The Denver Post’s editorial, "Leave Immigrant Law in the Desert" (January 27), raises the issue of immigration legislation in Colorado that stems from previous legislation in Arizona. The Denver Post challenges the Arizona law, which has been criticized as targeting the Latino population as illegal immigrants. Colorado now has similar legislation in debate that mirrors the previous law in that the law would, “Allow… to arrest illegal immigrants who are facing deportation, or have been indicted or convicted of serious felonies.” The main question in this law resides in the possible discrimination and abuse of these laws and the conflict that the law could create in the naturally independent state of Colorado.
Colorado as a state has always been naturally independent with the Western libertarian spirit. The state has traditionally been a swing state; there is an even split between the Democratic Party, Republican Party, and independent voters. This independent spirit has entered all aspects of our society, creating a very diverse and multi-cultural environment. When looking at this new proposed bill (Senate Bill 54), the state’s culture and people must be taken into account- how would this law impact the Colorado culture and population, and how would the law be looked at in Colorado politics?
The Denver Post makes the argument that Senate Bill 54 should not be passed because of the term, “probable cause.” This refers to the statement that, “the bill goes a step further than earlier Colorado laws by allowing police to arrest people if there is probable cause to believe they are in the country illegally or if they have committed serious crimes or are facing deportation.” (Denver Post) The newspaper makes the claim that this would affect the citizens of Colorado by potentially making the existing Latino populations targeted as a population living in the country illegally. This would be an invasion of privacy and racial profiling, and would result in complaints and demonstrations against the law and government, as seen in Arizona.
The pathos of this editorial comes from the threats of harassment towards unfairly targeted people in Colorado. Senate Bill 54 could create new cases of harassment by police that would create distress among the citizens of the state. The Arizona protests are easily remembered because of the anguish the protestors felt because the state government was essentially legalizing racial profiling. Why should the citizens of Colorado let a bill pass that would make racial profiling and harassment alright in the eyes of the law?
The ethos in this article reflects the beliefs of Colorado, and how these beliefs influence the Senate Bill. Colorado is motivated to pass this bill due to the increasing number of illegal immigrants that enter the state every year. This number is only heighted because the capital of Colorado, Denver, is considered a sanctuary city, and so gives additional protection to illegal immigrants. By passing this legislation, illegal immigrants with violent criminal histories or are scheduled to be deported can be caught and be given proper legal action. All of Colorado does not believe in the passing of this bill- the author of the editorial vehemently opposes this course of action because, “Upholding the law is the job of government, but symbolic gestures that potentially threaten the civil rights of citizens is not.” (Denver Post) Other Coloradoans share this sentiment, and so make Senate Bill 54 harder to pass.
As for the logos, this editorial speaks and reasons to the readers of the Denver Post by addressing the legal issues in a straightforward manner with background information. The Denver Post makes the case that this issue and bill should not be made by the state while laws we already have are not being currently enforced. Readers understand that, “the core problems of illegal immigration — problems that are beyond the control of states — are dealt with in Washington.” The Denver Post must inform its readers because otherwise the majority of readers would have no knowledge that this bill is being discussed in our state senate.
The kairos of this editorial state that the state government is not the place or in the right time to make these controversial decisions on immigration issues. The time to act on this issue is in the current time, but the state government must defer decisions to the national government. While Senate Bill 54 would cut down on the number of illegal immigrants in Colorado, the social implications of this bill are too high and controversial to implement. The Denver Post strives to education its audience on this issue and does so in an easy-to-read manner.
Editorial: http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_17222065
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