As a resident of Arizona, I wake up every morning and eventually ask myself, after watching the news or reading the newspaper, "What the hell is happening here?".
Two weeks ago, a Hispanic friend of mine sent me an editorial that offers a reasonable, logical explanation for all the crazy shit that happens here almost daily. That is, the explanation is reasonable and logical, not the behavior.
I would like to draw your attention to an editorial from the Boston Globe - The self-destruction of Arizona, by Juliette Kayyem. Ms. Kayyem has worked as counsel to Attorney General Janet Napolitano, who was the immediate predecessor to our present (ahem) Governor, Jan Brewer. This article ties all the bat-shit crazy behavior up in one neat bundle and explains it quite succinctly and even manages to provide an explanation of the consequences of our legislators' and governor's idiotic behavior.
Note that the article is on two pages; the link to the second page is at the bottom of the first.
I am not going to try to summarize the article; it stands very well on its own.
I highly encourage anyone who is puzzled by Arizona to read this short editorial. It will answer many of your questions.
Kudos to Juliette Kayyem for giving a short summary of the problem and the consequences. It's still crazy out here, but I think I have a better understanding of why. I've always embraced the multicultural aspects of Tucson, my home. Until now, it never really dawned on me how scary it must be for lots of other people who think a multicultural society means the end of the world.
Call me naive, I guess.