The principles of our country evolved from an insurrection against tyranny when American colonists resisted British taxes without representation in Parliament.
While our country was founded with the ideals to protect the American public from a different type of tyranny, perhaps one more dangerous than a monarchy, we have largely abandoned these principles.
The tyranny I refer to is that of the political majority. In this dangerous divide of power, the majority of citizens deprives a particular minority or minorities of their rights and alienates them.
Political thinkers throughout history have warned of this, from Aristotle to Thomas Jefferson. Now our citizens are falling prey to this downfall of democracy; it can literally be seen coast to coast. Senate Bill 1070 in Arizona and the ground zero mosque in New York are two prominent examples of this.
With SB 1070, lawmakers are theoretically holding all Hispanics accountable for crossing the border illegally, as the law makes it a crime to be in the state illegally. According to a 2007 survey by the Pew Hispanic Center, only a quarter of Hispanic adults are illegally in the U.S.
Advocates of the law say it is to deter crime. But, according to a press release from the Maricopa County Attorney’s office, the crime rate in Maricopa County has dropped more than twice the national average between 2004 and 2008. Murders fell by 16 percent, sexual assault crimes fell by 6 percent, and vehicle thefts have decreased by 23 percent.
The worst part is a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll conducted in late July showed a solid majority, 55 percent to be exact, support the new law even though 54 percent said the law would lead to discrimination against Hispanics.
Support for the law is clearly divided along racial lines as the CNN opinion poll shows. Thirty-four percent of whites are against SB 1070, while 71 percent of Hispanics oppose it.
Thankfully, U.S. Federal District Court Judge Susan Bolton issued an injunction against portions of the law that would require law enforcement officials to check a suspect’s immigration status while enforcing other laws.
She also outlawed the warrantless arrest of a suspect who may have committed a crime that has grounds for deportation.
“There is substantial likelihood that officers will wrongfully arrest legal resident aliens under [this section of the law],” Bolton wrote in the injunction.
Hispanics are not the only minority under fire lately. Islamic-Americans have taken heat for moving to build a community center that houses a mosque several blocks from ground zero.
A poll conducted by CNN/Opinion Research Corporation found 68 percent of the country opposed this move, while only 29 percent favored it. The polling firm Rasmussen Reports found similar numbers, 54 and 20 percents, respectively.
This is an emotional issue, as it is right next to one of the locations of this country’s worst terrorist attacks. While Sept. 11, 2001, is a day that should always be mourned, we must remember who committed the cowardly act. These were extremists associated with the Islamic religion.
Those in favor of building the mosque are anything but extremists. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who worked with organizations to accomplish the construction of this mosque, has worked with former President George W. Bush’s administration on diplomacy with the Muslim world. So the far right’s claims that he is a radical have no ground.
Even the Anti-Defamation League, an organization that champions human rights and fighting anti-Semitism, has come out against the construction of the Ground Zero mosque. “Ultimately this is not a question of rights, but a question of what is right,” ADL said in a statement about the mosque.
However, two rights are at stake here: property rights and religious rights. The mosque will be built on private property, and Muslims should have the same freedom to worship that Christians, Jews and Buddhists do. Our Founding Fathers championed both of these rights.
Thankfully, President Barack Obama came out in favor of the mosque at a dinner acknowledging the breaking of the Ramadan fast, an important tradition in Islam.
“As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country,” he said. “This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable.”
As of 2008, Religioustolerance.org reports that 76 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christian. Now, if Christian extremists were responsible for Sept. 11, would the country demand we knock down every church in Lower Manhattan? Of course we wouldn’t.
As a country, we pretend we have made large strides in equality and justice. And we certainly have. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 are proof of this. But we have so much further to go. It is our duty to remain vigilant for the minorities and those who are being discriminated against in this country. We must not let this great nation succumb to tyranny of the majority.
Andrew can be reached at andrew.hedlund@asu.edu
