When we started looking for people in Arizona who wanted to talk to our Cuéntame community about SB 1070, the racist anti-immigration law, I wasn't expecting Paul Dobson.
Paul is an Arizona police officer. When he first contacted us, obviously I was excited about the possibility of getting an opinion from someone who'd actually have to enforce this law directly. When I heard what he had to say, I knew we had to share it. Can you imagine having to go to work when the job your state is about to ask you to do makes you feel, in Paul's words, "like a Nazi?"
Paul described for us his bad expectations for the consequences of this law. He describes the very real possibility that Latinos in Arizona will be afraid to call the police when they need help because they could be subject to racist harassment by Arizona police and officials. He warned that this law increases the vulnerability of already vulnerable people.
After hearing from Paul, I was more convinced than ever that we have to fight this and other similar laws under consideration across the country. We shouldn't be asking police officers like him to, "leave his humanity at home" and turn them into instruments of "hate and racism."
The Cuéntame community on Facebook is right in the middle of this fight. We're organizing online, we're producing videos, we're hitting the streets in "Do I Look 'Illegal?'" t-shirts. We've been joined by people like Hector Elizondo, Vanessa Williams, and Vanessa Bryant.
And now, Arizona police officer Paul Dobson.
The only person missing is you.
Don't just stand there and be frustrated. Get involved at Cuéntame and help us fight back against this anti-Latino, racist law.