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Monday, April 23, 2012

The Keys to the Asylum

("Let Arizona's Law Stand")

Is this the best we can do? Under Mr. Spiro's hypothesis we should allow deeply offensive, unconstitutional legislation to obtain the Supreme Court's seal of approval just so its proponents can later be ridiculed for the embarrassing backlash. Is that an actual theory of governing?

If this were followed to its logical conclusion, it would be best if the Democrats stopped opposing the ludicrous and destructive positions of the Republicans. Let health care reform wither on the vine, stop trying to regulate the banking industry, don't push for environmental sanity. If the inmates run the asylum, so Mr. Spiro seems to be advocating, then eventually they will self destruct.

Such is not a path I am comfortable taking. There may be significant backlash from foreign investment if they have legitimate fear of the impact of these anti-immigration laws on their people (although I personally doubt that this would occur).  And yes, migrant workers who are not showing up for work on the farms have, and will, create a backlash from their potential employers. But that is little reason, and scant justification for permitting laws such as the one in Arizona to withstand judicial review.

Our country will not be improved in our eyes, and in the eyes of the world that is watching, by such action. It is critical that, at each and every opportunity, we strike down legislation that would diminish and disgrace us. Otherwise, one day we may forget how and why we permitted these laws to remain, and only be left with their devastating results.

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