Sometimes an important story gets lost because the media is just plain lazy. Sometimes it happens because the media is doings its job well elsewhere. So while much of the national and international media focused on the multi-tiered disaster in Japan and the slow demise of a brutal dictator in Libya, it can be forgiven for barely glossing over an important cultural and legal story here at home.
The Arizona legislature has completely capitulated on further draconian anti-immigration legislation.
Why? Because money talks and BS walks.
While numerous Arizona politicians continued to shout from a soap box, those who count the money were coming to another conclusion. Among those who came to a second opinion is the increasingly conservative Chamber of Commerce. The state's normally robust tourism and convention industry was taking a big hit. Sixty state business leaders signed a letter blaming the law already passed for boycotts, canceled contracts, declining sales and other economic setbacks. The law, they said, had "unintended consequences."
The business leaders didn't even get to such issues as who is going to clean all of those hotel rooms, cook all of those meals and clean all of those swimming pools.
In other words, sometimes it is good to look before you jump off the cliff.
The Indiana legislature should take that same advice. As you probably know there is an Arizona-style law working its way through our state. Republican Senator Mike Delph of Carmel introduced it. Carmel? When did Carmel, Indiana, become a hotbed of illegal immigration? One supporter even went as far as to say he wanted to protect Indiana from terrorists crossing the Mexican border and coming to Hoosier Land. I wonder if there is a jihadist camp in Pakistan that even knows where Indiana is?
Arizona, Indiana and the other states considering such legislation might want to step back from the cliff and turn their eyes and words to Washington. The United States needs a sane and humane immigration policy. While "sane and humane" currently are not apt descriptions of many (Senator Richard Lugar is an exception) in Washington, remember it's always about the money. And once they realize that dollars speak louder than shrill words, they just might find some rare courage.
