On Saturday, July 12, I was happy to see 300-400 people protesting the ICE arrests that occurred in our area on July 10. People from Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Montecito joined the Carpinteria community gathering at the Seal Fountain in Carpinteria. We came because we are furious that our government is sending masked police, with military weapons, to terrorize and disappear our Latino friends and neighbors, our teachers, food pickers, gardeners, restaurant workers, health-care providers, and child care workers. These hard-working taxpayers are a needed part of our economy. They are not criminals and don’t deserve to be arrested, deported, or put in horrendous concentration camps. They have not had due process as our Constitution requires for citizens as well as non-citizens. This is not what our country was founded on. It’s not who we are.
The most important thing we can do is to vote and teach our kids and friends what happens in countries when there is no longer a rule of law that applies to all, but is run by inexperienced and corrupt people who are breaking laws to make money for themselves rather than making sure their constituents have health care, education, scientific research, and help with weather disasters.
We can all reach out to invite our friends and neighbors to join us at the next protest on Thursday evening at Stearns Wharf along Cabrillo Boulevard from 7:30-8:30 pm.
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