My Email to the Governor of Arizona

I just mailed the following to the Governor of Arizona through their contact portal at this link. You can also send her one at this address.

Governor Jan Brewer
State Capitol
Phoenix, Arizona

Dear Governor Brewer

Since 1980 I have made at least one and usually up to four trips annually to Arizona for the purpose of nature observation, especially bird watching. Most of my time has been spent in the southeast Arizona mountains. I have also made regular trips there to visit lands managed by the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I had planned to travel to Arizona in June 2010 for the first of my regular trips to your state to go bird watching. While there I usually stay about one week or so and probably spend $1,000 or more on various services from hotels to food and rental cars. I won't be going now.

This past weekend you signed sweeping immigration reform legislation that now makes it legal for (and a responsibility of) any sworn law enforcement officer in your state to stop any person at any time in any place and for any reason to check their citizenship papers. This is akin to the scenes in the old Humphrey Bogart movie "Casablanca" where the police would haul people aside and say "your papers please."

This legislation was written under the guise of giving law enforcement the authority to check for illegal immigrants from Mexico. However as it is written the police in your now Nazi-like state can stop anyone for any reason. I guess you forgot about the US Constitution's protection against unreasonable searches?

The purpose of my writing you is to ask a couple of questions regarding future trips to Arizona.

First, is it advisable now for me a 58 year old Caucasian male to ensure that I carry my United States Passport with me at all times while traveling to your state? Although I am lily white just like you, Governor, how would the police know if I am not an illegal immigrant from, say, France or Serbia or even Austraila?

Second, on landing at any of the several large airports in Arizona, will you have staff available in the arrivals area to certify that those of us entering your state are "legal"? Will your staff be stamping our papers so the police know we are legitimate?

Third, on entering Arizona by road now will there be similar checkpoints set up for the police to check the papers of anyone entering? After all you can't take a chance on some Canadian trying to sneak in over the border in his car, eh?

Fourth, what are the penalties for otherwise legal American citizens traveling to or through your state who do not have proper identification papers? Can we expect, maybe, that proprietors of hotels will be calling the identification police in the middle of the night and have them raid the rooms of suspects?

Fifth, will it now be a requirement of visiting your state to have to click our heals together, raise our right hand at a 45 degree angle, and say "Sieg Heil" on first being stopped by a law enforcement officer?

Sixth, are you planning to ask for Federal funds to pay for all the jails you are going to have to build to hold all the people you incarcerate until a court is able to adjudicate their case?

Seventh, I have two friends from high school who have Hispanic surnames but have been citizens of the United States since at least 1950 and 1951 when they were born. How will you separate my friends from illegals who have the same last name?

Finally are there any steps being taken to begin impeachment proceedings against you and every other Republican politician who wrote and supported this draconian law that makes the United States, once again, the laughing stock of the world?

Until your ridiculous law is struck down by the courts it is my most sincere hope that the economy of Arizona suffers tremendously and severely.

By the way, in signing the legislation did you stop to wonder who would be building the wall you are putting up along the border once none of the Hispanic people are allowed to come into your state? Somehow I just can't see the Anglo population of Arizona climbing over itself signing up for those jobs.