WHY DO CONSERVATIVES *HATE* THE HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION?

WHY DO CONSERVATIVES *HATE* THE HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION?

There have been repeated attacks by the mayor and conservative City Council members against the Human Relations Commission (HRC) in Fresno. Why? Could it be because the HRC is being effective in doing their job of supporting tolerance, ethnic diversity, and peaceful resolution in the community?

To some, the HRC is a relief valve in the community. When community groups or individuals have a problem they take it to the HRC where they know they will be listened to. In addition to bringing community groups and individuals to City Hall to discuss and resolve problems with government agencies, the HRC plays a central role in numerous community events. One of the most prominent events is the annual Martin Luther King day parade that brings out thousands to honor the goals and work of Dr. King. This year’s march was one of the biggest ever. Marching on the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq many marchers carried signs calling on an end to American aggression and No Blood for Oil. All of the elected City officials want to be at the front of the MLK march and speak at this event. It was an interesting sight to see our Republican Mayor marching at the head of the MLK march with all of those anti-war signs. But, maybe he was not amused. Could this be his revenge?
The HRC also sponsors many events honoring Cesar Chavez in the community. The desire by the Latino community to name a street after Cesar Chavez has been a thorn in Mayor Autry’s side ever since he was elected. Autry tried to set up a commission to divide the community by naming a desolate downtown street after Chavez. Most Latino’s want Ventura/Kings Canyon, which runs through South East Fresno to be named after Chavez. In short, the HRC is an advocate for justice, they honor those who have advocated for peace, and respect cultural diversity. That is why they are under attack by right wing/conservative forces at City Hall.

The current crisis began in March 2003 when City Council member Jerry Duncan removed Dr. Su Kapoor, his appointee to the commission, stating that the HRC had lost its direction. The progressive community came to City Hall in large numbers to demand that Dr. Kapoor be reinstated. The strong reaction in the community to Dr. Kapoor’s removal surprised Duncan and he was forced to apologize and offered to re-appoint Dr. Kapoor. Dr. Kapoor returned to the commission, but by accepting the appointment from another council member.

In June 2003 Duncan and fellow City Council member Brian Calhoun attempted to cut funding to the HRC. At another City Hall hearing that was packed by the progressive community, that effort was stopped. But, out of this victory came a bizarre twist in this story. While speaker after speaker rose to talk in support of the HRC, Duncan dropped a bombshell that he would soon regret. At this meeting he sent an email that said “If I had one dirty bomb ... I could eliminate all the liberals in Fresno at once." Many in the community interpreted this message as a terrorist threat and have demanded his resignation.

The Duncan email was one of a series of emails that were released in an investigation started by The Fresno Bee. An email to Council member Brian Calhoun by his aide Ann Klose said if "HRC folks bring down a crowd and get unruly," she would call police "to send over some officers to 'Cap' these guys." Calhoun wrote that another Council member, "Tom [Boyajian] hasn't taken his meds." What other insights into the thinking of Fresno City Council members and their aides might still lurk in City Hall computers? The Bee only received 9 days of email messages, and if the council member had deleted her/his messages they were not included in those released. Those (deleted) messages, still on the computers, need to be released and made public.

The story about City Council members and their staff’s writing “Terrorist Threats” made national news and brought embarrassment to city officials. At a hearing on this issue at City Hall, community members demanded that action be taken and that those who wrote these messages be held accountable. Duncan offered a subdued apology that most activists in the progressive community thought was insincere. Immediately after this hearing the attacks picked up as Mayor Alan Autry demanded an apology from HRC member Debbie Reyes who asked if some of the email messages had a racist undertone. This is a reference to one message that refers to a group on the council as “the dark side.”

Mayor Autry again attacked Debbie Reyes, the chairperson of the HRC, in September when she sent out a press advisory warning against potential violence by a group demonstrating on Shaw and Blackstone. This group said they were bringing guns and other weapons and discussed how these weapons would be used against their political opponents at the demonstration. The mayor objected to Debbie Reyes’ use of the word *HATE GROUP* when referring to this conservative group which he described as patriotic, flag waving Americans. Here is an example of the “patriotic” messages sent to the Fresno Peace community:

Do I get to test it out!!!!!! by my new S&W 500 Thursday September 11, 2003 at 02:27 PM
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wow, at over 2 bucks a shot these hippies might not be worth it...I guess it's better than shooting paper targets though HEY! I'm saving a tree, see, maybe I am a little liberal HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Issuing the press advisory was a matter of public safety. The mayor should have thanked Debbie Reyes and the HRC for exposing this violent local group and warning the public to stay away from the site of their demonstration. Instead, the mayor used this opportunity to attack the HRC.

On September 16, 2003 the issue of the email incident came back before the City Council. Once again, City Hall was full of HRC supporters. City Council president Tom Boyajian made a proposal to address the email issue. He proposed sensitivity and diversity training, establishing a code of conduct for council members, and a mild rebuke of Council members Duncan and Calhoun. Most of the audience speaking on this issue supported Boyajian’s proposal. Some of the speakers expressed their anger about the emails and Boyajian told them to only address the issue of his proposal. Matilda Rangel was removed by security by Boyajian because she wanted to tell him how she felt about the email messages. Other speakers were threatened, but almost everyone supported the effort to hold people accountable for what they wrote.

After the public testimony, the audience listened to an unapologetic Calhoun attack Duncan and complain that his name was mentioned in the proposal. He threatened to sue the city council if it passed. Calhoun said that he would lodge formal complaints against fellow council members if the resolution passed. Finally, he said that if the resolution passes he would consider ending his political career. A huge roar of approval was heard from the audience when Calhoun threatened to resign. A much more contrite Duncan addressed the council. Duncan, not reading from a script, made a much more sincere apology for the email incident. He appeared to have realized the seriousness of the indiscretion and was ready to apologize and move on.

In the end, a portion of Boyajian’s proposal passed. The section that rebuked Duncan and Calhoun was removed and voted on separately. In a surprise move, council member Cynthia Steerling sided with the conservative slate on the council, and the motion to rebuke Duncan and Calhoun failed.

The attacks against the HRC are not over. The mayor and other conservatives on the City Council would like to muzzle the HRC and limit their role to being another innocuous, meaningless, government bureaucracy that provides cover for the injustice in this community. The HRC has not been intimidated and threatened into abandoning their historic role and mission of struggling for peace, social/economic justice, tolerance and understanding among the culturally diverse Fresno community.