NYC Standing on the Side of Love Immigration Rally Dec. 9th

It was a cold day in New York City as we prepared to rally in front of Governor Patterson's office. This was the latest in a series of events in New York City that have focused on immigrant's rights and reform, the passage of the Dream Act and responses to the increase in enmity and attacks on Latinos and people with various racial, ethnic, religious and LGBTQ identities. Standing on the Side of Love with people from Make the Road New York, the New York Immigrant Coalition, and people from many different faiths and backgrounds, I renewed my commitment to building partnerships and coalitions. Yesterdays' Rally was part of the essential struggle for immigrant rights. Here in New York, if someone is stopped for the most minor of offenses, like a parking violation, they can be detained and the New York police, whose duty it is to keep the peace and assure the safety of all persons, are often called to turn over people suspected of being undocumented. So many families are separated and parents deported. The police cannot safeguard the general public with their dual role as police and immigration officers. And many undocumented immigrants do not report crimes or injuries out of fear of deportation and their families being torn apart.

When I first learned of these practices, I thought they parallel Arizona SB 1070! All of us in this country are in danger of having draconian practices, policies and laws with the ignited fears and prevalent myths about immigrants. In spite of temperatures in the 20's, a number of Unitarian Universalists gathered in Manhattan found our spirits warmed as we "stood on the side of love" in solidarity with many other groups.

The strength of our Standing on the Side of Love advocacy and witness efforts is its broad based appeal to many faiths and community organizations. Standing on the Side of Love means that my colleague and friend, Gonzalo Mercado, from El Centro del Inmigrante, noted, "I see you more often here in Manhattan than on Staten Island." He knows he can count on me because of the relationships we are building. Later that evening at an Anti Bias Summit on Staten Island, we talked about ways the Unitarian Church of Staten Island can increasingly work with El Centro and other immigrant groups. He expressed his affection for our church and I assured him that we feel a real connection with El Centro. There will be many more Rallies, phone calls, Summits and times when we work together on deepening the bonds of love and justice between us. That is the power of Standing on the Side of Love during this chilly time of year, or the excruciating heat of the summer just past and all other seasons in between. ~The Rev. Susan Karlson, Minister, Unitarian Church of Staten Island