Arizona law hinders safety

Midlands Voices: Arizona law hinders safety
By The Rev. Howard Dotson

The writer, of Omaha, is faith community liaison for Equality Nebraska.

Some people may wonder why I, as an urban Presbyterian minister, am so opposed to the Arizona immigration enforcement legislation possibly coming to Nebraska.

Over these past five years, I have seen the urban violence that gang members have afflicted on many of my Latino brothers and sisters — shell casings, crime tape and caskets.

As urban churches, we seek to preserve public safety in our communities by fostering good community relations between our neighbors and law enforcement. This Arizona law threatens to compromise this relationship.

When people are too afraid to interact with the police, the gang members in our midst will use this to their advantage. Gangs will feel emboldened to act with impunity. They will prey on my Latino brothers and sisters who live in the shadows.

Even in Los Angeles, which is officially a sanctuary city, the LAPD struggles to foster good community policing relations with its Latino residents.

On one fateful night in L.A. in September 2008, blocks from the church I was serving, an 18th Street gang member wanted to make a lesson out of a street vendor who refused to pay his rent to the gang. Shots rang out and baby Garcia, a 23-day-old infant, was struck and killed by a stray bullet as he rested in his stroller.

To date, this remains my most difficult days in ministry: Walking his tiny casket down the church aisle as a pallbearer. Holding up his mother, Daniella, at the grave site as she convulsed with sobs of grief.

I stand opposed to this Arizona immigration enforcement law as part of our legacy to preserve the memory of this precious baby I buried. The tears of these bereaved Latino moms are what drive me to stop this Arizona law from coming to Nebraska.

Many Latinos have moved to Omaha from Los Angeles seeking better lives for their children. How tragic it would be if this same violence that we saw in Los Angeles came to the streets of Omaha.

Community policing is our best measure of crime prevention. We need for there to be a healthy relationship between our Latino community and law enforcement. This Arizona-style immigration enforcement law will compromise our peacemaking efforts in our streets.

Anything we can do to prevent another mom from having to bury her child is worth our time and effort.