As a native Tucsonan who feels strongly about SB 1070 and as someone who's business is directly impacted by the fallout, I stand firmly against this misguided, dehumanizing bill. However, in my industry, a boycott is an especially poor response to this travesty.
A better plan, and one I've advocated with some success to artists who are considering boycotting, is the Mississippi Summer model. Like the students who flooded into Mississippi in 1964, we need people with purpose, persuasion and energy to electrify the base, make a statement, register voters to affect real change. Don't avoid the state - on the contrary - come here!
Do you think the authors of this bill want Rage Against The Machine or Paul Rodriguez in Arizona right now? You are only making the authors of this bill happy by not coming. You are only weakening and impoverishing your comrades.
This is an election year - so much can be changed. But it can't be changed if we haven't registered the voters and inspired support for candidates who actually love Arizona and ALL of it's people. Moreover, I believe as an artist it is lazy and self-serving to boycott. Really? You aren't showing up? Great, but you have actually done nothing to help the people you are professing brotherhood with, only making them poorer, isolated and more disheartened.
It is the laziest protest possible. Put your money where you mouth is - come to Arizona. Force the promoters, venues and fans to donate to the candidates, to the lawsuits against the state, and to pro-immigrant causes. Make that Tucson tour stop something more meaningful than a paycheck on your way to Los Angeles.
They cannot govern through fear, and we cannot respond with inaction.
Fight SB 1070.
Strnatka
