Professor Firmage wrote eloquently...

His was the letter of the week and was published in today's Tribune:

Public Forum Letter
Article Last Updated: 03/01/2008 12:49:32 PM MST

"I am impressed with the faith communities in our area in speaking out for compassion and fairness on immigration and the rights of aliens. Compassionate care for the "stranger amongst us" is central to the biblical teachings of the prophets and the parables of Jesus.

The success of Christianity was assured by St. Paul's consistent direction to move beyond parochial thought to see the universal vision, ever outward through the categorizations by nationality, ethnicity, color, servitude and gender.

Similarly, the American Constitution speaks in universal terms. The story of human rights in the 20th century, from Brown v. the Board of Education on, has moved from categories of race and color, to ethnicity, to gender and sexuality, to alienage - moving ever outward toward the vision of a common humanity. The 14th Amendment speaks of providing for equal protection of the law and due process of law not only to citizens but to "persons."

The strength of human rights in any nation may best be judged by our treatment of "the stranger." At one or another time in the human story, we all get our chance to be that stranger, the alien in our midst."

Ed Firmage
Salt Lake City


I could let my mind wander a little and imagine I was reading something written by your grandfather Hugh B. Brown, whom I and so many loved.

Thank you!

Immigrants and Crime -- Myths dispelled

To so many of my friends, our Utah Legislators, and some family members the myth of the undocumented committing crimes here in the US is without basis. Today's San Jose Mercury News carries an article of a study done by the Public Policy Institute of California. This study suggests that California's foreign-born population which makes up more than a third of the state's adults has a disproportionately small role in serious crime.

Seems these folks are here to work and staying out of trouble with the law is their goal. Among their findings:

"Foreign-born men make up about 35 percent of the state's adult male population, but they make up roughly 17 percent of the state's overall prison inmates.

U.S.-born men are jailed in state prisons at a rate more than three times higher than foreign-born men, and they are 10 times more likely to land behind bars.

Male Mexican nationals ages 18 to 40 -- those more likely to have entered the country illegally -- are more than eight times less likely than their U.S.-born counterparts to be imprisoned.

Those who entered the country when they were 1 year old or younger make up about 0.8 percent of those institutionalized.
The low crime rate among foreign-born Californians can be seen in the crime tallies for cities such as Burbank, Glendale and Norwalk, which large proportions of the state's immigrant population call home.

From 2000 to 2005, those cities experienced crime dips far greater than cities with smaller immigrant populations.
Butcher said the report shows, among other things, that "spending more money to increase penalties against criminal immigrants will have little impact on public safety."

So if you have been one of many perpetuating these bigoted myths maybe it is time to step back and change your views.

My Letter to the Trib

Editors,

I cannot pick up my copy of the Tribune on any morning and not read how our misguided legislature seeks to marginalize, minimalize, and add to the burdens of those who are different but live among us. They may not look exactly like me, though I like salsa better than ketchup and tortillas better than Wonder Bread. They may not share my gender orientation, but their agenda, if there is one, does not threaten my marriage, my family or my values. I am an old Mormon bishop and I cannot sit still any longer and listen to the garbage coming from the hill from our ethnically challenged and homophobic legislators. They are a threat to me and the tranquility of my life.

I ask these erstwhile champions, protectors of our freedom, our race, our morality, wouldn't the world be a better place if you just enjoyed your lobbyist paid for Jazz games and junkets to the Caribbean, and left the rest of us alone? In spite of these legislators of morality as people of Utah, who are kind, compassionate, and caring, can we not find and share the things we have in common, celebrate our differentness, enjoy that which is unique about us all as children of a loving Heavenly Father rather than marginalizing and criminalizing so many among us?

As a Mormon I could not vote for Mitt...

Aside from his altogether too conservative (current) posturing, I have two fundamental problems with Romney as a member of the faith I practice. First of all, he has taken a less than Christian attitude toward many of my friends who are Brown and undocumented. Doing so puts him at odds I believe with the basic tenets of compassion and charity of the LDS Church. I admit though there are more than a few in the pews who fit into the mold of 'let's send them all back to Mexico, etc', including members of our Utah State Legislature. Secondly, Romney has never disavowed the CIA use of torture including water boarding and other techniques. He follows too closely Cheney and Bush on that subject. Even our FBI has on numerous occasions testified information obtained from torture is of very low quality and refuse to partner with their CIA peers in trying to keep America safe.

Too bad Mitt does not appreciate what POW's went through in Hanoi during the Viet Nam War and know that torture does not yield good intel. John McCain, when tortured, divulged the names of members of the Green Bay Packers football team as his squadron mates. Lucky Larry Chesley, another downed pilot, POW, and member of the LDS Church, gave his captors the names of his Burley Idaho High School graduating class as members of his squadron. Information obtained from torture is junk.

It wasn't hard today at the polls for me today to touch the screen for Senator Barack Obama. It was only hard for my Mormon friends and neighbors to understand why I would not vote for Mitt.

The Racism of Republican Rep. Donnelson

Our legislature continues to swim in a vacuum it seems. In action yesterday on the hill and reported in today's Trib we have Rep. Donnelson assuring us that police all across the state support his bill to empower local cops to act with ICE authority. Salt Lake's top cop, Chief Chris Burbank, spoke against the bill. Not a single law enforcement representative spoke in favor of the bill. Donnelson told the committee that he's spoken with officers statewide who support his proposal. In an interview with the media Donnelson could not provide the names of any law enforcement groups that back his bill. The bill passed committee on straight party lines, 7 to 3, and now moves to the full House. He told the Trib reporter his bill was not about racism.

One has to wonder are there any constituencies in this state who support anything that goes on among House Republicans? It is clear who Representative Donnelson constituency is. There are kudos to him with expressions of gratitude from the Utah Minutemen Project. These are the vigilante nut jobs that get their hunting rifles and ride their ATV's along the US Mexican border looking for saboteurs, members of al Qaeda, and hungry families looking for a better life in the US.

What a difference a state makes...

Against the backdrop of our immigration debate in Utah consider this new law that just took effect in California. This was sent to me by #1 daughter in Northern CA, a public interest attorney:

"Highlights of New Housing Laws for 2008

Here are some noteworthy new housing laws that took effect on January 1st:

Immigration status discrimination: Landlords are now specifically prohibited from inquiring about citizenship or immigration status. Localities are also prohibited from requiring a landlord to verify immigration status. AB 976; Civ Code 1940.3.
Bill number links are to statutory language. For a complete compilation of all the new laws affecting housing, see our Housing Update, to be emailed later this month.

© 2008 Western Center & Law and Poverty, 3701 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 208, Los Angeles CA 90010. 213.487.7211. Permission is granted to copy and share this publication with LSC- and IOLTA-funded organizations, and nonprofit housing organizations. For other permissions or to remove yourself from this distribution list, please contact Lynn Martinez at slmartinez at wclp dot org."

This is just the opposite direction many of our state legislators want to move. How do you explain that? Too many Mormon, Mitt Romney Republicans here?

Oskar Schindler where are you?

A fine piece in today’s Trib about the discussions between LDS Church leaders and our legislators. I read a number of the online comments in Trib Talk and note the significant amount of anti immigrant feeling. It is a hot button for many here in Utah and the US.

It is clear to me that the argument for the rule of law, and how it must be enforced with regard to the undocumented, is nothing more than a masquerade for racial bigotry. America has a long history of ethnic prejudice toward yellow, brown, and black minorities, as it has been manifested in our immigration laws. See my earlier post on that topic. I look at the list of bills being sponsored by various legislators here in Utah and elsewhere and recall from readings of prewar Nazi German history they are much in a similar vein and type as the Nuremburg Laws. These laws deprived Jews within the Third Reich of all their civil rights. Eventually more than 6 million would die in the gas chambers. (Let me remind you we had our own concentration camp here in Utah for Japanese Americans during WWII.)

When Bush was in Israel recently he was asked why it was the allies did not bomb the rails leading to the concentration camps. He could not answer and others have offered only lame excuses to date. It is time for more voices to be heard urging compassion and decency. We need to have the Oskar Schindlers of our culture stand up and put an end to the legislative efforts by our representatives to marginalize, demonize, and criminalize those that are the least among us. Governor Huntsman why was not this part of your State of the State message, don't you care?

For those who cry foul over LDS involvement in this debate I say this is fish. The LDS Church leadership must continue to speak out on matters of human rights and dignity. If they did not take a stand on this issue would they be any different than how the Vatican behaved during the holocaust? Why were they afraid to step across some artificial line to condemn the atrocities of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis? The National Council of Catholic Bishops has it right this time and we can learn from them.

Please step forward Oskar Schindler and thank you Elder Ballard.

Sith Lords, Democrats and the LDS Church

According to a Deseret News article this past week, leaders of the LDS Church met with Utah State Legislative leaders. Among the topics was immigration. LDS Church leaders explained that “the element of humanity" should be re-introduced to the state's immigration debates.

There are a number of bills to be introduced that would deprive employment, deny driving privileges, and take away in state tuition for those Hispanic students who have graduated from Utah high schools. Punishment would be served up for anyone giving a hitchhiking Latino a ride. Several Darth legislators are seeking to follow and adapt Oklahoma laws that would make it a crime to harbor or transport undocumented immigrants.

It was interesting how the talks were reported by both Republican and Democrat attendees. First the Republican observation, I quote: “House Majority Leader Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara, a member of the LDS Church himself, said immigration issues did not take up much time in the Republicans' meeting with church leaders. "But they did say we all need to approach this subject with compassion." On the other hand, House Minority Whip David Litvack, D-Salt Lake, said the Democrats' meeting with church officials brought up several issues, but the immigration discussion was the most touching for him personally. "I interpreted what was said as this: 'Take a step back, be calm, and above all remember that we are dealing with human beings here,"' Rep. Litvack, who is non LDS, but Jewish, has himself called for cooler heads in dealing with the often emotional issue of illegal immigration according to the article.

May the force be with the cooler and more compassionate of the lot. And just a warning, as this significant minority becomes marginalized in our society by legislative fiat I believe uncomfortable social consequences may occur making life more difficult for all of us here in this state. Take away hope for a better life in the form of jobs, opportunity and education and you will certainly give rise to anti social behavior, crime and violence. That is not the primary reason for our legislature to follow the direction of the Brethren on this one. It is just the right thing to do because it is right.

American Gold is for Americans, Part 2

During the dark days of the beginning of World War II Americans showed their true colors once again by the forced relocation of any person of Japanese ancestry to prison camps throughout the western United States. We had our own here in Utah, near Delta. Called Topaz, it was for a period of time the largest ‘city’ in Utah. Those who lived within the barbed wire fences were never convicted or even charged with any crime, yet they were locked up and kept under guard. Sound familiar? During one protest over their loss of civil rights a leader of the Japanese Issei within the camp, James Hatsuki Wakasa, was shot to death. His murder was never investigated. No Senate hearing was held or even an outcry from anyone in Utah.

We find a parallel today as citizens and our government are caught up in the hysteria of the war on terror. There is scarce mention of Topaz in Utah history studies. I have not seen it on a map. I have driven past it and not known it was there. There's not much left of Topaz but a few concrete foundations and a monument, which is used mostly for target practice. As one observer said, “Most people have never heard of it, and many of those that have would like to pretend it never happened.”

We cannot undo the past or rewrite history though some try. During these days of the Bush and Cheney regime and given the climate of fear they have nurtured to maintain power, let us not forget our government can and does violate the Constitution. Decency, compassion, and generosity should be the words that describe the richest of all nations and its people on this planet toward any group within our borders.

American Gold is for Americans, Part 1

Anyone familiar with US immigration history, and most Americans are not, have concluded that as a nation of immigrants we have some significant hostility toward immigrants. Mitt Romney’s roots, and many others in the Republican Party, for anti immigrant measures began almost as early as the founding of this country. This was brought to you by the same people, (Thomas Jefferson included), that gave us the Declaration of Independence. The first of these laws was enacted in March of 1790. It provided the rules for the granting of national citizenship. This law limited naturalization to aliens who were "free white persons". Left out were indentured servants, slaves, free African-Americans, and later Asian Americans. No opportunity for Barack to be a Senator or run for president then.

Nearly every generation has had a crack at solving the ‘immigration issue’. Ours is not immune. During the 1849 gold strike in California, and for a period of time after, Chinese were welcomed into the US to do the heavy lifting and hard labor on the mining claims around Sacramento. When the gold started to run out so did the tolerance of Americans. Labor groups formed with the intent of forcibly removing all Chinese from the gold fields. American gold was for Americans only after all. Those forcibly removed settled in enclaves in cities, mainly San Francisco, where they took up minimum wage jobs at the Wendys and McDonalds of their day.

Jump forward one hundred and fifty years and we find former Governor Romney who worked to bar any non-citizen from employment in Massachusetts by wanting to supply everyone with a biometric identification card. Employers would be fined and jailed for hiring 'illegal human beings'. He sought to have the state police enforce immigration laws as well. It seems that Mitt is not unlike many others presently and a number who have gone before to marginalize and criminalize those who are different from the majority and came later to American shores. The only crime they committed, like my ancestors from the coalmines of Wales, was their wanting a better life for their families and themselves. One has to wonder when each night as Mitt is on the campaign trail and staying in those plush Marriott presidential suites who is it that turned down his bed, vacuumed the carpets, and cleaned the bathroom? It wasn't any poor and struggling college students working to pay their way through Harvard or MIT.

Catholics 1 -- Mormons 0

This in the Trib today may have been missed by some but it merits consideration. The Rev. John Wester, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake, spoke before a business group in St. George recently. He said the real answer to closing chasms in the debate over immigration, is found "in changed policies and changed hearts. Whatever side you're on, pro or con [on immigration]. We need to bring a sense that we are all children of God." He made five points. Those points are:

1. Remember all people are God's children.
2. Show hospitality to family, friends and strangers and treat everyone with dignity.
3. Listen to people and realize each person has a story peculiar to his or her life.
4. Ensure churches are involved in the immigration debate because they are global in scope and vision.
5. Be generous and remember that to whom much is given, much is demanded.

Regrettably, I have not heard anything on this level of charity or compassion toward the undocumented in any LDS General Conference or over any pulpit in Mormondom.

Appropriate words for this Christmas Season and any time of the year.

The Legislature and Ancient Astronauts

It is with some dread that a few of us await the start of the next legislative session. Already the artists on the hill are at the drawing boards creating new looney toons. Let’s hope none pass as law. The Tribune published a piece (Trib article) about a bill that would deny worker’s comp to the undocumented. Many of these persons work in difficult circumstances and perform the work most of us gringos would reject.

Sadly, our congress has been unable to address the matter of immigration forcing states and even communities to shoulder the role of immigration enforcement.

Critics say this bill like so many others is flawed and too broad. The only ones it will hurt are those who are injured, their families as well as add to the burden of the hospital ER’s.

I wish the legislature would just confine their activities and debates to the topics of evolution, creationism, flat earth theories, the lost 10 tribes, ancient astronauts and maybe Sasquatch. Just leave the rest of us alone to live our lives.

Sausages, Chocolate Brownies, Immigration and Mozart

Saturday previously my boys and I cleaned the church building. I had my three Latino Deacons and my grandson J. As a reward for their service I promised them breakfast following our several hours of vacuuming, emptying the trash and cleaning the glass. They chose the Golden Corral in Layton. Austin is one of the brightest boys of the group. Without any adult controls, and the only rules are just don't waste any food, he loaded a plate with breakfast sausage. I watched him down a dozen links. Maybe they were out of eggs, so I was curious to see what would be on his second plate, maybe hash browns and scrambled eggs? The second plate came and was filled with chocolate brownies, at least six of them. Desert was next and he had two kinds of soft serve ice cream.

Last night we had a court of honor for the boys as I also serve as an assistant scoutmaster. Austin was the only boy who remembered to bring his assigned cookies. He brought 30 with him. A dozen he had purchased with his own money, but 18 he had baked himself. They were his favorite -- pumpkin cookies. They were good. I asked Austin, and he is only 12, how often he made cookies and baked them. He said he makes the cookies for he and his grandmother for their family activities. Austin's mother abandoned him at birth and he never knew his father, doesn't even know his name. In addition to Austin's cooking skills he keeps a 4.0 average at Centerville Jr. High and plays Mozart piano concertos. Austin is a bright fellow and one of those whom many would want to send back to where ever they came from. At least he was born in America. My life has been enriched because of my association with Austin and his peers.

Why do they come?

This is a photo of a barrio outside of Lima, Peru. I was there a little more than a year ago. There is no running water here, elctricity or sewers. The air smelled so bad I did not want to breathe as we drove through this neighborhood on the one bumpy narrow paved street. The poor people in Lima live on the hillsides. The hills are devoid of any vegetation, just rocks and dirt. Not a single tree grew anywhere on the mountains above Lima where the gente pobre live. It was made the capitol of Peru by the Conquistadores because it had a natural harbor from which the conquerors could load and haul the treasure they stole back to Spain. Infant mortality is greater than 50% and tuberculosis is high in this place called San Juan de Lima. Respiratory infections are frequent and there is no Insta Care or IHC to take your kid to when he has a fever. Garbage was piled along the street and the sorriest junkyard dogs I have ever seen look for something to eat. They compete with the residents looking for scraps of paper or metal to recycle and sell.

I was told by my body guards this was not the worst neighborhood in Lima. We could not go to the worst because they would break the mirrors off the van or try to carjack us. I had to be content with experiencing the second worst neighborhood. When I retrurned home to Centerville I showed this and other photos to my son in law K. I said I could not believe there was an LDS Church there and missionarios, even gringos serve here... He laughed and said he was a Zone Leader in San Juan de Lima.

Mi vida es facil!