Arizona, "a ways removed"

Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.  Of course I've never really learned that lesson. It seems Peggy West and I have something in common:

MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee County Board spent part of the day debating a measure that would call for the county to boycott doing business with companies in Arizona.

Communities around the nation have passed similar measures in response to a law in Arizona that makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally.

There was an odd moment during the debate when Supervisor Peggy West stood up and seemed to be confused about her geography.  "If this was Texas, which is a state that is directly on the border with Mexico, and they were calling for a measure like this saying that they had a major issue with undocumented people flooding their borders, I would have to look twice at this.  But this is a state that is a ways removed from the border," West said during debate.

I do know where Arizona is so I thought I'd help Peggy out with this handy map.

 

(Peggy, the orangy part is Mexico)

West said she simply misspoke.  I can certainly understand - and sympathize with that.  But her explanation (for objecting to Arizona's immigration law) is a little "odd":

West claims that the point she was trying to make is that because Texas has a much larger border with Mexico, she might feel differently about such a law in that state.  "Had Texas come out with the legislation, having the largest border, I think that I would be more receptive to the fact that there was a problem.  But having it be Arizona, having it be the second largest boarder and knowing there are troops on the border in Arizona, it didn't seem to me that this legislation was particularly necessary at this moment in time," West said.

Arizona.  The Avis of border states.

Comments

[Blake]

We can also assume that she has not read S.B. 1070. Much like the clowns in DC; she makes her decisions on feelings and hunches.

[Julie]

I agree. That's a pretty safe assumption.

[ajasmer]

I just have to shake my head at the ludicrous statement this woman made. Where do these people come from. A cave maybe???