On Arizona, Immigration, and Costco

Beware, desert-dwellers: A new sheriff’s is town and he’s taking names. Or rather, the same sheriff is still in town and he’s taking names, ID cards and citizenship documentation.

Arizona, I’m talking to you. And since the introduction of a new law that allows officials to require identification and immigration papers of citizens (or non) on demand, “Show me your papers!” might just be the hot new sub-Utah catchphrase.

Which, naturally, got me to thinking about Costco.

I have a deep-seeded affection for the warehouse company I call my Saturday-morning home. I love its snow-capped frozen meat department, the majesty of the purple-mountain-sporting section, and the amber waves of bulk-quantity grains.

I appreciate –nay, depend upon– the provisions of groceries, prescription medications, tires, housewares and entertainment materials this concrete-wrapped Mecca provides.

To put it simply, if I could pledge allegiance to Costco, I would.

But here’s the catch: you gotta be a member to score the goods.

I know, I know, other stores are free to enter, zip to peruse, nada to purchase. No one at WalMart checks my membership status upon entering. Target doesn’t demand documentation at the pharmacy counter. And Macy’s never asks for a membership card when I’m buying a blender.

Oh, but they are not Costco, nor do they provide the high-qualitied, bulk-quantitied, low-costing products that my native warehouse does. (Nor do they provide a polish dog and coke for a buck-fifty, but I digress).

So cheer up, Arizona. We’ve got a pretty good thing going with this little country of ours. It may be inconvenient, and it may be demanding, but if we let everyone in here we’d just be another giant superstore with high prices and dirty carts.

And then where would you go when you needed to find both a kayak and a rotisserie chicken in one place?

Think about it.