Two decades ago I, then a sixteen year old, was leaning against a brick wall on one of the most famous streets in Moscow, Arbat. The wall contained a memorial of sorts that my friends and I created for a singer who was killed that summer, and we guarded this wall night and day. To kill time, we smoked an awful lot, drank cheap wine and played the guy's music on nylon strings. Occasionally, I'd have a skateboard with me, as I did on this night.
It was humid and dusky as I was trying to learn a few turns and twists. I smelled the alcohol of the type we did not indulge in, brandy or something, before I saw the big burly man wearing a copper's uniform towering over me. He grabbed me by my scrawny shoulders and pushed me off my skateboard, with a somewhat shaky :"there is no driving on this here street!!!" I wise-assed that skateboarding could hardly be construed as driving. Five minutes later I was dragged towards Precinct #5 - a notoriously awful place. My friends, following and pleading with the man, in disbelief. It took a few strikes on the back with the nightstick, which I was told was a gift from the Americans, for me to actually go through the doors of this place. I was scared, humiliated, and now in pain. The legal reason used to not only arrest me, but to keep me jailed, was lack of proper identification. See, I was an adventurous kid and didn't generally carry my passport on me. I was thrown into a cell with two young guys, high as kites, and in the midst of a confrontation. The guys had to be subdued by means of pepper spray.
I was rescued by my great aunt, who had to prove my identity to the cops to secure my release. Bruised, dirty and with a torn shirt-I was free. I was happy that in my new home, the US, something as simple as not having an ID on me would not be sufficient reason for me to be thrown in jail. It felt great, knowing that I could move about freely in most places without having to tell anyone who I am or my reasons for being there. Twenty years is a long time to not start taking few things for granted. I never thought I'd see the day where anyone in this country, the land of the Free and the home of the Brave can be arrested for lacking an ID. Of course, not everyone will be a target. Just the ones whose skin is a shade or two on the brown side. The ones whose English was learned, not breastfed. The ones who are now being blamed for the economic mess the State of Arizona finds itself in.
Having to have identification that proves one's citizenship or legal status on your person at all times, or risking jail and fines will no doubt make our neighborhoods safer, and our communities more prosperous .
I guess other than the blatant inhumanity of it all, there is that minor issue of cost of enforcement. See, if the law enforcement has to concentrate on stopping everyone who looks like they may not be here legally, i.e. some shade of brown in the State of Arizona, that's going to be a costly proposition. Why not simply tattoo every natural born citizen with an American Flag on their forehead? I think that would make for less costly immigration reform, and naturally, the patriots among us wouldn't mind wearing the flag. Or better yet, let's just microchip every living and breathing person we can get our hands on, and simply hand scanners to all law enforcement personnel, and anyone else in a position of authority. I am all for transparency. All the info that matters can be put on there, and permanently jammed into us, I am sure painlessly. Last four of our social, blood type, heritage, citizenship, level of patriotism or party affiliation, arrest record - you know, all the things that might be important someday, to the public good.
In Moscow, I did not carry my passport on me because my nationality was stated as Jewish. There was a very real risk that I could be beat up for that one word being in it.
There is a very real risk one State in this fabulous union just outdid the bigotry of my old home. The bill will get signed by the gutless governor - it's an election year after all. We'll all have lost yet another piece of our soul as Americans.
I wonder if there can be redemption at the end of this reckless journey...
Copyright (C) 2010, inna hardison. please, don't steal from the starving artists, it's illegal and well, just plain freakin' wrong!
:-)
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