Ah, SB1070. The gift that keeps on giving, it seems. This law, one that promises enhanced prosecution of illegal immigrants, has been in the crosshairs from its inception.
Most critics of the law believe that it is the systematic legalization of racial profiling, calling the Arizona government "Nazis" and alleging racism. Supporters believe it will help remove criminals from our streets and help clean up the mess left behind by the federal government. It's not completely absurd to believe that both sides are somewhat correct, but let's be honest here: there's a big problem in Arizona.
Not surprisingly, Latino players playing Major League Baseball have taken issue with the law, which is due to come into effect July 29th. Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee's ace pitcher, came out today and stated that "if the [2011 All-Star] game is in Arizona, I will totally boycott."
The main problem with this viewpoint? Gallardo is effectively turning his back on the millions of legal Hispanics currently living in Arizona. Rather than being a positive role model for these Americans, he is aligning himself with a smaller subset of the population.
The United States is renowned for its judicial system. Those who are wronged by the fallacies of law are allowed to air their grievances in front of an impartial judge. If this law wrongs people, it can be righted. Which is why I don't understand the anger.
Does anyone really think that Major League Baseball will remove the All-Star Game from Phoenix because of a law passed by the state? At this point, I do not believe they would. By July 2011, the ramifications of the law will be very clear. If Hispanics in MLB choose to skip the ASG, that is within their rights. But to do so will be a disservice to the loyal baseball fans of Arizona.
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