Do you remember when, in the wake of the so-called "Patriot Act," cities across the country passed resolutions not to enforce some of the most egregious, rights-violating provisions of that law? That kind of bold opposition to power made me proud of my country.
Recently, a law passed in the capitol city of Jackson has made me proud of my state. As controversy swirls around Arizona's SB1070---the law that authorizes police to ask people for their papers based only on some undefined "reasonable suspicion" that they are in the country unlawfully---Jackson's city council passed an ordinance that prohibits police officers from stopping or detaining people based on the person’s race, immigration status, perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. It also prohibits police officers from asking people about their immigration status solely to determine if they are in the United States illegally.
The Council passed the ordinance 6-1. Almost unanimously.
Standing up against racial profiling is always the right thing to do. My hope is that Jacksons' example will be a beacon for the rest of the state. And the state, a beacon for the country.
