New Poll: The Future of the NAACP

As the NAACP celebrated its 100th birthday on February 12, the Conejo Valley Democrat wants to put the question to the people: What should be the focus of the NAACP over the next 10 years? Comment here or vote using the poll below.

Simi Blinks First; Lessons from the Civil Rights Movement

It’s not quite over, least of all for Liliana, the immigrant sheltered in a Simi Valley church, but the Ventura County Star reported today that the city’s bill of $39, 307 to the United Church of Christ has been put “on hold.”

 

 

Make no mistake about it, the Simi Valley city council and the mayor blinked first.

 

 

Faced with the threat of legal action by the American Civil Liberties Union, the city made its first intelligent decision in this entire affair—it backed down. The church did not.

 

 

City Manager Mike Sedell is quoted in the Star’s report as saying, “The city’s biggest concern is public safety, cost comes later.”

 

 

Contrast this with what he told the Los Angeles Times last week: “We warned [church officials] that if they flaunted it in the public, then these [protests] will occur and there will be consequences.”

 

 

This lofty attitude came with a price: on shaky legal ground, the city is trying to repair its damaged reputation.

 

 

“The city will continue to pursue resolution of this issue, and the mayor will recommend to the City Council that further action against UCC to enforce the letter sent to UCC asking for reimbursement of costs be placed on hold pending further discussion,” read a joint statement issued by Mayor Paul Miller, the Rev. June Goudey, and others.

 

 

What will happen to Liliana remains to be seen, but odds are she’ll be deported.

 

 

It occurs to me that there are similarities between those who heckled the Little Rock Nine 50 years ago and those who picketed the churched harboring Liliana last week.

 

 

The protesters of both eras were intolerant, trying vainly to preserve a way of life that had already disappeared.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now, 50 years after the forced integration of Little Rock Central High School, former president Bill Clinton held the doors open for those who bravely risked violence to claim the education that was justly theirs.

 

 

 

Politicians fall all over themselves to give lip service in commemoration of the event. In addition to Clinton, the governor of Arkansas and the mayor of Little Rock attended a ceremony honoring the Little Rock Nine. President Bush issued a statement: “We resolve to continue their work to make America a more perfect Union,” said the president.

 

 

The day will come, probably sooner than we think, when politicians will fall all over themselves to praise the contributions of Latinos to American culture. They will say that they always supported a humane immigration policy.

 

 

When that day comes, we will remember those like Mayor Miller and Congressman Elton Gallegly barred the gates.

 

 

The United States should adopt more humanitarian immigration legislation, that which allows economic migrants, like Liliana, to stay in the country as guest workers. Groups like Save Our State would deride this as amnesty, but they forget our long tradition of offering shelter to those like Liliana who come here seeking a better life.

 

 

I’ll take Rev. Goudy’s version of America over Mayor Miller’s any day.