The anti-gang ordinance is an effort to stop a wave of violence that has troubled the Sunnyside community for some time. This ordinance says that it is illegal to be a member or affiliated with any gangs or gang activity. This ordinance while trying to do a good for the community has sparked conflict within the community. It has generated huge debate because many community members feel like this is a way of racial profiling. Many feel that this ordinance is being used to target specially Latinos. This ordinance to me is a good attempt to fight crime but an inefficient method. The city of Sunnyside is one of the only ones in Washington to implement this drastic ordinance. To me it is not a good method because of the way it is done. Targeting someone because they wear to much blue or to much red, is not the way to go about fighting crime. This reminds me of the Zoot suit rioters not for the riots, but for how these rebelling teens are distinguished by what they are wearing. Many teens in Sunnyside are not affiliated with gangs but dress with that "cholo" look, now does that make them gangsters? No. Well this ordinance has gone to far it basically limits to what someone can wear, how low someone can wear their pants it’s just to much. Even though many community members did not like this ordinance it went in affect and it immediately identified more than 200 gang members. How would officers identify so many gang members so fast? It’s simple if someone looks gangster, walks gangster and dresses gangster than they are. That is basically how officers go about deciding who is and who is not. I don't know about you but I think it’s not right and something should be done, it should be amended and fixed so that racial profiling disappears. It will be successful once someone can walk down the street and wear what ever they want and not be considered or viewed as a gang member.
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2 comments:
Javier,
Good video and commentary on the civil gang injuction at Sunnyside.
These injunctions have been increasing in many Latino communities in Texas, CA, and now WA State. They raise civil liberties concerns because they restriction freedom of association. Yakima Valley Community College bringing
Dr. James Diego Vigil on February 21st to speak on this issue. His talk is "It’s All About the Community: Gangs & Culture." He also be meeting with local community groups to find ways to legally challenge this injuction. There was a case in my hometown of Oxnard, CA where community groups protested this injunction see the new article by Frank Barajas titled "An Invading Armny: A Civil Gang Injuction in a Southern California Chicano Community" Latino Studies, 2007, v. 5 (p. 393-417). Its available online through the WSU libraries for free.
-Profe
What worries me is that gang ordinances are gaining steam with the general public who fall for the idea that they will work. I fear the day Pasco begins this kind of action based on the sentiment of a few residents. We need to realize the kind of impact it will have on our youth who already are criminalized based on the color of their skin, dress, language, and etc... Add associations to it as well now
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