Let’s ignore for a second that Arizona has been the hot bed for ultra-conservative rogue policy for the last few years, and still hasn’t done a thing about those undocumented immigrants imprisoned in what networks would have us believe are cushy, metallic lounges. Gov. Jan Brewer, whose administration has been lauded for her right-wing activist stance against the wishes of the federal government, did two things today towards providing evidence to the rest of us that she’s not completely insane.
First, she vetoed a bill that would ensure that any presidential candidate would have to show their birth certificate in order to have their names submitted on the state’s ballot, also dubbed the “birther bill.” I already had a hard time with the word “birther” because it assumes that anyone who doesn’t have a birth certificate actually decided not to be born, but reluctantly did so because their mom needed space. I’m also troubled by the idea that, in a country considering a man whose personal economy hasn’t grown much in the last couple of decades and a woman who has the gaze of highway-crossing deer in a dimly-lit highway, a man legitimately born in this country and whose mother is also a United States citizen still has questions surrounding his own birth.
Secondly, she vetoed a bill that would allow guns on parts of college campuses. She said it’s because, legally, it’s sloppily written. I say because, logically, it’s sloppy thought-out. We can argue for days about the merits of having a gun on you, because I’ve had those discussions with myself. But we can’t argue that a gun has any place in any place of learning. I haven’t been to one college campus that had enough security to ensure that a random domestic terrorist can’t shoot up a public gathering that they don’t agree with. Like Jared Lee Loughner, for example. Plus, I’m sure that those college frat parties become less popular knowing that the guy with the funnel in one hand might brandish a semi-automatic in the other.
I have some of these discussions with my conservative friends and respect their right to their opinions. Some of us in this country, however, haven’t set guidelines for what we consider extreme policy. De-legitimizing a human being for the color of their skin or their non-standard name is inappropriate. So is grabbing iron irresponsibly in a place of learning. I’m happy for Jan that common sense kept her from making these bills law. Now, if only we could do something about her approval of the immigration bill, the ban on ethnic studies bill, budget cuts on transplants …
Jose, who is taking a break from education this week, because he’s taking a break from education this week …