Alabama...land of the incarcerated

Representative Hammond of Decator has been quoted as saying of the bill:

''We're trying not to be punitive and mean, but we do want to accomplish our mission,'' Hammon said. ''We want to discourage illegal immigrants from coming to Alabama and prevent those that are already here from putting down roots.''

This is not such a simple issue. The roots have already been established...some for generations. This is a human rights issue as well as an economic one. The human rights issue is that these persons have bought homes, fill apartment complexes and opened legitimate businesses in Alabama. They have children that are born here and some that have grown up here for many years. These children, both undocumented and citizens know no other culture than that of Alabama.

The economic issue has brought together some strange bed-fellows like business groups and human rights organizations. Both recognize that not allowing families to rent apartments, get license plates for their cars, or even ride the bus to school would not only be punitive, it would be "mean" and "hateful." It would destroy some local economies. The same people who celebrate Latino culture one day and eat their tacos and tamales are ready to throw Latino families out of their apartments and trailers and deny them any legal way to simply exist within the borders of Alabama. This behavior is deplorable. To paraphrase Debs, if one man's very existence is "illegal" then I too am illegal. I will stand with you, fight with you, and give you refuge under my roof.