Montini: Why Latino lives (don’t) matter

I’ve lived in Arizona for over 30 years and for over 30 years well-meaning newspaper writers and well-educated political scientists and well-connected civil rights activists have predicted that Latinos are about to become the dominant voting block in Arizona.

And for over 30 years well-set politicians – just about all of them Republicans – have ignored these predictions.

And they have been correct.

Latino voters could become the dominant voting block in Arizona.

Latino voters should become the dominant voting block in Arizona.

But Latino voters are not the dominant voting block in Arizona.

Why Latinos don't matter

In fact, Latinos do not matter. At all.

If Latinos mattered would there have been a Sheriff Joe Arpaio for the past 24 years?

If Latinos mattered would there have been a SB 1070?

If Latinos mattered would Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump believe – even for a second – that it would be a good idea to make a major immigration policy speech in Arizona. Because news reports say that he is considering it.

If Latinos mattered would Trump be contemplating his fifth visit to Arizona, where he has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Arpaio? All this after he insulted Mexicans by calling them criminals and rapists, and promised to build a wall all along the border, and pledged to oversee mass deportations.

I have heard talk, again, about Latinos becoming a dominant voting block.

Who matters in Arizona

The coalition of organizations called One Arizona is working on a campaign it hopes will register 75,000 voters. Others also have been working to add Latino voters, and on plans to make sure they cast ballots.

On Thursday a visit and press event is planned featuring Dolores Huerta, co-founder with Cesar Chavez of the United Farm Workers.

She is a great woman. An inspiration.

Huerta is a board member with People For the American Way and the event, according to a press release, is meant to “denounce the anti-immigrant, anti-Latino extremism of Donald Trump and John McCain, making clear that standing with Trump means standing against Arizona Latinos.”

RELATED:Latino groups working around ballot-collection laws

I believe that fact already is pretty clear.

Just as it is pretty clear to the Trump and Arpaio and the people who’ve been running the Arizona Legislature and governor’s office for decades that Latinos … do … not … matter.

They should matter. We are all brothers and sisters, after all.

But this is politics, where only one type of person matters.

The type who votes.

Montini: So, NOW will Latinos vote?

Diaz: The well-orchestrated plan to keep Arizona Latinos from voting