In the following New York Times articles "South Carolina: U.S. challenges Immigration Law" and " South Carolina: 16 Countries Seek to Join Suit" they discuss the recently passed law on illegal immigration in the state of South Carolina. Due to the increasing amount of illegal aliens in the United States South Carolina has taken it upon themselves and made a new law allowing police to check the immigration status of every person that they feel looks or sounds like they are illegal. The United States Justice Department feels this new law taking effect on January 1st must be blocked and are filing a lawsuit to stop this law encouraging racial profiling and discrimination. Along with the U.S.,sixteen other countries from Latin America and the Caribbean filed papers to join the lawsuit.
Do you feel their must be a federal law to over rule this state law that some find very discriminating? Also why do you think that these sixteen other countries want to join the lawsuit?
I think there should be a federal law that over rules state laws that encourage racial profiling. Federal laws apply to all states. That means that one state couldn't make it legal to discriminate against people, strictly based on their looks. I think this would prevent unnessecary controversary. Meaning that law enforcemnt would not be interrogating or searching either American citizen or newly legalized immigrants. I think that these sixteen other countries are for the lawsuit because they do not want their people exploited once they leave their origin's soil.
ReplyDeleteI feel that a federal law should be made/enforced because this new law does open up to government approved racism. And I feel like the sixteen countries who are joining the lawsuit are joining because they want to be able to make sure that the people who have emigrated from their countries of origin and immigrated to America are safe and respected.
ReplyDeleteI definatly think there should be a federal law overriding California's new law. The law will encourage a lot of discrimination and racism. I think many people will be unhappy with this law. It is not fair to judge people based on their looks. Many times you can't even tell what a certain person's race is. Therefore, a federal law is needed to stop this discrimination from happening. I think the sixteen other countries are joining the lawsuit to make sure the people from their country are safe. They come to America to live out their American Dream, but they can't do that if they are being discriminated against.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above people that there should be a federal law that allows the government to overrule state laws. South Carolina's new law is unfair and discriminating to other races. The federal law should be able to cut in and change that law. I agree with Laura(Fagan) that federal laws apply to all states, so one state can't make a law discriminating others. To quote the Black Eyed Peas, "but if you only have love for your own race, then you only leave room to discriminate; and to discriminate only generates hate." Yeah that's right, I just did that. We don't want to discriminate other races because it is sort of like hate towards them. I also agree with Laura(Young) that the other countries want to join the lawsuit to make sure the people from their country are safe. They know people will leave their country, so they want to protect them in the U.S. Those countries are trying to assure that their people are safe when they are becoming more successful.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very controversial issue in the United States. Like our class saw in the episode of 30 Days yesterday, there are certain people that believe laws like South Carolina’s will help improve the United States as a whole. Frank George, the man in the episode, had no sympathy toward illegal immigrants and didn’t believe that they deserved any because they came here illegally. Frank is a good example of someone who would support this very discriminating law. As I think about how he looks at the situation of illegal immigration, it is easier to understand why the other sixteen countries would want to join in the lawsuit. At this point, discrimination is not a worry to them; I think that they are trying to deal with illegal immigration the best they can at this point because they want to do what is right for our country. I do not necessarily agree with how they are handling the problem because the new law is very discriminating and will cause a lot of problems with racism like Laura has stated above, but I do think they will have to address the problem one way or another. Like Ms. Ramshaw and Ms. McMurray have been constantly been trying to tell our class, every option has its Pro’s and Con’s because there is no simple solution to this problem. Although I believe that there should be a federal law to overrule this state law because I find it very discriminating, I also understand why they would pass the law. This issue is a very complicated one and sooner or later they are going to have to deal with the problem somehow.
ReplyDeleteI think there should be a federal law that over rules the state law because this law is really discriminating. I find it really racist. Like Laura said, it really is unfair to judge someones legal status based on their looks. You don't know what they're ethnicity is and you can't tell just by looking at someone. I think the sixteen countries want to join the lawsuit because maybe there are many people from their countries that leave in order to come to America.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone else that there should definitely be a federal law to overrule the state law that could be put into effect. The law is unjust and discriminating very much against Latin American citizens. The law threatens people to stopped and investigated to suspectivly be an illigal immigrant based on their physical appearance. As Michaela said, that the law only encourages discrimination and racism to seek out who appears to be an "illigal" immigrant. The sixteen other countries are joining the lawsuit in protection to those Latin American citizens' rights in the United States. The Latin American countries would not appriciate those Latin American decedants to be threatened by police enforcement to be racialy profiled based off their ethnicity. As John and Laura Young said, the immigrants emigrate from their country of origin to pursue their "American Dream" and their countries of origin want those immigrants to be respected and not discriminated against because they might look like an illigal immigrant.
ReplyDeleteI believe this law should be allowed to be passed. Yes it may creat discrimination how ever illegal immigration is large problem in this country. I don't think that it will worsen the problem of discrimination than it already is. People will be just as prejudice as they are now. This law might help discrimination a little bit intact. If these people that are beig discriminated against in facy have lepers they are a good example for their race and cops will see not everyone is illegal and commiting Crimea. However if people are getting pulled over speficially because of their race that is in fact too prejudice and should not be enforced. I believe sixteen other countries are joining this federal law to overridethe state law out of fear of racism. Understandable.
ReplyDeleteI think that there needs to be a federal law that is passed because it is very discriminating to immigrants. A police can not randomly look at you and judge you on if you look or sound like an illegal immigrant. I do not feel that that is fair to other people of different races. I believe that there needs to be stricter laws about illegal immigrants but not to be able to point someone out and randomly check them. I think that if you were to check their papers they would have had to been doing something wrong or have reason. I also think that more countries are joining it because they believe its discriminating. i believe that they are trying to do what is best for the country but they are going about it the wrong way.
ReplyDeleteI am really indecisive on this issue because although racial profiling is an issue, so is illegal immigration. As we are trying to stop one issue, another issue is being caused. I agree with Michaela, as she said there are pros and cons to every issue. If I were to make the decision I would say yes, there should be a federal law to over rule California's law. As many others have said, it is completely unfair to judge a person based on how they look because that is discrimination. As soon as a law is passed that stops illegal immigration the right way, without discrimination or racial profiling then I would be all for it.
ReplyDeleteI do believe this law should be allowed even though it might lead to discrimination. But wouldn't you want the illegal immigrants to be found out and prosecuted? and i also believe that if this law isn't passed then it is hiding illegal people even more then we are now. Also if people don't have anything to hide then way should they be worried? All in all i believe this law should be passed because illegal immigration is a problem in today's world and things need to be changed in order to stop it. And people that aren't illegal immigrants have nothing to worry about so they shouldn't care if this law is passed. And for the other country's getting involved i believe that it is non of their business and they should stay out of it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Chelsea. Since there is so much racial discrimination going on now, I do not feel that this law would really add too much to that. Illegal immigration is a problem in this country, one that needs to be fixed as soon as possible. I believe that it is an obligation of the United States to see an end to this problem any way possible; if this means stopping people that look as if they could be illegal immigrants, than so be it. This may push the illegal immigrants more to become citizens, therefore,making this a country not of illegals, but of actual U.S. citizens. This would only better our country and would hopefully get more everyday citizens to rally and do what they can to stop illegal immigration. On top of that, I feel that it would make the state more secure. If every illegal immigrant was documented, then it would be much easier in the future to tell who was legal and who wasn't. I believe that 16 other countries are also supporting the lawsuit against South Carolina because they do not feel as though they should mbe racially profiled when they enter the United States. Maybe most of those countries' citizens come to the United States in a legal matter and do not want to be discriminated just because of the way they look.
ReplyDeleteAs many people have said, I think that there must be a federal law regarding this situation. I don't think that it is right for the police to be able to look at someone and say "They might be an immigrant". It could offend people because if someone worked hard to become a legal citizen, to be questioned and looked into by an officer, is insulting. They worked hard for that status and they are being patronized for looking a certain way. I think that 16 other countries are going along with this lawsuit because they also feel that it is discriminating towards people. Also, they might be gong against this law if some of the countries have tried some law like this in the past. If South Carolina is doing it now, the other states might not want S.C. to be able to because they weren't allowed.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the majority that the federal law should stop the South Carolina law on immigration. Like Laura Young said, it encourages racism and discrimination, which we have been trying to move away from in the past decade. Like Kim said, it is unfair to judge if someone is an immigrant by the way they look. We could really say anyone looks like an immigrant because our country was made from immigrants. The non immigrants of America may very look much like an immigrant so how are we supposed to tell the difference? Are we going to start targeted only a certain race, like the Mexicans, because they can cross out boarder illegally so easily? I found it interested that Nate said that if the federal law did not override the South Carolina law that it was just add to our discrimination and that it would not affect anything that much. I find that it may not affect everyone is a large way but it will affect individuals and families, and groups, and communities. No one wants to be judged by the way we look. We already have enough of that without racial profiling. I also think that the 16 countries are joining too because they do not want their emigrants to be judged.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the majority of the class because there definitely should be a federal law that is able to support or overrule the South Carolina law. I can definitely see why the sixteen other countries supported the law that didn't allow police to pull people over based on the way they look. The countries wanted their people who emigrated to the United States to be respected just like a United States born citizen.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that the government should be able to stop this law that the state is making and I think that they have no reason to either. What the police would be doing may be called racially insensitive by some but there is no question that it is necessary. The illegal immigrants in the United States look just like everyone else, therefore, there is no other way to try to crack down on immigration without "racial profiling". The other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are trying to vote in on this law most likely because they do not want people immigrating to the U.S. either because by leaving the country of origin they are taking away from the economy there and they also do not want to have the hassle of shipping the illegal immigrant back to that country.
ReplyDeleteI think there should be a federal law to over rule the discriminating state law. The new law allows racism and discrimination towards people who may or may not be illegal immigrants. Also, I believe sixteen other countries are joining in on getting rid of this law because they also believe it is very racist and definitely shouldn't be allowed.
ReplyDeleteTHIS DISCUSSION IS NOW CLOSED. COMMENTS AFTER THIS POINT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR CREDIT.
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