Yesterday, my teenage son was getting ready to go to the mall to 'hang out'.
"You got some money, Simar?" I asked. "And keep your phone with you, just in case."
He nodded affirmative to both and off he went. After a bit I watched a discussion on TV regarding the new Arizona Immigration law. And that started me thinking. If I was in Arizona, would my son need to carry some sort of Government issued ID too? He doesn't have a license yet, so he really does not have any sort of official ID. But he is brown skinned, like me and he's going to stay that way.
As per the new law, you could be asked for identification, if the police official suspects you to be an illegal alien. And you don't have to be on the wrong side of the law to be asked to prove your resident status. Now I know that 99 per cent of the police officers and other officials will not stop people on the streets for IDs, but they do have the authority to do that if they so desire. And by just looking at an individual, who would they suspect to be an illegal resident? A person with white skin and blond hair? Or somebody with darker skin?
If somebody asks me for my ID to prove my resident status, I really would be okay with it. I grew up in a third world country, where the politicians, police and most of the bureaucracy is corrupt. So I am more tolerant of the whims and quirks of those in power. But our children are not. They grew up in this great country, where freedom and liberty are the essence of life. They have been taught from kindergarten that the color of your skin does not matter. So how will our teenage son or daughter react if someone asks them for an ID, just because they have brown skin? Not well, I'm sure.
These are my personal views, and a lot of you might not agree. I know there is a problem with illegal immigrants. But is this the right way to tackle it? The focus should be on our borders and/or on people who hire illegal residents. But as a people, if we see something that does not seem right, we should speak up.
"Fate and destiny do not look kindly on those who stay neutral at times of injustice." Martin Luther King, Jr.
