Human Rights
Hope Marston, Lane County Bill of Rights Defense Committee
Eugene residents deserve a lot of credit for their consistent stands against hate literature. Every time some white supremacist group starts handing out overtly racist pamphlets or flyers, people in Eugene are quick to decry the racism and to provide community education.
Eugene is not yet as quick to recognize more subtle yet persistent forms of racism. A common perception is that Eugene is liberal and tolerant, that in Eugene, police won't bother you unless you're somewhere you shouldn't be, doing something you shouldn't do.
But that's not true. Just this year, we learned from a well-respected City of Eugene employee that he was racially profiled by a Eugene police officer while walking to his car with four friends on Labor Day weekend. And that wasn't the first time Cortez Jordan experienced racial profiling - or even the second or the third. In the months following his complaint, many more charges of racial profiling have been reported to the NAACP and Communities United for Better Policing. In fact, if you talk to people of color in this community, you probably will find that many have been pulled over for driving or stopped for walking while black or Indian or Latino.
Racial profiling in Eugene, as in every other community in this nation, is the usual, not the unusual. Largely invisible to the dominant culture, it looms large in the eyes of those who encounter racism every day. We salute the efforts of Communities United for Better Policing in asking the City Council to create an External Police Review Board. Our community needs independent review to ensure accountability in the Eugene Police Department, so that when there are complaints of racial profiling, a critical eye from the community can make an evaluation based on evidence.
To Eugene's credit, a series of study circles on racism is being organized. It, too, is long overdue and much needed.
Back in 2001, when European-American activists like me became concerned about the sweeping new post 9/11 laws being passed by Congress - like the so-called Patriot Act - Latino activists had a different view. "You're worried about police coming in the middle of the night and dragging you or your loved ones away?" one activist asked me. Then she said, "Our communities have faced secret detentions for many years. You're worried about being held without charges? You're worried about disappearing? We've been there for many years. 9/11 just made it worse for us."
Following 9/11, a new group of immigrants is also being targeted: Muslim-Americans. Some Muslim men have shaved their beards. Some women have stopped wearing headscarves to avoid being singled out. Because FBI agents are now allowed to go into churches and mosques without probable cause,
the mosque has become a place to watch your back - not a place of peace where you can speak your mind. Other Muslims are now afraid to contribute to Muslim charities, even though making contributions to charities is a traditional part of their religious life.
The Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution promises that police will not search our homes without a search warrant specifically listing what is to be searched Š
Šthat if you're charged with a crime, you'll have the right to an attorney Šand the right to a speedy trial Š
We, the people must guarantee those rights are not taken away by our government. Already, we know of many cases in which our Bill of Rights were trampled by post 9/11 laws and orders.
The Portland FBI secretly and repeatedly searched the home of Muslim attorney Brandon Mayfield. And then, even after he was found to be innocent in connection with the Madrid train bombing, government officials leaked his private papers to the media.
More than 1000 Muslim men were detained after September 11 - some for months, some for more than a year - without ever being charged as terrorists.
The U.S. government now requires yearly registration of all men who are citizens or nationals of 25 Muslim countries - a deeply humiliating experiences, resulting in deportation for some - again, without any evidence of crime or a proven connection with terrorism.
José Padilla is a U.S. citizen who has languished in prison for nearly 3 years as an enemy combatant, arbitrarily stripped of his Constitutional rights.
But what can a city like Eugene do about national laws with sweeping powers that may threaten members of our own community? At the recent City of Eugene swearing-in ceremony, I heard each of the councilors and the mayor vow to uphold the U.S. Constitution and the Oregon Constitution. Those were the first words of their pledges as city officials.
On November 25, 2002, the Eugene City Council did something that The Register Guard, Mayor Torrey, and even some Council members didn't think was possible.
Eugene became the 16th municipality to express its outrage at post 9/11 laws and orders that resulted in detentions and abuse of innocent people. Councilors voted unanimously to pass Resolution 4743, which states that no city funds will be used to support the federal government in secret detentions or in upholding the Patriot Act.
In some communities, the first place a Muslim is detained is in a city or county jail. But Eugene - and now, Lane County - have promised that Eugene and Lane County jails won't be used for secret detentions.
The Council took a local stand on a national issue. And because Eugene City Councilors stood up for human rights in this way, other communities took heart, and 3 months later, there were 50 resolutions. 6 months later, there were 121 resolutions opposing the Patriot Act. Today, there are 367, with more and stronger resolutions being passed.
The Lane County Bill of Rights Defense Committee aims to strengthen Eugene's original resolution by asking the City Council in 2005 to pass an ordinance that would make it illegal for city employees to cooperate with federal officials in secret detentions, or harassing immigrants, or racial profiling. In this way, local people can influence a vital national issue. In this way, we, the people can defend the promise of our Bill of Rights, building on what we accomplished in 2002. Here is a video clip from the 2002 City Council meeting.
three minute video clip
That video is a graphic display of the power of the grassroots to do what no one believes is possible. Let's continue to hold that image in 2005 - and continue inspiring ordinary people to do extraordinary things - because together we can. Si se puede!