I don’t really know where to begin with criticizing this article I read, so I guess I’ll just start with the headline: Georgia Driver’s License Law Aimed At Undocumented Immigrants Disproportionately Hits People Of Color
I hate the phrase “people of color.” What color? Every person is a color. I know this phrase is used to describe anyone who isn’t white, but white is a color and there are many shades of white, just as there are many shades of brown and black and every other color in the crayon box.
Now the subheading: “The law, with steep fines and mandatory jail, is penalizing poor people of all races.”
Is the law only penalizing poor people? Or do wealthier people who drive without a license face steep fines and jail time too? Also, the subheading doesn’t agree with the headline. Is it affecting just people of color, or is it affecting all races?
Now the article…It starts with a sad story about a man in Fayetteville, GA, Mr. Portillo. He has a wife, four children, and a construction business. He drives a van to carry the construction supplies he needs for each job in order to provide for his family. He’s been arrested three times for driving without a license. Current Georgia law states that if he’s arrested a fourth time, it will be a felony if he’s convicted.
“It’s scary every time,” Portillo said of driving. “It’s a lot of stress every day.”
Why does he risk driving without a license? Why doesn’t he just go get his license so this fear is eliminated, you ask?
Because he’s here illegally. Georgia does not allow illegal immigrants to obtain a driver’s license. Way to go Georgia! I find it interesting that he’s seemingly more afraid of being caught driving without a license than he is of being here illegally. Thanks Washington, D.C.
The article then goes on to do that thing that drives me insane. It states statistics like “blacks make up 21% of the population of county X.” Then says “but 2/3 of the people arrested for driving without a license were black, so the law disproportionately affects blacks.”
No. No it’s doesn’t. It does not mean because the population is 21% black that only 21% of people arrested should be black. Demographics do not dictate the choices people make.
The article continues with a lot more statistics like this from other counties. All of these statistics are from the civil rights groups Advancement Project and the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights.
I think the main point of this article is that a law that was used to target illegal immigrants is affecting more than just illegal immigrants, therefore Georgia should repeal the law. And make it easier for illegals to get a license. Or it might be that driver’s licenses are racist. Or both. I’m not really sure.
Flavia Jimenez, the main author of the report and a senior attorney at Advancement Project said:
“You can argue that the majority of these individuals, if they had an option, would be first in line to get driver’s licenses so they wouldn’t be in fear of getting from one place to another.”
How can you argue this? They have proven that they aren’t willing to get in line to come into the Unites States legally, so what makes anyone think they would be in a big hurry to stand in line at the DMV?
And isn’t it funny that the same people who advocate for handing out driver’s licenses to everyone including people who aren’t supposed to be here, are the same people who want to make it harder for American citizens to practice their Second Amendment right?
