Arizona, immigration and race

"You can make a marginal case in favor of the Arizona law that cracks down on illegal immigrants by giving police wide latitude to arrest and detain those in the country without proper documentation. The state is under siege, and the federal government refuses to do anything meaningful to stop the flow of drug traffickers, criminals, and economic refugees from Mexico and other Central American countries. The border is in chaos and Arizona residents feel threatened by the human tidal wave of more than half a million unwanted visitors every year crossing into Arizona alone.

"Some aspects of the law are objectionable if the statute were to be abused by the police. But until we see how the law is enforced, it makes no sense to gin up hysteria and outrage over what might occur."

Still, Moran questions another proposal that "would make it illegal for a school district to have any courses or classes that promote the overthrow of the U.S. government, are designed primarily for students of a particular ethnic group or advocate ethnic solidarity 'instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.' " Wow. (Would that apply to Confederacy History Month?)

In an editorial that occupied the entire front page, the Arizona Republic rips the Phoenix political establishment:

"We need leaders.

"The federal government is abdicating its duty on the border.

"Arizona politicians are pandering to public fear.

"The result is a state law that intimidates Latinos while doing nothing to curb illegal immigration."

The editorial blames Gov. Jan Brewer, McCain, Jon Kyl and Janet Napolitano, among others.

Another contrary voice has surfaced: "When asked in an interview with Politico if Republicans needed to make any changes in their approach to the growing Hispanic community, Fiorina replied, 'There has been a very unfortunate racist tone that has emerged in a lot of the discussion about immigration and that's inexcusable. We must be a country that welcomes legal immigrants to this country.' "

On a related matter -- the much-debated tea party -- radio talk show host Dennis Prager says at Real Clear Politics that the critics are engaging in racial framing:

"The fact that the Left believes that the preponderance of whites among tea partiers invalidates the tea party movement tells us much more about the Left than it does about the tea partiers.