Creating more fear?
Published May 16, 2016
Editorial by Greensboro News-Record, May 15, 2016.
North Carolina will step up a campaign against refugees and immigrants if a couple of proposed bills are enacted. This follows a pattern that includes the infamous House Bill 2, which was meant to create fear of transgender bathroom predators.
Senate Bill 868, whose sponsors include Sen. Buck Newton (R-Wilson), the Republican candidate for attorney general, would block police from using “prohibited” documents when dealing with people who lack other identification. It seems aimed at the FaithAction ID Initiative launched in 2012 by FaithAction International House and the Greensboro Police Department to improve police relations with immigrant communities.
FaithAction has issued about 6,000 ID cards to people in Guilford, Forsyth, Alamance, Randolph, Montgomery, Orange and Durham counties, according to David Fraccaro, its executive director. The program is welcomed by law-enforcement agencies that see it as enhancing community safety by building bridges of trust and acceptance.
Rather than recognize the benefits of a simple ID program, Newton’s bill would punish cities and counties whose law-enforcement agencies participate by withholding state funding.
The bill also would grant to the attorney general — the office Newton seeks — the extraordinary power to investigate “violations” and decide whether local governments should be punished.
Another bill introduced by several Republican House members targets refugees. House Bill 1086 would prohibit local governments from requesting the resettlement of refugees until they can document they have the “capacity” to accept them and hold a public hearing on the question.
This just doesn’t make sense, especially when so many counties and small towns in North Carolina are losing population and can use the new energy immigrants and refugees bring.
Making a determination of a community’s “capacity” to accept newcomers doesn’t correspond with the American experience. As our country has grown, its “capacity” has increased. Immigrants work hard, start businesses and fuel economic growth.
This bill gives the impression that new arrivals take away from people already here. It’s meant to set up “public hearings” in which fearful people speak out angrily against refugees and immigrants — in much the same way that people suddenly were made afraid of bathroom predators threatening women and children.
North Carolina shouldn’t make public policy on the basis of unfounded fear and resentment. Yet, over and over, that seems to be what’s happening.
Fraccaro doesn’t think these bills will succeed. “I feel there’s a very good, positive story to tell,” he said. It’s a story about overcoming fear. Immigrants who obtain the FaithAction ID card are less afraid to cooperate with police and make their communities safer. That’s why police support the program.
Punishing cities where police choose to forge good relations with all their communities is both wrong and counterproductive.
May 16, 2016 at 10:00 am
Ron Snyder says:
Unfortunate to see NC Spin lose its belief in the Constitution and become just another touchy-feely mouthpiece. Guess that is why I stopped watching the show.
