In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last week, the state of Arizona is in the middle of a political firestorm over its new law allowing police to stop any person at any time to ask for their identification.
Countless organizations have threatened to (or have already started to) boycott the state in protest. Tonight, the Phoenix Suns are stepping into the controversy by sporting their “Los Suns” jerseys in tonight’s Game 2.
The Phoenix Suns will wear “Los Suns” on their jerseys in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday night, owner Robert Sarver said, “to honor our Latino community and the diversity of our league, the state of Arizona, and our nation.”
The decision to wear the jerseys on the Cinco de Mayo holiday stems from a law passed by the Arizona Legislature and signed by Gov. Jan Brewer that has drawn widespread criticism from Latino organizations and civil rights groups that say it could lead to racial profiling of Hispanics. President Barack Obama has called the law “misguided.”
Sarver, who was born and raised in Tucson, said frustration with the federal government’s failure to deal with the illegal immigration issue led to the passage of what he called “a flawed state law.”
“However intended, the result of passing the law is that our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law are being called into question,” he said, “and Arizona’s already struggling economy will suffer even further setbacks at a time when the state can ill-afford them.”
We don’t get very political on this blog, so I will refrain from sharing my own views on Arizona’s new law. Suffice to say that I’m pleased to see the Suns expressing their opinion on the matter.
