Does Fear Deter Voting?

The New York Times today reported on a pool by the Pew Hispanic Center that in the wake of Arizona's repressive state immigration law, and illegal antics by Sheriff Joe Araipo of Maricopa County there, rather than expressed great interest in turning out to vote against those who are trying outraging their constitutional projects, there interest in voting is declining. Only 32% of registered Latino voters have given this years elections a lot of thought, compared to 50% of all voters nationwide. Is this surprising? No. The level of fear and intimidation, the general prejudice against Hispanic citizens and residents is comparable to the fear and intimidation of African Americans in the South before the civil rights movements. A portion of our population refuses to recognize the legitimacy and humanity of people of Hispanic descent. They are being treated as not one of us. Maybe, in certain places. If they are rejected by "us" they will become afraid of "us" and avoid voting as participation in an unpleasant social environment. Sheriff Joe's bully tactics of rounding up people he vaguely suspects of being illegal, putting them in tents and dressing them in pink pajamas is not unlike making someone wear a Star of David. Wake up America, we are perpetrating fear and intolerance again!