Lakers Coach Phil Jackson's stand on Arizona immigration law brings praise and criticism. What do you think?

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson has generated some controversy for remarks he made about Arizona's new crackdown on illegal immigrants.

Asked about the law, Jackson told reporters: "Am I crazy, or am I the only one that heard [the Arizona Legislature] say, 'We just took the United States immigration law and adopted it to our state?'" Arizona lawmakers simply "gave it some teeth to be able to enforce it."

His comments prompted a few dozen protesters to march in front of Staples Center on Monday. Others have said Jackson's comment's are totally appropriate.

Times columnist Tim Rutten isn't one of them:

"Jackson's original statement was not a declaration of neutrality, nor was it an argument for holding sport above politics. It was an endorsement of the Arizona law and a criticism of another NBA team that opposes it," Rutten wrote.

What do you think? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: Michael Novick of Los Angeles, left, protesting with others outside of Staples Center after Lakers Coach Phil Jackson's comments on Arizona's immigration law, gets into a verbal exchange with Mark Steven of Santa Ana, who is in support of the law. Credit: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Chris]

He's a BASKETBALL COACH. He decides who plays in a BASKETBALL game and when they come out and go in and come out and go in. GET OVER YOURSELVES.

[BonHomme Richard]

Electricity, Water, Forest fire help...... = Arizona

[kgoddess]

Yawn.

[ROY]

I am glad he made his point of view known to all of us regarding his support to sb 1070 for some one who claims to be in touch with his ZEN more like the KKK now he will hear our position regarding his position on racist laws, is a shame that we now know that he is a racist, I hope he does not come back next year,and moves to Arizona.

[BLM]

Tim Rutten isn't the brightest bulb either. What is it with you people who insist on telling others what to believe and think that don't agree with you.
Its worse than "liberal" or so called "progressive", its just plain wrong and rude. As the previous comment noted, "Get Over Yourselves" and stop standing up for those that are breaking the law.

[rip]

sounds like free speech to me. since calderon is here to have dinner it would be nice if he and his people would be open to a grand bargain. in exchange for a comprehensive agreement on those illegal immigrants from mexico residing in the us, he obtain all necessary mexican constitutional approvals enabling us capital to migrate south in a total and unfettered manner. no restrictions on us capital's ability to make equity investments in mexican oil and natural gas, the ability for us citizens and companies to own mexican businesses, including majority ownership stakes in listed mexican publicly traded companies, the ability for us capital and us citizens to own completely and full unfettered title in mexican coastal real estate, the ability of us capital and us citizens to be able to make majority control investments in mexican utilities(including but not limited to electricity, gas, cell phone and emerging G4 spectrum, refineries, LNG terminal, water and mines), the ability for us citizens and investors to own in a completly unrestricted manner commercial real estate, including but not limited to, office, factory, retail, storage, wherehouse, and port facilities) and finally, an agreement to create low 'flat tax' zones for both us citizens and mexican citizens along the entire length of the us/mexican border entitling these us/mexican citizens to pay no more then a 12% flat income tax, no state taxes, no capital gains taxes on any asset held for more then 1 year.

until such a gran bargain is made with mexico, no amnesty!

[sama]

Let's have people run out on the court during a game while wearing Lakers uniforms. Then let's not ask them if they're actual players, after all all players are wearing a uniform and we wouldn't want to violate and REAL players by asking them to prove they are, in fact, real players.

[Mike]

Amen.

[DavidAdner]

I think the LA Times is a piece of garbage newspaper. Trying to divert attention away from the economy?

[jskdn]

Only someone blind to bias the LA Times, and especially Tim Rutten, would surmise that this wasn't about simply failing to be neutral in his statements about the law, in line with other statements where Jackson rightly suggested would better for sports if they stayed out of such controversies. It was really about the daring to take a position in opposition to that of the Times on illegal immigration, a position that the paper actively suppresses in its pages. Does anyone imagine that Rutten's column would have been written if Jackson had said both that sports ought to stay out of such political matters AND that he thought the Arizona law was bad?

Of course it goes without saying the Jackson hardly lead the way into the controversy and was pushed on the issue by those with agendas.

[Susan]

I'm not a big fan of the AZ law but think that Phil Jackson's protesters have gone too far. He simply stated in a reasonable and rational way what his understanding of the law is. To call him racist and demand that he retract his statements is akin to what fascists do to squelch opposition - malign them and demand compliance. Why couldn't there be a rational dialogue instead of chanting, name-calling and demands for the renunciation of his statement? The protesters lost support through their aggressive and irrational reaction. The slapping of the label "racist" on anyone who supports the law and the complete lack of interest in actually rationally exploring the arguments of their opponents robs them of any credibility they may have had. They're making a lot of noise, but not a lot of difference.

[Tom, Long Beach, California]

Phil is correct as beleives 75% of Americans....lots of noise by the ILLEGALS
GO HOME TO MEXICO

[Joaquinn]

If it's just a basketball game I imagine that Jackie Robinson did nothing to advance the demise of segregation. Read Tim Rutten's piece in today's LAT to understand why taking a stand make a difference.

[Joseph]

I don't read anything in Jackson's statement that could be construed as political. It's how the reader contrues.

"Am I crazy, or am I the only one that heard [the Arizona Legislature] say, 'We just took the United States immigration law and adopted it to our state?'" Arizona lawmakers simply "gave it some teeth to be able to enforce it."

"Gave it some teeth" could be construed as a taking a side. He avoided racial profiling, which is discontent with the application of the law. The way it's being enforced allows law enforcement stop anyone who "looks" hispanic to show if he/she is legaly in the country. He didn't give an opinion one way or the other.

[J Santos]

Phil and the Lakers organization has chose to do the right thing. Stay out of it. Why does the media and dumb LA politicians continue to try and drag more people into this when all public opinion around the coutnry INCLUDING CALIFORNIA, support Arizona's law???

[bmama]

i commend him for not getting into political discussions. this is basketball!!!

[Isaac]

Wow, I guess Phil Jackson is a legal American citizen.

+1 for Phil, but I regret to say he will lose the NBA Championship to the Celtics :)

[anonymous]

I do not think that Phil Jackson understands the implication of this law to American citizens. It seems like the discussion of this topic is limited to how immigrants and illegal aliens would be impacted, while discussion of how natural born citizens and naturalized citizens will be affected. This law allows for detention to be based upon "reasonable suspicion" that someone "appears" to be an illegal alien. Currently American citizens are not required to carry or provide proof of citizenship. We are only required to carry identification (Name, address, date of birth) The only document that truly identifies one as an American citizen is a passport (which we are not required to obtain unless we are leaving the country), for naturalized citizens it would be a Certificate of Naturalization, which naturalized citizens are not required to carry.
Most people think that this law allows law enforcement agencies to determine if one is in the US illegally if they are stopped for a crime that has been committed - but that is not true. A law does not need to be passed in order to determine the status of those who are inviolation of a law, it is usually the policy of a law enforcement agency that prevents inquiry into the status of those detained during the course of an investigation.
This law allows law enforcement to stop individuals based on a "reasonable suspicion" that someone is in Arizona illegally. How does one determine "reasonable suspicion" that someone is an illegal alien? It can only be based on appearance. What does an illegal alien look like? Surely, I could look like an illegal alien. I am latina with the requisite complexion and features. My family has been in the United States since the late 1880's. My family predates the great European migration to the US at the turn of the 20th century - yet I or my children could be detained because of our appearance.
An American Citizen that is deprived of thier 4th Amendment protection from search and seizure as a result of this law is an outrage. There are many people in the United States who are Citizens who will be detained as a result of this law - they will be not be blonde with blue eyes, they won't be black - they will be brown - so, if you are from Southern Europe, Middle East, East Asia or Latin America - Stand by and be prepared to prove that you belong and if you can't...then be prepared to be detained.
Does Phil Jackson really understand all that? I don't think so - I am sure that if he realized that many of his fans who are American citizens could be detained only because they are brown he would realize that this law is unconstituational and wrong. His platitudes that it mirrors the federal law only serves to bolster the appearance that he is ignorant, in this case - it would be the Supremacy Clause - there are functions that the federal government are responsible for exclusively, this particular issue (immigration) is one of them. My hope is that Phil Jackson educates himself on the implications of laws such as the Arizona law and under whose authority this issue (immigration) belongs.

[Peter Tilyou]

Mr. Jackson is a very successful basketball coach. He is unquestionably entitled to his opinions; just as others are entitled to disagree with those opinions. It is both informative and worthwhile to know his opinion concerning and approval of a law that may result in the denial of certain constitutional protections to certain American citizens and legal immigrants just because of the pigmentation of their skin and appearance. I vigorously oppose the illegal entry of any alien to our country, but I cannot support the possible oppression of American citizens and legal immigrants by a state law that depends on the appearance of an individual to trigger its execution.

[Lora]

I'm a card carrying liberal, but I think we should all stay out of it. I don't live in AZ and can't judge their policies.

[Tee]

I think Jackson - like the rest of us - is ENTITLED to his opinion.
So why doesn't the media stop milking the story?

[Kevin L Smith]

Yes, Coach Jackson's comments were on the money. We are being invaded by illegal immigrants in this country. We allow over two million legal immigrants into this country per year! More than any other industrialized nation! Arizona, California, Texas and Nevada bare the brunt of this invasion and their state economies reflect this fact. The Federal Government has been invisible in stemming the tide of this invasion. The Reagan administration promised the American people that it would grant a one time amnesty to illegal immigrants in 1987, yet here we are again! We have to protect our borders and ports to preserve our soverenty. If we don't none of us are free! It is time to send a signal to those that are here illegally. Self deport!! No other country in the world tolerates this type of invasion. Neither should we!!

[Andy]

Now we know you're a bigot Jackson, you should quit the Lakers and coach the Arizona legislators on how to resend the Martin Luther king day.

[johnny nettles]

I think that Phill Jakson should keep his comments to himself and coach the lakers. If you are white you can not tell people of color about discrimination because we deal with it daily. If you are a black male just walk through the parking lot of department stores you can hear the doors of the cars being locked out of fear by whites who think that you are going to rob or rape them. Iknow because it always happen to me when I am walking to get in my car or getting out of my car walking toward the store. This attitude is pervasive throughout the white community, so if you got white police officer living in the same white communities that foster those sterotypes about minorities or people of color, then they bring these attitudes to the streets, and it reflex in their dealing with the people they come in contact with,and they are going to act accordingly. Just watch cops on tv and you will see what I am talking about. I live in an all white and well to do community, and I have been here for over thirty years, I have been employed in law enforcement for well over thirty four years when I go on my morning walks through the community white people are literally afraid to met me as I walk toward them. I am African American and big and tall, I really have to look them off so they will feel confortable in passing me. Mr. Jackson has never faced that kind of racial profiling, and he should keep his mouth shut. His African American players should tell him that, but they want because they are making to much money and identifing with their white counterpart. this nation would be devastated if we sent all illegals by to Mexico. Do you realize all the taxes these people pay to the IRS and do not file to get their monies back that is free money in the budget, who is going to pick onion at night to dodge the heat of the day in the fields with little light on their heads to earn a living. Come on people get real, and let figure out a way to make these people legal, so that we don't have to pay 10 dollars for a onion.

[marlena]

I LOVE Phil Jackson...... Will You Marry Me?!?!?!