Injustice Against Hispanics —
Hispanic News Calls for Gordon to
Resign
PHOENIX (By Jon
Garrido, Hispanic News) December 10, 2007 — For
the last couple of months, Phil Gordon has suggested being
mayor of this great city was, to a certain extent, about character.
And although we, Hispanics, have not been willing to engage in his
maneuvers to abandon us in favor of the far right, the time has come for
American Hispanics and the undocumented to join together and become active in determining our destiny. We
have been here for centuries and we continue to choose Phoenix to be
our
hometown. We are not leaving.
I can tell you
without hesitation — being mayor of this great city is entirely
about character.
Character requires
substance and creditability. Being mayor requires foresight, service
and advocacy. This is the important question: "Why isn't Gordon safeguarding and
protecting the rights of all Phoenix residents?"
Being
mayor of Phoenix, the sole purpose is to defend the rights of all
Phoenix residents, so
it naturally begs the question — why would a mayor — the city's
most powerful spokesman — choose to
reject upholding the rights of all its residents and begin laying
the groundwork for laying blame for everything wrong on one segment
of the community?
Being mayor of
America's fifth largest city isn't easy. Being mayor is advanced
citizenship. You've got
to want it bad, because it's go to put up a fight. It's go to ask, "You want free speech? Let's
see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's
standing
center
stage
at Pruitt's furniture store advocating at the top of his lungs that
which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours." You
want to claim Phoenix as the city of hospitality and opportunity? Then the symbol of
this great city cannot be a line in the sand. The symbol has also
got to be one of
its citizens exercising his right to protest. Now
show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your temper tantrums
you share with Lou Dobbs.
Phil Gordon has been
around for years. We have been operating under the
assumption the reason Phil devotes so much time and energy to
shouting at the rain was that he simply didn't get it. Well, we were
wrong. Phil's problem isn't that he doesn't get it. Phil's problem is
that he can't sell it! Because he can not sell it directly, Phil
has devised a clever
scheme of having others advocate what he has pre-determined needs to
change if he is to climb up in the pecking order.
Scheming
Phil Gordon has now established a
committee to conclude what Gordon wants
to be told — Migrants are responsible
for an increase in the city's crime
rate. To reinforce the message, Gordon devised kidnapping a
public meeting to solicit input from the
Hispanic community.
This is a
charade and no matter what is presented
by well meaning Hispanics,
Phil Gordon will hear only what he wants
to hear and in the end, he will ask the
City Council to direct the city manager
to change Police Order 1.4 to activate
ICE being part of every arrest in
Phoenix.
We
have a serious federal immigration problem to solve and we need serious people
in Phoenix to help alleviate this problem that is not of our own
doing. Being manipulated into Phil Gordon's scheme to change police policy is
not something we should allow ourselves to be used as a pawn in
Gordon's devious charade.
No one
should allow themselves to be used and
as such, no one should attend the public
hearing. In fact, the most powerful
message Hispanics could send is to not
show up so the TV cameras reveal an
empty auditorium that displays a banner
with the wording — We will not be used!
Even b
etter
—
The Hispanic Community Calls for Gordon
to Resign!
Gordon's premise to
change the current police policy to a
new policy to authorize Phoenix police
officers to call ICE to round up
undocumented is based on an increased
Phoenix crime rate caused by the migrant
community.
This is
false premise for there is
no justification in changing the police
policy because statistically, the
Phoenix crime rate has not increased
because of the migrant community as an
ASU conference address with a transcript
included in
Politically Expedient Gordon. Phil
Gordon is not the least bit interested in
actual crime rate statistics because Gordon
knows the increase in crime rate brought
about by migrants is a myth perpetuated
to arrest and deport migrants who sole
purpose in being here is to work.
Gordon is
interested in two things, and two things only — making you afraid of
it, and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and
gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle
age, middle class, middle income voters who remember with longing an
easier time, and you talk to them about family, American values, and you wave a photo of
you and Lou Dobbs as you scream about patriotism. You tell them
Hispanics are to
blame for their lot in life. And you go on television and have
America's demagogue Lou Dobbs bless you.
Phil, migrants have done nothing to you. Migrants have done nothing
but take jobs to support their families and put their children
through school. Migrants represent the interests of family,
religious values, and lobby for the same needs as everyone else in
Phoenix — to be treated with dignity and respect.
We've
got serious problems because of the lack of comprehensive
immigration reform and we need serious people to address accord in
Phoenix — not to
extend segregation and whip up racist
fears
blaming migrants for the invented
demise of Phoenix. And if you want to
talk about character, Phil, you'd better come at us with more than a
committee to appease you by justifying changing Phoenix police
policy so you can be awarded a membership card in the far right
because politically, it is astute to follow the herd mentality just as
Napolitano has done requiring employer verification of employees'
documentation.
Phil, it is time
for you to resign so Phoenix can find a
mayor with character that will represent
everyone.
Phil, we
thank you for this awakening. You have
helped American Hispanics
and migrants forge together to fight a common
villain. While it is up to us to effect
this awakening, at least you have helped
us gain awareness and energized
our community. People like you — with no
character — are a catalyst to change
passive resistance to active resistance
that will blossom into an electorate to
take control of our own destiny rather
than rely on advocates in name only such
as the likes of you and Napolitano.
This a time for serious people,
Phil, and your
fifteen minutes are up. In the best interests of Phoenix, Hispanic
News calls for you to resign.
Phil, knowing your stubborn streak, you
will not consider resignation for you
see no wrong in anything you have done
stepping on Hispanics as a means to an
end.
Never-the-less, Hispanic News calls on
all Phoenix Hispanics to shun and
ostracize you until you resign. We also demand your cadre
of Hispanic staff also be shunned and
ostracized from the Phoenix community.
They should remember the
proverb — "If you lie down with dogs
you'll rise with fleas."
They now have fleas.
