As a Hopi Indian, I feel a great concern with Indian country opposing Arizona’s S.B. 1070. I recall my old uncle saying, “We Indians really screwed up big time from the get-go, as we had lousy immigration laws and let those ‘boat people’ in.” These immigrants stole our land, our resources and many of our lives.
They are still stealing from us. I am a senior on Medicare, had an MRI done in Flagstaff, had health problems, and ended up at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. They had to do another MRI, and my Medicare showed the Mayo costs to be half as much as Flagstaff. The same is true of hospital costs. The Flagstaff paper explained that they (and Phoenix, etc.) have to take care of all, including illegals. More hospitals are forced to close their emergency areas, and in some cases, the entire hospital.
I have had friends and kin squeezed out of jobs which went to illegals at a lesser pay rate. Many other Indians agree with me in support of S.B. 1070. Also, not all illegals come from south of the border, but from Europe, Asia, etc.
We need to verify their legality in all education facilities, and with all medical facilities, as well as employment. This should apply to all offspring of illegals. It may break up families, but this has happened to Indian families. We’ve had trails of tears in our history, and unjust wars on us.
I strongly feel we should all support S.B. 1070. We who are legal can always show our identification.
S.B. 1070 reinforces a federal law already on the books but our government has not enforced it. To enter our country illegally is a federal crime. It is time to enforce the law.
– Chizomana Black
Sedona, Ariz.