Facebook Tid Bits: 2010-05-09
08:25 AM: On Arizona’s new immigration law: Mike: On last week’s episode of 60 Minutes, they said that this law gives the police broader powers of enforcement than they had before. Since the CBS news correspondents take great care to use precise language, and since they’re among the most reputable news-gathering organizations in the world, I’d tend to trust what they say, and infer that this law is much more than simply a reaffirmation of business-as-usual – of already-existing laws. There is indeed NEW stuff here that we all should be concerned about; stuff that could take us back seventy years of social evolution; to the ways the Nazis did things. “Show me your papers.”
10:33 AM: They didn’t say “no reason.” They say that the police [in AZ] can approach someone with probable cause. But that PROBABLE CAUSE excuse has historically been used to justify all sorts of hair-curling atrocities. Extreme caution here therefore, is warranted.
No, I’ve not read the bill. Due to time shortages, I must trust several reputable news organizations (CBS, CNN, NBC, NPR) and the experts they interview to report on the significant parts of the bill. Numerous experts say that this bill indeed represents a significant departure from traditional enforcement techniques, and I believe them.
11:40 AM: Well, you’re going to FORCE me into this, aren’t you. 
Okay, I’ll go read the AZ bill and comment once I’ve thought it over.