Social Action Committee asks for Social Justice for El Campo

An atmosphere of fear and distrust has descended on our community.

Ceres police have reacted to the tragedy of Sunday, January 9 in a manner that we have never seen before.

Young Latinos in Ceres, in a section called "El Campo", have been treated as suspect gang members and as terrorists. The police invaded the neighborhood with guns drawn and searched individuals and homes, a major violation of constitutional rights. As Evelyn Padilla writes in the Modesto Bee, (Feb. 2, p. b-7), these violent events " have shaken Ceres (and) have brought anger to many." Police actions are spreading fear and isolation throughout the area.

The police chief of Ceres is quoted in the Modesto Bee, (Feb. 2, P. B-7.) " There are about 4,000 individuals in this county who are immersed in gangs. Many are so violent and lawless that they rise to the level of terrorists and must be dealt with accordingly. To label them 'gang members' woefully understates the threat they represent to society." The Ceres police actions reflect this attitude following the tragic murder of one police officer and the wounding of another.

While we respect law enforcement's need to respond to such heinous acts against innocent officers, we fear that targeting members of the Latino community will further isolate this community. It is one thing to go after the guilty or those that the police have reason to believe are suspicious; quite another to treat residents as if they have done something wrong and frightening the entire community.

A fundamental Unitarian-Universalists belief is "The inherent worth and dignity of every person" and we strive to promote "Justice, equity and compassion in human relations".

In the spirit of these principles we protest this stereotyping of an entire Latino neighborhood within our midst. We hereby ask for justice and equality for all. We stand united with the people of the farm worker community who have been swept up in this and demand that the civil liberties of this community be protected.

This is a statement of the Social Action Committee, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stanislaus County, not the Fellowship as a whole.