“Empower our communities and stand strong together”
(Editor’s note: The Tribuno del Pueblo received the following letter – excerpted here – shortly after the attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in early January.)
Saturday’s tragedy [January 8, 2011] in Arizona was a shock for many. As a nation we need to have a much-needed conversation about acting responsibly and realizing that rhetoric has consequences.
The Latino and immigrant community has been plagued with the worst of words and in some cases, real acts of violence driven by hate.
Even Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik in Tucson, Arizona – who is not the greatest friend to the immigrant-rights movement – got it right when he said:
“The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous, and unfortunately Arizona, I think, has become sort of… the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.”
This commonsense take has caused him to be attacked by conservative pundits and marginalized in the media because there has been an effort to manufacture fear and anger out of real problems – and there is no doubt it has led to a polarized political climate.
We know what it’s like to be attacked and made afraid of each other. We’ve seen a 35 percent increase in hate crimes against Latinos. And in the lead-up to the passage of SB 1070 in Arizona, we saw the racist signs that anti-immigrant activists used. We were disgusted by the rhetoric that demonized and dehumanized immigrants and Latinos.
Meanwhile, we have record deportations and the continuous expansion of the 287g program, which empowers local and state law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration law and tear apart families.
As a nation, we should instead be focusing on solving the immigration crisis, not expanding the problem with solutions that create fear in our communities.
Laws like SB 1070 in Arizona, the copycat bills being filed in state legislatures all over the country, as well as the debate about states overturning the 14th Amendment, which provides U.S. citizenship to anyone born in this nation, are an immoral sideshow. They serve only to polarize one community against another and line the pockets of groups that are perpetuating this charade.
People are looking for answers, for ways to sort through this tragedy. In addition to saying a prayer – in whatever way you choose – for the victims and for those still fighting for their lives, please take a moment to pass this message on.
The only way we will get through this and build a better country is if we empower our communities and stand strong together as one.
Thank you and ¡adelante!
–Joaquin, Laurie, Favianna, and the rest of the Presente.org team.
