Chipping away at Arizona’s S.B. 1070

A federal judge has temporarily blocked yet another provision of Arizona’s controversial SB 1070 immigration measure from being enforced. The 2010 law made it a crime for a person to block traffic when seeking or offering work on streets.

U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton ruled Wednesday that groups who challenged the provision to succeed in proving the measure violates were likely the 1st Amendment. Immigrant and civil rights groups had argued that the law targeted day laborers’ speech, not traffic problems; however, this is only a diversion if you’ve ever been there. (Special interest groups, La Raza, etc.)

Bolton rightly noted that state officials already have a slew of civil penalties on the books that can be used against individuals who violate traffic laws or create road hazards.

The ruling shouldn’t come as a surprise. On Feb. 21, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to reinstate Redondo Beach‘s anti-solicitation ordinance. The high court let stand a lower court ruling that found the city’s attempt to stop day laborers from seeking work on street corners was so broad that it was nothing short of an unconstitutional attack on free speech. Redondo Beach had spent more than 20 years defending its anti-solicitation ordinance.

No one disputes that cities or states should be able to prosecute those who endanger public safety or create a nuisance. But communities should avail themselves of laws already in place that target jaywalking, trespassing or traffic violations instead of enacting new ones that result only in long and expensive legal battles. That is precisely what the attitude has been in our country since before the 12 million illegal aliens invaded. Moreover, when there is a new issue to deal with, one simply does not revert to old and impractical methods.

For those who do not work or live in areas where huge numbers of illegal immigrants congregate during the morning hours perhaps setting up an example of what it looks like would be proper.

Say it is six o’clock in the morning (6:00am) and for some earlier and other’s later, and you are all decked out in your “Dress for Success” clothes driving to work. You’ve already had your morning cupper’ but since today is Monday, you’ve decided to visit the local Starbucks for that heavenly Hazelnut Latte you’ve been craving since last night.

Once having arrived at Starbucks there are numerous “cat-calls,” whistles, and obscene sounding Spanish remarks aimed directly at you. You look back and at the corner are who knows…maybe 50 to 100 illegal’s waiting for something; nonetheless they are still creating a nuisance and just a wee bit of sweat begins to roll down you back.

Before reaching the door at Starbucks you happen to notice one of the people cover his nostril with one finger and being puffed-up and …there she blows! Snot being led by the biggest wad of nose collection you’ve ever seen. You continue and whilst waiting for that coveted latte you glance over and just happen to notice and woman between a fence and the side of a gas station holding two infant babies when at once she stoops only to leave a puddle with steam and then she’s up again intermingling with the others and you happen to notice that she is now directing another female toward the puddling area.

After a rather rude start of your day you’ve decided something must be done about this cesspool corner. It’s not that people are going there to catch public transportation; in fact, you come to understand that only about 20 percent of the day-working individuals are actually going to procure work. The eighty (80%) percent of others are hoping for that job but if you’re not there, then you’ll never get the work – or so the saying goes.

What you soon find out is that these are coordinated stops along the illegal-supporting-companies supply lines. They honestly could care less about your property…”no my problem” they’ll say and by the way, does anyone know what it costs to live in Redondo Beach, California these days?

Moreover, this is not even close to an issue of an “unconstitutional attack on free speech;” unless you are the older male or female who lives within an area where they smartly don’t make pick-ups. Yet, all the same, it is certainly not like a group of civilized individuals standing politely on a street corner. What we have is an unruly, mass of people that won’t fit on the corner anymore and now they’re spreading out and down the street…oh! Did I mention being in the street causing havoc? People in Redondo Beach don’t hate people…they hate the thought of killing them by unintended consequences.