“Papers Please” Law Watch: “Mommy, why is my skin color a crime?”

A girl waits to join the march through downtown Phoenix. (Scott Olson / Getty Images / May 29, 2010)

Yesterday I posted videos of the protest against SB 1070, aka the Papers Please racial profiling law. It was huge, it was passionate, and it was necessary. It didn’t get much, if any, coverage on the Tee Vee Machine, so some of us in the Blogosphere are compensating as best we can.

The L.A. Times did some reporting on it…

There was no official crowd estimate, but the march was by far the biggest demonstration since Gov. Jan Brewer signed SB 1070 into law on April 23. [...]

Demonstrators came from as far as Rhode Island and Louisiana. They streamed down the broad boulevards in a several-blocks long procession of white shirts, American flags and umbrellas to protect against the sun and temperatures in the high 90s.

… but this is the line that caught my attention:

Another family pushed a toddler who held a hand-lettered placard that said, “Mommy, why is my skin color a crime?”

And that is what this is about (well, that and eliminating as many Democratic voters as possible). The argument in support of the law goes something like, hey, the police would only demand papers from someone who they suspect of some criminal offense. But fess up, Papers Please advocates, how many white people will be asked for proof of citizenship?

Hours later, several thousand supporters of the law filled most of a ballpark in Tempe where the Angels play during spring training. A series of talk radio hosts revved up the crowd while a musician played “Hit the Road Jack,” and “tea party” groups signed up new members.

I’d like each and every one of those people to show us their birth certificates. If that’s too imposing, if that’s too “big government” for them, if that’s too intimidating, if that’s something they can’t do (produce their actual long form birth certificate), then hit the road, Jack.