for being brown-skinned). An attorney for the organization said, "The bill is so vague that it encourages investigation and arrest of people...who essentially have done nothing wrong but because of their racial profile." In addition, Mexico's embassy has voiced concerns about racial profiling. Arizona law enforcement groups are split on this legislation -- a union for Phoenix Police Department officers support it, while a statewide association of police chiefs oppose it. (Full Story)
Thousands of veterans of Bosnia's 1992-95 war came together in Sarajevo to protest the government's decision to cut veterans' benefits as an austerity measure under an IMF loan deal. Bosnia reached a 1.2 billion euro arrangement with the IMF to help ease the impact of the global economic crisis. Under the deal, the government of Bosnia's two regions -- the Muslim-Croat Federation and the Serb Republic -- have to cut public spending, and particularly the generous veterans' benefits. One disabled veteran said, "We who went to war barefooted and hungry are still penniless today but have a new burden -- they are preventing us from sending our children to schools." He carried a banner that read "Government = Elite of Bandits."
When the protesters were told that no government officials would meet with them, they turned violent. The veterans threw huge stone blocks and bottles at the government building and the police guarding the government building. They also tried to storm the building, but police in riot gear prevented it. The protesters also set a police cabin on fire. In turn, police fired tear gas and used water cannons against the crowd. The police also fired stun grenades, which resulted in the windows of nearby building being smashed. The stand-off lasted for hours. Doctors from Sarajevo's Clinical Centre said that 33 people have been wounded, three seriously. (Full Story)
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