New Arizona Immigration Law Tests Definitions of Freedom in the U.S.
Debate over Arizona’s new immigration legislation is so heated because it revolves around no less than five legal and political axes: states’ rights; immigration control; possible racial bias, even if unintended; freedom from government intrusion; and the war on terror. The complex nature of this issue means that it has no easy resolution, but a new social networking website offers a meeting-place for interested parties to debate them.
FreedomFriends.com, which officially launches May 17, encapsulates its appeal in its tagline: “Where Free Minds Meet.” It hopes to capitalize on the burgeoning global movement to preserve national and personal sovereignty, and to oppose on principle any movement toward a centralized global economic or political order. The site offers this movement’s participants a place to connect with each other and to debate the issues of the day, such as developments in Arizona.
“The dilemma Arizona faces over illegal immigration is highlighted by the split at Fox News, with Judge Andrew Napolitano opposing both the new law and other Fox regulars,” explains Rob Argento, managing editor of FreedomFriends. “Also, Napolitano recently told talk show host Alex Jones that he himself would feel uncomfortable in Arizona because of his dark complexion. There is no doubt that the nation must do a better job of controlling its borders, and Arizona has taken the initiative precisely because of federal laxity. Such laxity is glaringly inconsistent with the whole posture of the so-called ‘war on terror.’
“The immigration issue, as it is currently being played out in Arizona and elsewhere within the United States, is just the sort of hot-button topic that can be exhaustively and fruitfully debated on a patriot-oriented online community such as ours,” Argento continues. “By bringing like-minded individuals together, it allows them to further develop their own ideas, work together, and possibly begin to plan courses of action that will ultimately benefit the nation.”
The site is set up like other social networks. New members can sign up and create their own home page, read news feeds and editorials, click on links for sci-tech news, music, and political comedy, and form groups around common interests. A world map tracks events of interest in each users’ locality, and videos (both general and patriot-themed) can be viewed. A planned wiki feature called “FreedomPlanet” will allow users to edit, revise and upgrade the work of their peers.
