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Point of view: Severing the bonds of trust

Point of view: Severing the bonds of trust BY CHRIS LIU-BEERS RALEIGH - As people of faith, we are greatly disturbed by reports of local law enforcement targeting Spanish-language church services in their misguided hunt for undocumented immigrants in Zebulon. All people - regardless of their immigration status - have the right to worship free from harassment and unconstitutional checkpoints. Just because someone doesn't have the right papers for the U.S. government does not make him or her any less a child of God. It's shameful that a country so proud of its religious freedom would unfairly target church-going members of the community. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Imagine the outrage and front-page headlines if police officers interrupted Sunday services at prominent white churches looking for people who cheated on their taxes or were late on their child support. Do we really want to be a society where you have to show proper documentation before being allowed to attend church? The N.C. Council of Churches has always affirmed that police and other institutions of justice have a vital role to play in our society, especially when they act in good faith to serve the common good and to protect the vulnerable against abuse. As North Carolinians, we are indeed deeply thankful for the policewomen and men who serve our communities, protecting individuals and society from criminal behavior. However, to the degree that particular law enforcement tactics tend to prey on those with less power in general and immigrant communities in particular, we are compelled to speak as people of conscience and faith. In fact, these kinds of rogue tactics are not only immoral, they also threaten public safety. When police target churches to enforce federal immigration law, it severs the bond of trust that is necessary for law enforcement to serve and protect immigrant communities. Across North Carolina, immigrants (both documented and undocumented) are becoming increasingly hesitant to report crimes to the police because they fear that they will be deported. This fear applies to both crime victims and witnesses. Again, we have to ask ourselves: do we really want to live in a society where our neighbors won't call the police when they see our houses being robbed? Rebecca Fontaine of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice reminds us that "Using local police officers for immigration enforcement erodes public trust in law enforcement, systematizes racial profiling, creates incentives for illegal arrests and prevents police from doing their job, failing to keep some of our most vulnerable communities safe." We believe that the rule of law is important. "Many people think we have good [immigration] laws and bad people who are breaking them," says Frank Sharry, head of America's Voice, a pro-immigration reform advocacy group. "But we have bad laws and mostly good people who have no line to get into legally." Until Washington has the courage to take action, we'll probably see more local dollars misallocated to round up church-goers. In the meantime, people of faith across North Carolina are joining together to demand that immigrants be treated with dignity and respect - as children of God. Chris Liu-Beers is a program associate with the N.C. Council of Churches

Wills' clinic in Spout Springs, NC

NOTE: we are having another wills' clinic October 22-23 in Tarboro, NC. Contact SCSJ attorney Chris Brook at (919) 323-3380 for more details. Following other wills' clinics we have held across the state, SCSJ conducted its first wills’ clinic in Spout Springs, North Carolina, as part of its efforts to prevent a leading cause of land loss in the South: heirs’ property passing without a will. During the September 23-25 clinic, 18 Harnett County residents had 54 end of life documents made free of charge. Documents drafted included wills, living wills, health care powers of attorney, and durable powers of attorney. Many thanks to everyone who made the service possible: SCSJ coordinating attorney Chris Brook, the Spout Springs Presbyterian Church, which hosted the clinic, and the ten law student volunteers from Carolina and Campbell Law. Carolina Law second-year student and wills’ clinic volunteer Jean Abreu highlighted the rewards in “assisting clients in securing their property for future generations.”

Take the Census over the Phone!

The Census Bureau's Telephone Questionnaire Assistance Hotline is up and running and can be used to get counted. Households and individuals that have not received a census form or a house visit can use the hotline to phone in their information. For folks living in homes or apartments, it's best to wait until after July 10th, when door-to-door follow up ends, before using the hotline. IMPORTANT: The closer it gets to August 13th -- the end date for ALL census counting operations -- the harder it will be for the Census Bureau to add people to the count who phone in responses. This is because census workers are required to verify the phoned in address with a house visit. The house visit may not require a knock on the door, just a visual confirmation of the address. Hotline numbers: English: 1-866-872-6868 Chinese: 1-866-935-2010 Korean: 1-866-955-2010 Russian: 1-866-965-2010 Spanish: 1-866-928-2010 Vietnamese: 1-866-945-2010 TDD (Telephone Display Device for the hearing impaired): 1-866-783-2010 Puerto Rico (in English): 1-866-939-2010 Puerto Rico (in Spanish): 1-866-929-2010

Noise ordinance approved

____________________ GATESVILLE – After 12 months of tweaking, Gates County is now the proud new owner of a more defined noise ordinance. By a unanimous vote at their January 19 meeting, the Gates County Board of Commissioners adopted the ordinance, only after one final round of slight modifications was placed in the six-age document. In its early stages, the ordinance was presented to the commissioners by the Citizens Against OLF as they continue their efforts to prevent the Navy from possibly constructing an Outlying Landing Field (practice facility) in the Sandbanks area of Gates County. Duke University researchers joined forces with the anti-OLF group to put the document in writing. As the debate progressed over the wording of the ordinance, Gates County Sheriff Ed Webb as well as judges and attorneys voiced concerns over enforcement and legal issues. “We’ve addressed the concerns the Sheriff’s Office and judges had,” Commissioner Henry Jordan said at last week’s meeting. Section 2 now adds the sentence: Sound measurement standards will be implemented when authorized by the Gates County Board of Commissioners at a later date. There was concern about the cost of the equipment needed to measure sound as well as calibration standards of that equipment, Jordan noted. “We feel we need these sound measuring standards in place if the OLF does decide to come here at which time we can activate that part of the ordinance,” Jordan said. The Sheriff’s deputies will use sensory perception to judge noise level, as is currently the case. “All the changes seem to address the issues that have been brought up previously,” said Commissioner Jack Owens. “I’m fine with this as it is; I know there has been a lot of work put into this, not only by Duke, but locally as well and I certainly support this,” Commission Vice-Chair Kenneth Jernigan stated. Commission Chairman Graham Twine thanked Jordan for all the time he invested in getting the ordinance to this point. The public also had their say last week concerning the ordinance. Linda Warren, representing the Citizens Against OLF, said Duke University and the Southern Coalition lawyers worked with the local group to come up with the basis for a noise ordinance. “The OLF is certainly about jet noise; we were guided in this to build an ordinance dealing with noise,” Warren said. “This ordinance will be a stumbling block for the Navy. We think it’s important to get the message across to the Navy that the noise they’re trying to move out of Virginia Beach is not something we want in Gates County.” Warren added that the Navy had been asked about flight paths, inquiring of the route the jets would take to get to Gates County. “It’s not just involving the Sandbanks; the flight paths given by the Navy to the FAA (Federal Aviation Commission) has those jets coming from Oceana (Naval Air Station) straight down to Moyock (northern Currituck County) and coming straight across to the Sandbanks,” Warren said. “Those jets will cut across the heart of Gates County; their flight paths can be eight miles wide. That brings those jets across our state park, over our beautiful river; across our schools and across our neighbors and friends…that’s why we need a noise ordinance and thanks to everyone for working so hard on this.” “I had made some previous comments about the decibel meters and the calibration equipment, however, that’s just a small portion when considering what could happen in the county,” said J.E. Harrell. “When you talk about the noise, it’s huge, but it’s also more far reaching than that. These folks that have their land and their way of life threatened, it speaks for the need for a noise ordinance and anything we can do to stop these jets. My heart goes out to this group.” Wade Askew, a former county commissioner who was a part of orchestrating the noise ordinance, asked about the language of the document pertaining to agricultural and forestry operations. Twine commented that Section 5 (Exceptions) dealt with that, quoting, “Agricultural and forestry operations and the like shall not constitute a nuisance and thus shall not be subject to the requirements of this ordinance, except when a nuisance results from negligence or improper operation of any agricultural or forestry equipment or its appurtenances.” Danny Byrum said he had stood in the yard of a man living near Langley (Virginia airfield) and they could not hear each other talk over the sound of jets flying overhead. “He said you couldn’t even listen to TV in your house when the jets were flying,” Byrum recalled. “It’s quite a big deal. Our way of life will be gone if the jets come here. This whole county will never be the same.” Joe Greene said while he was living near Oceana his family experienced the sound of jets on a daily and nightly basis. “It will change your life; they will rattle your house,” he said. “There is no day or night to them.” Upon exiting the public hearing, County Manager Toby Chappell, citing concerns of county attorney Pitt Godwin, directed the commissioners’ attention to section 7 of the ordinance. The board agreed with Godwin and struck a portion of subsection C of that section…“Officer provides intermediate noise protection/abatement when necessary and intermediate inclusiveness/identification of the types of prohibited noises observed.” Commissioner John Hora asked Sheriff Webb if he was in agreement with the provisions of the ordinance since Webb and his staff would be responsible for enforcement. “The main thing is officer perception,” Webb said. “If we get a call about a loud muffler or a loud radio we can issue a citation. We usually try to issue a warning the first time and move up from there in citations, especially when you keep going back to the same person (making the noise).” The ordinance provides for a fine of not more than $50 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days should any person violating any of the provisions of the ordinance be found guilty of a misdemeanor. Additionally, the county, as a first remedy, can issue a civil fine of $50 for a noise nuisance violation. Upon a motion by Jordan and a second from Jernigan, the commissioners approved the ordinance as modified with the noted changes.

Lincoln Apartments

SCSJ is currently representing the residents of Lincoln Apartments. More information is coming soon.

Es su Esquina

From Reportaje sobre la ordenanza en Carrboro que les prohíbe quedarse en la esquina de jornaleros después de las 11:00 de la mañana. Chris Brook,…

Sidberry Family

Sidberry Family, New Hanover County File No. 03 SP 0726

Two of 19 Sidberry heirs filed a partition action relating to property that had been in their family since 1871. The property consisted of 8.8 acres in Wilmington, New Hanover County near Market Street. It was described as “virtually undeveloped land in an area that has been developed for both commercial and residential purposes” in the pleadings. A 1911 will devised the property to the Sidberry and the Wallace children. However, the Wallace children have not been heard of since 1911. Nevertheless, through the partition action the property was sold for $495,000 and $254,652.47 was placed in a trust account with the clerk of court for the unknown heirs of the Wallace children. Before the remaining funds were distributed among the Sidberry heirs, who have been taking care of the property for the last 90 years, $21,546 was given to the attorneys, $3,000 to the commissioner, and $49,500 for real estate commission. The Sidberrys originally sought to clarify that one of them could place a trailer on the property. Today they believe they have been dispossessed of their rightful inheritance and have retained counsel to seek to recover the amount placed in trust for the unknown heirs.

Something Stinks in New Hill

SCSJ has submitted an official response on behalf of the New Hill Community Association to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding the Corps’ Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The attempt to locate a wastewater treatment plant in the center of New Hill is not the first incident of environmental racism the community has experienced. New Hill is a rural, majority-minority community in Western Wake County where the Shearon Harris nuclear power plant was located. Residents have been fighting the placement of the sewage plant in their community (which will not serve local residents) since 2005, and have received the support of the NC Environmental Justice Network and the NAACP in addition to SCSJ. SCSJ has found that:
  • The selection of New HIll ("Site 14") was reverse-engineered to avoid adequate public input and without sufficient consideration to the environmental and human impacts associated with this site.
  • The selection of Site 14 will have a direct and major impact on the New Hill Historic District and minority community.
  • Locating the plant in New Hill has much larger human and environmental justice impacts than other suitable alternatives.
  • The FEIS does not make clear how the disposal sewage sludge, which contains “a wide range of toxic substances and chemical compounds,” will occur. The options under consideration may contaminate groundwater in New Hill or result in nearby residents unwittingly inhaling sewage sludge residue.
Please join us next Saturday, February 27 at 9:30am at Shaw University to show support for Point 10 of the HKonJ Peoples’ Agenda to “Promote Environmental Justice” at HkonJ (Historic Thousands on Jones Street). For more information, please read our Press Release, visit our New Hill Page, or visit the home page of the New Hill Community Association.

Public weighs in on congressional redistricting process

Follow the link above for video coverage. By Heather Moore RALEIGH – North Carolina lawmakers are working to redraw legislative and congressional district lines, which historically has been a very political process. It happens every 10 years after census numbers are released. Wednesday, the public got their first chance to tell lawmakers what they expect of the redistricting process and the new lines. Redrawing district lines impacts how many lawmakers represent an area and exactly which area they're representing. In the past, it could even play a role in who would win the election by creating districts of like-minded voters, a political tactic called gerrymandering. “My concerns are that minorities will be packed into certain districts under several gerrymandering techniques that have been used in the past,” said Jessica Holmes with the Alliance for Fair Redistricting and Minority Voting Rights. But state lawmakers say they're taking extra steps this year to make the redistricting process as fair and open as possible. “The gerrymandering as it's been in the past has pretty much been eliminated by the fact the courts have responded, especially the North Carolina Supreme Court,” explained Senator Bob Rucho, a Republican representing Mecklenburg County and Chairman of the Redistricting Committee. “There are certain times we're going to have districts that may be spread out but there's a reason for it legally, whether they follow the Voting Rights Act or whether they follow whole county or whatever it may be, but legally there's a reason for that occurring.” Lawmakers are holding at least twelve public hearings all across the state to get input about the redistricting process. Concerned citizens say they appreciate the opportunity to participate. “I'm very excited they have spread these public hearings across the state,” Holmes said. “I'm happy about this process. I'm happy about this opportunity to come here and give my public input.”