[PochoPatriot]

Dear Ms. Kagy,

I have read your press release regarding your company's planned protest of Arizona's SB1070. In it your company states that this bill "has essentially legalized racial profiling and is an affront on our civil rights." Evidently, you and your company has taken a page from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's playbook and criticized a bill that you have not read. I have, and nowhere in this bill and it subsequent amendment (HB 2162) is there a provision for racial profiling. In fact, racial profiling is expressly forbidden. The only time an Arizona law enforcement officer can inquire of anyone's immigration status is only after detaining a suspect for a previous infraction and/or crime. This procedure incidentally, is on the books in a number of states, including California.

Secondly, you state that Arizona should "protect the human rights of all people." While its admirable to see that your company cares about human rights, I have to wonder if this concern is really for U.S. citizens or foreign nationals illegally residing and employed in this country. Further, how about the human rights of the Arizona rancher that was murdered on his own property by illegal aliens? How about the human rights of the three Phoenix police officers shot since 1999? How about the human rights of the victims of all the violent crimes being committed by illegal aliens? How about the human rights of the the victims in North America's kidnapping capital? How about the human rights of the victims of the human smuggling trade that has Phoenix as one of its chief centers? While it is admirable that your company is concerned about human rights, the question that looms large is just whose human rights are you more concerned about, law abiding American citizens, or foreign nationals illegally residing and/or employed in this country?

Third, why would a retail company take such a public stand against a law that has the support of seven in ten Arizonans? Further, why would you take such a stand when recent polls show that 58% of Americans, of all political persuasions, support this law? What sort of business is that? Why would any business take a stand that could alienate 70% of its potential customer base? Are you in business to make a profit, or to make wildly unpopular political statements? I really have to wonder if your corporate leadership has any idea as to why they are in business.

Lastly, I can tell you that as a Californians, my wife and I will never shop at any of your California stores again. Further, I will ask all my friends to stop patronizing your shops. You see, Americans have grown tired of being made second-class citizens in their own country to ungrateful people that parade in the streets demanding amnesty while waving the flags of their home countries. They have grown tired of being told that there are certain days in which they cannot display their patriotic feelings. They have grown tired of footing the ill for all that ills Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala. I suggest that your company rethink this misguided attempt at politics before real economic damage is done to your company.