State Out of the Union Arizona and the Final Showdown Over the American Dream

Days after President Obama beseeched his fellow lawmakers in the State of the Union ‘to come together as a people, Republicans, Democrats, Independents," and "find common ground, even as we're having some very vigorous debates," the extraordinary effect of Arizona's sagebrush rebellion had already rippled across the country. In the alarming and fascinating State Out of The Union, award-winning author Jeff Biggers shows how the Arizonification of America is in full swing. More than 25 state legislatures have already introduced copycat anti-immigration bills of Arizona's controversial SB 1070. But immigration reform is just the opening salvo--in Arizona, and for the 2012 elections. With one of the most radical Tea Party factions in control of its legislature, Arizona and its growing bevy of wingnut politicians have not only dislodged Sarah Palin as one of the most popular jokes on late night TV shows, but have set in motion one of the most alarming challenges to federal authority in history. The legislature has passed several bills challenging federal authority on gun laws, Medicaid, and the rights of undocumented children to attend school or go to the emergency room. One bill debated in the state congress proposed prohibiting "courts from considering international law or legal percepts of other nations or cultures when making judicial decisions." Another bill required federal environmental inspectors to register with the sheriff whenever its representatives enter one of Arizona's fifteen counties. One Forbes reporter wrote that the bill could be summed up in three words: "Stay outta Arizona." As a precursor to the 2012 election, Arizona defiantly unveiled its vision of a Tea Party America--that may be our future.

Jeff Biggers is the American Book Award-winning author of The United States of Appalachia and In the Sierra Madre. He has worked as a writer, radio correspondent and educator across the United States, Europe, India and Mexico. His award-winning stories have appeared on National Public Radio, Public Radio International and in numerous magazines and newspapers, including the Washington Post, the Nation, the Atlantic Monthly, and Salon, among others. He splits his time between Tucson and Illinois. His website is: www.jeffbiggers.com