Click here to download the MP3

Well, there are a couple things that concern me.

First, what’s the goals of the law and is it designed to achieve these goals. From the bill, “The provisions of this act are intended to work together to discourage and deter the unlawful entry and presence of aliens and economic activity by persons unlawfully present in the United States.” To enforce any law through the philosophy of deterrence is a fundamental problem because it ignores the original motivation (in this case probably rooted in the Mexican economy). I’ve see this philosophy at work all over the U.S. and it a lot of effort for a little pay off (this is a whole discussion in itself). So, the initial design, independent of anything else, I think will be ineffective and overly expensive (should a a tax concern here).

Second, deals with the concern over jobs. This is a classic issue (and a legitimate one) that bubbles up every once in a while. If you looked at the processes of legalizing a bunch of the drugs we have illegal today (pot, opium, cocaine, at one point alcohol), you’d find at the heart a political battle over a group of more ‘natural’ citizens, and a group of minorities (usually immigrants, though not necessarily). Criminalizing the drug becomes a way of scapegoating things like poor economic policies that lead to a recession or loss of wages, or poor benefits, etc.). It’s hard not to see this bill as falling nicely in this history of law making and conflict since the conditions today are ripe for similar legal practices.

Third, has to do with who the bill is designed to address which I think we’d all agree are mexican illegal immigrants or undocumented workers, or whatever term you prefer. As opposed to say, eastern Europeans, who also constitute a large, though not nearly as visible illegal immigration group (look at your local strip club for this example), or people from Southeast Asia (e.g., vietnam, laos, etc.). And since we can’t notice whether someone is in the country legally or not upon simply seeing them, how one looks then invites suspicion and from a law enforcement perspective, a shift from innocent until proven guilty to guilty until proven innocent. (this happens all the time to young black men in the city).

Fourth, and to go along with the need to prove one’s innocence over guilt, involved the related issue of legal discourse. Here, loosely defined words like ‘reasonable suspicion’ are used to essentially justify almost any stop and search. In theory we’d likely say that that’d represent a violation of once civil liberties and perhaps due process, but those things only become significant issues if one has the power to fight against a municipality, county, or state, which is rare and not to be expected among a minority population.

I think we also have to really listen to the mostly brown people who are most fearful of this bill. There might be something to their concerns. You have to be a little cautious here because lots of times we’re dealing with a socially constructed ideology that doesn’t gel with the reality of the situation, but in this case we’re talking about people who already know what it’s like to have darker skin and live in Arizona. That knowledge isn’t based off of television depictions and all that, but a real, material reality and so I think needs to be considered as well.

Remember the Noam Chomsky link I put up a while ago comparing the social, economic, political climate of today with that of the years before the rise of Nazism. He had some important points in justifying people’s anger. Jobs are tough to get, real wages have not kept up with inflation, benefits are hard to get and more expensive, our political system has been purchased by dominant economic powers. This reality will be experienced and have consequences. Chomsky, and myself, are concerned with the way this reality manifests itself. Is it more an example of scapegoating to a group seen as different and therefore threatening, or is it focused on the real policies and practices that deep-down, create the frustration in the first place.

At the end of the day I think you have a law with problems related to effectiveness, practicality, and discrimination, and really won’t be all that effective at addressing the concern over jobs, crime or whatever. It’s reactionary nature; in code is really designed to address mexican immigration and will place law enforcement in a tough position to enforce this law while likely ignoring or downplaying other criminal violations; it’s loosely worded which will allow for its easy exploitation (something already inherent in the differential power relationship between law enforcement and citizen/everyday person) and added difficulty in resisting or protecting one’s rights; that will end up costing the tax payers lots of money in the court proceedings and other (often disguised and absent the conversation) legal services (jail, deportation, immigration detention centers, etc.); and looks a little to similar to other laws that when we look back on now were pretty clearly designed to control one segment of the population that was construed as a scapegoat for a host of social issues with causes located elsewhere.

Click here to download the MP3

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kelli78/

The new campaign slogan for the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women certainly gets right to the point. And if anyone is unconvinced of their assertion, then I wish you could have attended Women’s Day at the Capital on Tuesday.  Invited speakers and the public submitted testimony on Tuesday and called attention to many issues like health care, domestic violence and protection, education, employment, women in politics, and childcare.  Two high school students from the Young Women’s Leadership Program essay contest also read their winning essays which focused on breaking the cycle of domestic violence and the need for more women in leadership positions.

Women’s Day was really more just like the morning which was noted by two young women sitting behind me who discussed why there wasn’t a day full of activities.  Ironically, these two left a bit before noon but I internally hoped that was because they were heading over to Trinity College for their program on reproductive health “I had an illegal abortion: telling my story” at 12:15pm.  These women also noted the lack of diversity in the room.  True, most of the women there were white, well dressed and in 40+ age category.  There were several men in attendance.  The attorney general, a male photographer, the father of one essay contest winner, and two men who sat at the center table.  They didn’t have the appropriate name cards so I couldn’t find out who they were.  The morning must have been a bit boring for them because one left about an hour into the testimony and the other looked like he was sleeping.  After studying him for a few moments I noticed that it wasn’t because he was sleeping that he was so still, it was because he was typing on his phone…possibly updating his twitter page as a call for action on these women’s issues?

When one woman noted that the medical field has historically been dominated by females as midwives and mothers and it wasn’t until you could get paid $300k a year that men started taking over, the room erupted with laughter.  It wasn’t all jokes though, and Executive Director Teresa Younger took that very seriously.  I internally applauded Younger when she shushed two female political leaders talking during the testimony of Dr. Stefanie Chambers, which focused on the effect the recession had on women.

Younger has every right to be tense about this day.  For the second year, Governor Rell is calling for the elimination of the (Permanent) Commission on the Status of Women (which has been around for 37 years) in the state’s proposed budget.  Younger fought back last year and managed to save the commission but with a 65% cut in budget which eliminated half of the staff.  Community organizers presenting testimony also talked about the need to have the commission.  Several years ago a women’s clinic in New London faced closure due to funding. The PCSW stepped in to provide support and saved the clinic.

Enjoy this sprinkling of statistics from the morning!

- White women make .77 cents on the dollar compared to male counterparts while African American women make .70 cents and Latina women make .62 cents.

- 56% of medical bankruptcy filers are women.

- 1 in 7 women put off their annual obgyn appointment because of cost.

- Our current state childcare licenses can only care for 40% of children under the age of 5.

- Less than 4% of women serving on state commissions and boards are women of color.

- 80% of philanthropy is given by women, but only 10% of that reaches girls.

- 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, which is the 2^nd leading cause of death for women behind lung cancer.  The risk of getting the cancer is lower in African American women but are 35% more likely to die from the disease then white women because of financial barriers.

- Women spend 68% more on health care then men because of reproductive health.

In addition to the neo-nazis, 40 or so town residents also organized a counter-protest across the street from the town green in support of the East Haven police. Some of the residents tried to distance themselves from the racists by telling reporters that “this isn’t about racism”, but at the same time were screaming “go back to where you came from” at the marchers. And one visibly angered counter-protester even told a women carrying a Puerto Rican flag to “shove it where the sun don’t shine”. Several marchers still angered by the presence of the white supremacists, continued to shout back and forth to the chagrin of the “peace marshals” charged with keeping things from getting confrontational. Around 2pm, the protesters walked back past the white supremacists without incident, the one mile to hear a final speech by Emma Jones, the mother of Malik Jones who was needlessly gunned down by East Haven police in 1997 and has been fighting for racial justice ever since. Emma thanked the marchers for keeping the memory of her son alive by continuing to speak out against police violence. She also spoke about how “all oppressions are linked” and told the crowd that  “we have to make a firm commitment, that we are united” in the face of those that would try to divide us. And finally, after raising about $450, several friends and family of the marcher that was arrested earlier, headed to the police station in a show of jail solidarity.

*Several residents have expressed concern that when crossing over the border between New Haven and East Haven, they are stopped by police. Because while New Haven police are not allowed to inquire about immigration status, East Haven police do not have that restriction.

To get involved or for more info, contact: Unidad Latina at 203-606-3484 or via Email: ulaccion@gmail.com or ulaccion@yahoo.com

On Monday July 13, two people from New Haven were detained in East Haven. One was coming from My Country Store, an Ecuadorian owned business on Main Street. The other was coming visiting his girlfriend. Both were taken to jail and turned over to immigration authorities. Since the incident on Monday we have learned of at least five other cases where people were stopped for no other reason than the color of their skin and the streets they were traveling on, then pushed through the inhumane process of deportation.

Other cities, such as New Haven and Hartford, have created policies that prevent police from racially profiling Latino, particularly from asking about legal status. All we ask is that East Haven adopt a similar policy.

Mayor April Capone Almon says she is meeting with the community to resolve these issues. What she has actually done is meet with business owners and officials from the justice department. Capone Almon says she does not have the luxury of choosing which federal laws to enforce and which ones not to. New Haven and Hartford’s policies have proven that mayors do have control over their police departments, and can decide how to handle immigration issues on a local level. By saying her hands are tied she is choosing to turn her back on Latino residents as they are carted off to deportation centers.

On August 15 we are going to march into East Haven to say No to attacks on the immigrant community, no to racial profiling, and no to deportation.

You can contact Unidad Latina at 203-606-3484 or via Email: ulaccion@gmail.com or ulaccion@yahoo.com to endorse or get more information

Date: Saturday, August 15, 2009
Time: 12:00am – 2:00pm
Location: outside of Mc.Donalds at 687 Main St East Haven, CT

Facebook Event listing: http://www.facebook.com/events.php?ref=sb#/event.php?eid=107981267347

From David Bacon, http://dbacon.igc.org/

The following is a take off on Yip Harburg’s Brother, Can You Spare A Dime.  However, it is been adapted to reflect today’s current situation of those who helped “build a nation” and now being pushed cast aside as criminals.

They used to tell me they were traveling to the land of freedom, and so I migrated with the others.
When there were vegetables to be picked, Or when there were loved ones to be cared for,
When there were homes and offices to be tended, Or when there was construction to be done,David Bacon
I was always there, day and night, sad or happy, right there on the job.

They used to tell me I was traveling to the land of freedom, with happiness and security ahead.
So why should I be standing in shackles, denied basic human rights, waiting for injustice?

They used to tell me I was traveling to the land of freedom, with happiness and security ahead.
So please tell me what I did wrong, why I am being called a criminal,
So please tell me what I did wrong, for simply working for a better life for my loved ones and myself?

Once I helped feed a nation, I toiled long backbreaking hours with little to show,
Once I helped build a nation, I cleaned your offices and I tended your lawns with little to show,
Once I helped build a nation, and now I am in jail, told I was a criminal when just hours before I helped build a nation,
Brother, Why Can’t You Spare Me These Raids?

Once I built a road, so that many loved ones could shop, could visit and could earn a living,
Once I built a road, and now that is done, and now I am in shackles in ICE detention,
While my loved ones ask of where I went, and what did I do wrong in help building a road?
Once I helped build a nation’s infrastructure, and now I am in ICE detention, told I was a criminal when just hours before I helped build a nation,
Brother, Why Can’t You Spare Me These Raids?

Once in our festive best, gee we looked swell, full of that Melting Pot Dream,
We are laborers, we are custodians, we are farmers, we are caregivers, and we are many,
Half a million migrants who went toiling in factories, in farms, in offices, in sweatshops, and through Hell,
And yet we made time to celebrate life, celebrate family, celebrate freedom, and I was the kid with the smile!

Say, why don’t you remember me; I have taken care of your families, I have fed your loved ones,
Say, why don’t you remember me, for you knew I had toiled to be free like your ancestors,
Say, Why don’t you remember, why do you arrest me, I’m no different than your ancestors,
They were called by many different names, in many different languages,
They were allowed the American Dream, yet you say there is no room for me now that my work is done,
Brother, Why Can’t You Spare Me These Raids?

Once in our festive best, gee we looked swell, full of that Melting Pot Dream,
We are laborers, we are custodians, we are farmers, we are caregivers, and we are many,
Half a million migrants who went toiling in factories, in farms, in offices, in sweatshops, and through Hell,
And yet we made time to celebrate life, celebrate family, celebrate freedom, and I was the kid with the smile!

Say, why don’t you remember me; is it because my skin is not white like your ancestors?
Say, why don’t you remember me; is it because I crossed land and not an ocean like your ancestors?
Say, why don’t you remember me; is it because I am poor and speak a different language?
Say, why don’t you remember me; is it because you have achieved the dream and now no one else can?
Say, why don’t you remember me; is it because you have so quickly forgot the struggles your ancestors shared like me?
Say, why don’t you remember me; is it because you have so quickly forgot the true meaning of humanity?
Brother, Please Why Can’t You Spare Me These Raids?

Say, haven’t you read what your famed Statue of Liberty proclaims:

cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

Say, are these famous words only for you and your ancestors and not for me?
Brother, Please Why Can’t You Spare Me These Raids?
Brother, Please Why Can’t You Spare Me These Raids?

Police from the Department of Homeland Security kept an eye on about 100 protesters who chained themselves outside the building late on Friday afternoon; six hours after the demonstration began.

click here for full story with video