Hello, my name is Erin Hutchinson and I just wanted to write you to express my concern over the recent immigration bill. I am currently serving as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Moldova, but the news from my home state of Arizona has been worrying me lately.
I had the opportunity to study in Russia in the summer of 2008. Overall, I enjoyed my visit very much, but one thing that disturbed me was the right that Russian police officers have to ask anyone for their documentation. It creates an atmosphere of fear. I personally avoided even looking at police so that they wouldn't bother me--even though all my documents were in order. The ability of Russian police officers to ask anyone for their documentation on the slightest pretext is frequently used to harass dark-skinned people from Central Asia and the Caucasus. When I was living in Russia, I was proud that such things "couldn't happen in America."
I hope I won't be proved wrong. Please don't sign the immigration bill!
Best wishes,
Erin Hutchinson
Graduate of Arizona public schools, 2004
Graduate of Arizona State University, 2009
(For more information on this bill, read this editorial from the New York Times.
To read about how John McCain has completely reversed his stance on the issue, read this blog post.
For a Catholic perspective, you can read the Cardinal of Los Angeles' blog post against the immigration bill.)
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