An American Response to Arizona’s Immigration Laws

June 14, 2010

This message is taken from a correspondence between Shepard and a person who claims to be an American Citizen from Las Vegas, regarding our Post and position on the Sound Strike Against Arizona Campaign.  Please read below.

http://749.2f4.mwp.accessdomain.com/headlines/sound-strike-against-arizona

From: American Citizen B
Date: June 9, 2010 6:39:34 PM PDT
To: contact@obeygiant.com
Subject: [Obey Giant Contact Form] General Inquiries

I just read the little snippet in Rolling Stone about your Sound Strike in AZ. I agree you should stay out of Arizona, but I think you should go a step further and call every radio station in AZ and tell them to stop playing any music by any bands on your list. Oh, and call every Walmart and every other retail outlet in AZ and tell them to stop selling your CD’s. And tell iTunes to not let anyone buy your music that has an AZ address on their credit card. Really, if you are serious about this then you will do this. Of course you are not THAT serious about it, so I won’t hold my breath. Just like Los Angeles shut the fuck up after AZ asked if they wanted to boycott the power from AZ, every one of the bands on your list should SHUT THE FUCK UP. You can also boycott Las Vegas as I have this list of bands and I will not be buying or listening to any of them ever again. How’s that for a boycott? Oh and if you’re saying “Big deal, who gives a shit what this guy from Vegas thinks…” well, then, you know exactly what I think about your stupid little boycott.

B – in Las Vegas, NV USA – An AMERICAN Citizen

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American Citizen B,
It is very sad that you think you are not an immigrant. This country was founded by “illegal” immigrants escaping dreadful lives in Europe. Is that any different than people fleeing dreadful lives in Latin America? Human rights should be protected regardless of immigration status. YOU live in the U.S. because your family was not deported at whatever point they came to this land. The only people who deserve to argue about illegal immigration are Native Americans. There are tons of deadbeat U.S. citizens who leach off the government, don’t have health or auto insurance, and don’t pay taxes. Are you going to generalize that all Americans are like that? I bet you won’t hesitate to make generalizations about Latin immigrants… why, because you need to justify your racism. Empathy requires intelligence and maturity. I’m trying to teach empathy to my five year old daughter and it is difficult, but at least there is hope for her. I wish people would migrate to the U.S. legally, but if you advocate their human rights being taken away once they are living here, be careful, because when permissive attitudes toward human rights abuse are cultivated… your rights may be the next to go.
-Shepard