Monday is a day for expressing love, for cherishing the people who make our lives special. Amid all the candy and balloons, however, Feb. 14 is also the 99th anniversary of Arizona's statehood. Despite tough budget times, plans are under way across the state to celebrate its centennial in the coming year.
And celebrate we should. There is much to love about Arizona: the mild climate (as chilly as it's been recently, consider those back east who would gladly swap places with us), the mountain vistas, the independent spirit. We hold onto these things ever tighter as Arizona comes under assault from the rest of the nation because of our response to one of the prime challenges facing us: potential threats to our security and prosperity from illegal immigration. But the greater challenge is to avoid letting this story define us when there is so much more that makes Arizona special.
Our state is a melting pot within a melting pot, drawing transplants from all across the nation, and the world, who are looking for a legendary quality of life. Natives of this state are few, or at least it seems that way much of the time. They may grumble about invasions of Californians or Mexicans or whoever else, but the fact that so many come here seeking something they can't find elsewhere should be a source of pride, at least - whatever else it may bring.
But with the good has also come the bad during our first 99 years. Our fair desert, a refuge for so many from colder climates, instead became a prison during World War II for Japanese-Americans whose only crime was to have been born. We've suffered a string of black eyes and boycotts, from Gov. Evan Mecham's infamous cancellation of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and other civil rights gaffes to the continued tendency of our more maverick politicians to seek publicity by railing against federal power - even as our schools wither and the rug is swept out from under the most vulnerable of Arizonans when money is tight.
But it's easy to forget that Arizona has always been a spitfire, even before it earned statehood. The popular recall of judges was so controversial that President William Howard Taft threatened to veto our admission into the Union unless the provision was taken out of the state Constitution. So it was removed - only to be stubbornly restored once we were a state by means of constitutional amendment. That's how deep Arizona's independent spirit runs.
We're the state that redefined participatory government and the rights of the accused, tamed the mighty rivers and bent them to our will, and virtually created the retirement lifestyle. We're the state that stood up to the White House and made the whole nation take notice, for good or for ill, then rallied that same nation around us to keep vigil over a grievously wounded congresswoman and mourn those who did not survive the horrific attempt on her life.
We are Arizona, and we're proud.
Slabside posted at 12:06 pm on Sun, Feb 13, 2011.
"Arizona comes under assault from the rest of the nation because of our response to one of the prime challenges facing us: potential threats to our security and prosperity from illegal immigration." I'm quite sure the families of Phoenix Police Officer Kenneth Collings, Officer Robert Sitek, Park Ranger Kris Eggle and Border Patrol Officer James Epling and 6 week newlywed couple James and Emilia Lee would agreethe threats are far from potential. The rest of the nation can go pound sand... ARIZONA IS UNDER ASSAULT.
EmperorSmith posted at 12:54 pm on Sun, Feb 13, 2011.
Yes we are, think it should be about time call out the militia, on a volunteer basis. I would join, I have offroad vehicles and a good power scope. I do not advocate violence except in a self defense situation
EmperorSmith posted at 12:55 pm on Sun, Feb 13, 2011.
the scope is not one for a gun but a 5" terrestrial. Would be good for viewing from a mnt top.
Slabside posted at 2:15 pm on Sun, Feb 13, 2011.
I too would volunteer to do my part Emp. I own a nice spotting scope.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 2:25 pm on Sun, Feb 13, 2011.
All in all not too bad of an article. It's about as "fair" as can be expected. Lots of "back-handed compliments...LoL.
What did kind of stick in my craw though was the sentence..."Gov. Evan Mecham's infamous cancellation of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday". The "whole story" sheds a little more light on this particular episode of Arizona's History and one of Arizona's "maverick politicians". Democrat Gov. Bruce Babbitt signed an Executive Order declaring a MLK Day official State Holiday in May of 1986 which infuriated Arizonians. He was voted out and Republican Gov. Evan Mechum was voted in on November of that year with the full knowledge of the voters who supported his campaign promise to repeal MLK Day. After Gov. Mechum's inauguration in January 1987, he wasted no time in declaring former Democrat Gov. Babbitt's Executive Order as illegal. The Attorney General of Arizona at the time agreed with him. Three (3) years later on November 6, 1990, the citizens of Arizona voted overwhelmingly (3-1) to defeat Proposition 301, a Referendum to create a state holiday for MLK Day (251,308 for the Holiday, 768,763 voted against the Holiday). Because of overwhelming threats of visitor/convention boycotts. Arizona citizens did approve a Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday a couple years later. We saw after the voter approval of SB1070 where organized sports like Major League Baseball tried to use the same "bullying" tactics against Arizona but this time Arizonians did not flinch because of support from the majority of Americans in every State. We saw our local TV Stations, our local Newpapers and even our own Arizona Suns turn against the voters of Arizona. Tucson Democrat Raul Grijalva, who appeared on ever CNN, MSNBC political trashing his own State and calling for a National Boycott of Arizona.
While many on the Left feel that Arizona is going to "heck in a handbasket" the vast majority of the voters of Arizona do not. Our little State has become the "bell weather" of the Nation. Our little out of the way State has lead this great Nation to a new Rebirth of American Values and Politics.
State legislatures, cities and towns across our great Nation are following our lead.
God Bless Arizona...God Bless America.
EmperorSmith posted at 2:32 pm on Sun, Feb 13, 2011.
We have to live with the legacy of the past, I'll it this way; no one should judge another beside there actions they make.
Slabside posted at 3:23 pm on Sun, Feb 13, 2011.
Leon, I remember those times well. Arizona was labeled racist because we didn't want another government paid holiday forced on us. It was offered that President's Say or Columbus Day be removed as a paid holiday and MLK be added but the neo-lib zeolots would not hear of it. We ended up with another paid holiday lumped on the taxpayer's backs. Kind of like Napolitano declaring "Squaw Peak" "Piestewa Peak" without consulting voters.
EmperorSmith posted at 6:10 pm on Sun, Feb 13, 2011.
Piestewa? Oh you men squaw peak.