On authority

About this time last year my father and I were discussing the Arizona law giving police authority to detain individuals suspected of being illegal immigrants. SB 1070 gives law enforcement officers the right to do this, but only in cases of “..lawful stop, detention or arrest.” My father is a Tucson resident and agrees, saying, “the law is the law.” I can’t argue that. It’s just that the police have a history of abusing authority, especially when it targets members of an ethnic minority. So, I have a theory that says whenever you give anyone that kind of authority, it will be abused. My father thinks I’m being overdramatic.

Turns out the Maricopa County Sheriff’s department did not disappoint. They interpreted the new law to mean it’s OK to launch sweeps of Phoenix communities in search of illegal immigrants ..with or without probable cause. Forget the part that says “during lawful stop, arrest or detention.” They essentially made foreign-looking sufficient cause for police action, which oversteps their bounds and violates our constitution rights. My father believes I come from a generation that doesn’t respect authority. I believe I come from a generation that doesn’t trust authority. So, way to go Maricopa ..you have helped make my case, and reinforced my distrust in authority, especially in cases where it’s based on fear and discrimination.