"Proud to be a Sanctuary City"--New York Times

[Shepherd]

Dear Sebastopol City Council and Manager,
I'm proud of New York City for being a sanctuary city. Let's be proud of Sebastopol by joining the hundreds of cities willing to defend those whom the president-elect threatens.

It is not enough that our wonderful current police chief Jeff Weaver would do the right thing and not cooperate with Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). The word on the street is that he may retire, which would be a great loss. We do not know who the next chief would be. Furthermore, the sheriff also operates here, and he promoted a deputy who recently killed the unarmed, innocent teenager Andy Lopez.

We deserve a policy commitment from our city leaders, which welcomes hard-working non-criminals, regardless of their country of origin, race, ethnicity, religion, or documentation. The word sanctuary means a "sacred place." For many of us, Sebastopol is sacred. Now let's prove that. As the New York editorial board says below, "Bring it on."
It's time to fight back for the great American values that are being threatened,
Shepherd Bliss


Proud to Be a Sanctuary City, The Opinion Pages |
EDITORIAL, By THE EDITORIAL BOARDDEC. 18, 2016

If the next president’s immigration agenda includes a pitched battle over “sanctuary” cities, a term Donald Trump uses with disgust, the proper response from places like New York will be: Bring it on.

The word “sanctuary” as Mr. Trump deploys it — a place where immigrant criminals run amok, shielded from the long arm of federal law — is grossly misleading, because cities with “sanctuary” policies cannot obstruct federal enforcement and do not try to. Instead, they do what they can to welcome and support immigrants, including the unauthorized, and choose not to participate in deportation crackdowns they see as unjust, self-defeating and harmful to public safety.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who signed both bills, has also promised since the election to defend immigrant residents from other possible threats, like a registry of Muslims and a roundup of unauthorized immigrants. The city will stop saving the personal records of residents who apply for its municipal ID card, to prevent the data from being abused for a deportation purge.New York City wears that kind of “sanctuary” label proudly.

As California considers bold steps to shield its residents from a possible Trump immigration assault, the New York City Council has already built its own strong web of protections. A groundbreaking City Council program has provided free legal representation for children who fled violence in Central America and arrived unaccompanied at the border.

Of 1,265 cases accepted under the program, 72 children were granted asylum and 55 obtained lawful permanent residency. The Council has expanded health and legal services in immigrant communities. And it passed bills to keep federal immigration agents out of the Rikers Island jails, and to forbid city police and corrections officers from detaining suspects for deportation, unless there is a judge’s warrant.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has echoed these sentiments, promising, though without specifics, that New York State will begin expanding legal assistance for immigrants in the coming year. The effort will be welcome should Mr. Trump begin to lower the boom on unauthorized immigrants — though it’s impossible to know the details of what he will do, given the volatility and imprecision of his many immigration-related threats and promises.

Whatever forms the purge takes, the sanctuary forces will have to be resolute in opposition. One good thing: New York and its allies in cities across the country, in governments, schools and churches, will have the public on their side. A recent Global Strategy Group poll found that Americans oppose, 58 percent to 28 percent, repealing President Obama’s DACA program, which shields the young immigrants called Dreamers from deportation.

A Quinnipiac poll taken after the election found that Americans strongly support — 72 percent to 25 percent — allowing unauthorized immigrants to stay, with 60 percent supporting a path to citizenship. This support is higher than at any point in the four years it has been asking the question, Quinnipiac said.

A version of this editorial appears in print on December 19, 2016, on Page A20 of the New York edition with the headline: Proud to Be a Sanctuary City.

[Imagery]

... The word on the street is that [Chief Weaver] may retire, which would be a great loss. We do not know who the next chief would be. Furthermore, the sheriff also operates here, and he promoted a deputy who recently killed the unarmed, innocent teenager Andy Lopez....

I respectfully disagree with promoting Andy Lopez for sainthood.
Unfortunately, he was not so innocent as you'd like to make him out to be, pointing a replica of an AK-47, the deadliest weapon ever produced on the planet (out-killed nuclear weapons, so far), with the orange tip removed in order to make it look more realistic and intimidating.
I don't believe that Sgt. Gelhaus is in the running for Sheriff, and don't believe that he will ever take a position of true leadership in the community.

-Imagery

[beshiva]

no Saint. just a little boy murdered by an overzealous Sheriff who already had misused his gun before and was an unstable character.
Andy was simply, a child. NO more, No less.
Remember, Gelhaus was the "expert", took pride in being the "expert", bragged about it...but, he was unable to tell the difference. And, a Judge in the case in SF Federal Court said as much a year ago, that Andy did not appear,
to be raising his gun or appear to be threatening the officers in any way...the case is going forward.
Gelhaus jumped the gun but the other officer did not!
8 shots into Andy's body in 10 seconds. Yep, the only one dangerous that day was Erick Gelhaus..he still is

I respectfully disagree with promoting Andy Lopez for sainthood.
Unfortunately, he was not so innocent as you'd like to make him out to be, pointing a replica of an AK-47, the deadliest weapon ever produced on the planet (out-killed nuclear weapons, so far), with the orange tip removed in order to make it look more realistic and intimidating.
I don't believe that Sgt. Gelhaus is in the running for Sheriff, and don't believe that he will ever take a position of true leadership in the community.

-Imagery