Dora the Explorer Fuels Arizona Law Debate…and I don’t know what to think.

Now that Dora the Explorer is the poster child for Arizona’s Immigration Law, I decided it was time to put a stop to this mayhem and foolishness.  According to this article , some people with more time on their hands than me have Photoshopped a smiley Dora into a mug shot.  Dora features a black eye, apparently from a tussle with the U.S. Border Patrol.  Really?!  Are you kidding me?

First of all, Dora is a CARTOON character—as in she’s not actually real, despite her mega-million dollar marketing franchise.

Second, if Dora was indeed a real little girl, she might very well speak Spanish and talk with a slight Latino accent.  I have no idea where real Dora would live—in a Latin American country?  The United States?  Canada?  Australia?  It’s a mystery! I happen to live in an area that has a large Latino/Hispanic population—most of these people are not illegals.  They just speak Spanish and sometimes have accents.

Third, Dora’s a world traveler, who obviously needs a passport to get around.  I mean, the ONE episode I watched of “Dora the Explorer” featured Dora speaking to some Amazon River dolphins, which are pink.  Clearly, Dora gets around.

Bringing Dora the Explorer into the immigration debate is as ridiculous as it gets, but then some see the Arizona Immigration Law the same way—ridiculous.  Personally, I don’t know what to think.  At first, I thought, the law might be a good thing.  I mean, if I go to a foreign country there are a many times I might have my passport checked? (OK, that’s what the ladies on “The View” said.  I went to Canada twice.  I’m not really a world traveler like Dora).

Then I read my blogger friend Richard Daley’s post on how he feels about the Arizona law.  Daley, who was born in Trinidad, quotes Eugene Cho who writes, “It means that if I’m ever in Arizona, as a foreign national, I pretty much have to justify my right to be in this country whenever I interact with the law. Which says to me that I’m not wanted here, and it would really be more pleasant for everyone if I left.” That struck a nerve.

I want to say, “No, no!  We want you here.  We are proud to welcome you into our country.  I mean, that’s how my ancestors came to be here.”  On the other hand, I do not like the idea of Mexican gangs and drug lords infesting our country with guns, drugs, human trafficking, and other such nonsense.  Do I care if a guy is working on a farm and sending money home to his family?  Of course not.  How about the French student who “forgets” to renew his student visa?  No.  And, of course, I welcome people like Richard and Eugene Cho with open arms because they are fascinating people.

But I do not welcome those who kill, maim, and destroy our American way of life, which threatens not only our citizens but our friends from other countries as well.  Immigration is the very foundation of our nation and we should never forget our roots.

So, I’m interested, what do you guys think about the Arizona Immigration Law?  Also, what do you think of this Dora the Explorer situation?