SB1070 Update: Does Palin read El Blog?

by David Safier

Since the beginning of my coverage of all things SB1070, I've been using the photo at right on most of my posts. It's from, if I remember correctly, a demonstration in LA.

We Are All Arizona. I like the sound of that. All over the country, people recognize, if this law is allowed to stand, it will be duplicated elsewhere. If it's declared unconstitutional, repealed or shown to be devastating to Arizona's economy, maybe other states will think twice.

On Sunday in Mexico City, there was a Solidarity
Concert, Todos Somos Arizona:

85.000 people, 9 Music Bands, 8 hours of music and 5 hours of intense rain are the numbers of the concert "Todos somos Arizona" (We all are Arizona) against " the immigrant law " SB1070 in the main Square of México. Mexico City, Mexico 16/05/2010.

(If you've been to Mexico City, you'll recognize the Zocalo with the cathedral in the background).

[And yes, unfriendly commenters on the Right who have been frightened enough by El Blog that you've been working overtime on the SB1070 comments, I know Mexico doesn't treat immigrants well. I get the irony here.]

Our side owned the phrase until a few days ago.

And then Sarah Palin made it her own. Standing with the Accidental Guv, she said, "We are all Arizonans."

Funny how this works. In a sense, both sides are trying to recall the "We are all Americans" slogan right after 9/11.

The anti-SB1070 crowd is saying, "Watch out for this bill. It could happen to you too."

The pro-SB1070 crowd is saying, "The immigrants are the new terrorists. We need to fight them together."

And here's the sad thing. Though we were the first out of the box with "We are all Arizona," when it comes out of Palin's mouth, everyone repeats it. She won. The right now owns the phrase. Just like Bush kidnapped "No Child Left Behind." Just like he tried to kidnap the "Leave nothing but footprints" line for oil drilling in Anwar.

Not only are these people better slogan makers than we are, but if we come up with a good one, they steal it and make it their own.

I think I'll find another photo to identify my posts.

Sigh.