By Christina Wijfjes-Smit at Examiner

Per the Arizona Republic: Phoenix police officer, Paul Dobson, “was the lone Arizona resident to respond to Brave New Foundation’s online request for interviews with people impacted by the new law, which he recorded at his Valley home via Skype.”

In his video officer Dobson states, “This law will make me feel like a Nazi out there. I have a great deal of contempt for it; I’m very emotional about it.”

The Brave new Foundation is Latino political advocacy organization based in California. The foundation placed Officer Dobson’s video on their face book community page, Cuentame, where viewers are encouraged to watch Dobson’s testimony and then sign a pledge to boycott Arizona.

Let’s put this news in perspective; first, how can anyone testify to the “impact” of a law that has yet to go into effect? Second, consider the population of Arizona, 6,595,778 (according to the US census Bureau, 30.1% are Hispanic.) Dobson was the only Arizona resident to respond to the interview request, not exactly earth shattering.

The officer states this law will make him feel like a “Nazi,” how so? SB1070, sponsored in part by Mesa Senator Russell Pearce, makes it a crime to be in Arizona illegally; illegal entry into this country has always been an illegal act. Under this legislation an officer has the authority to question an individual’s immigration status, ONLY if said individual is stopped for a separate criminal offense.

This debate has grown tiresome. The accusation that Arizona will employ “Nazi” tactics is a stretch, even to the most fertile imagination. Until this legislation is enacted and we see how it is enforced, the assumptions, accusations and fear mongering is pointless and only succeeds in distracting people from the issue at hand; preventing illegal immigration.