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1. The central issue of Aarti Shanani’s essay "Legalization and De-legalization" is the difficulties which the immigrants have to face due to the imperfections of the law. The anecdote of Julio Beltre's father's deportation sets up the central theme of Aarti Shanani's essay as an example of unfair treatment of the immigrants and the impact that it makes on the immigrants themselves and their families as well (Shanani, 208).
2. Shanani claims that immigration is "the issues everywhere," and it is impossible not to agree with him (Shanani, 208). With the increasing security systems and identification programs, it seems only logical that the governments should not be afraid of the immigrants, since every person's activity can be easily tracked and checked. However, the governments are rather opposed to allowing people try obtaining a new life in a new country. Shanani's claim means that in every country, there are many restrictions for those who want to start a life there without primarily being this country's citizens. I find this concern important and the one that needs thorough thinking and changing. People should have more rights and fewer restraints. We are living in the twenty-first century, and in the modern world it seems only logical that the people should be given more chances for development and making their aspirations come true.
3. As for me, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s recommendations for an immigration bill has more cons than pros: with the expansion of the grounds of deportation, legalization of indefinite detention of non-citizens, authorizing the New York City police to carry out federal immigration laws and other similar issues, the immigrants will be in even more restricted conditions (Shanani, 208-209). However, I do find a suggestion to make a national identification system for all the workers a good idea (Shanani, 209). This is the only issue in the immigration bill which is aimed at unification of both citizens and immigrants.
4. The "guest worker legalization provision" is an issue of the possibility of the visa obtained by undocumented workers to become the basis for getting a green card or citizenship – something that the government is so opposed to (Shanani, 209). This issue supports the Senate’s immigration bill in that it will broaden deportation, detention, and border police (Shanani, 209).
5. The effect that September, the 11th made on the immigration reform is that it revolutionized immigration into the debate on national safety (Shanani, 209). The government considers it paramount that there should be rigid control within any immigration laws being passed. Still, as examples prove, such laws have impact not only on the immigrants, but on their family members, who are legalized citizens, as well (Shanani, 209-210). Thus, the laws should be not so strict so that they would not do any harm for the families.
6. The immigration laws of 1996 had a dramatic effect on the illegal immigrants (Shanani, 210). If earlier they could ask for and receive pardon from an immigration court, now there was a system of compulsory detention and deportation, due to which are held in jail without bail and cannot be pardon despite of this being harmful for their families (Shanani, 210-211).
7. The current plea-bargain system has a hidden threat for the immigrants (Shanani, 211). That is, after they have completed their sentence, they will immediately receive the next punishment, which is detention and further deportation (Shanani, 211). Thus, unfortunately, the immigrant's rights are disregarded in this aspect.
Answers to questions on "Fighting Police Brutality in Global Brooklyn" by Benjamin Shepard
1. The term "global Brooklyn" is defined by Shepard as an independent part of New York, an area which tolerates the multifariousness and divergence and is opposed to negative global forces (Shepard, 218).
2. In my neighborhood there are not any negative global forces affecting the citizens. However, I think that if there were any, the neighborhood activists would think up a campaign which would support the citizen's rights against the negative forces’ influences.
3. The "broken windows" style of policing is the kind of policing which does not indulge even the tiniest violation (Shepard, 218). I find this approach rather belligerent and threatening. Different kinds of crimes should be treated differently, and the minor crimes should not be punished very severely.
4. Shepard argues that 90% of those who were ensnared by "Stop and Frisk" in 2011, were Latino and African American (Shepard, 219). I believe his argument to be legitimate and I think this practice should be stopped. The issues of racism and other close issues should be eradicated and every person, in spite of his or her ethnicity, origin, or color of skin, should be treated equally.
5. In my opinion, the best way to balance neighborhood safety against overly aggressive policing is to organize campaigns and mobilizing into non-profit organizations who would work in the direction of protecting the rights and not allowing outrageously aggressive methods. People should work collectively for the welfare of everyone in the community. They should be unanimous in their wish to defend the freedoms of every member of the neighborhood.
Works cited
Shanani, Aarti. "Legalization and De-legalization." The Place Where We Dwell: Reading and Writing about New York City. Ed. But, Juanita, Noonan, Mark, and Scanlan, Sean. Iowa: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2014. 208-212. Print.
Shepard, Benjamin. "Fighting Police Brutality in Global Brooklyn." The Place Where We Dwell: Reading and Writing about New York City. Ed. But, Juanita, Noonan, Mark, and Scanlan, Sean. Iowa: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2014. 218-220. Print.
