city council

On a more positive note, a proposed city ordinance that would have targeted people of spanish speaking descent and used fear and prejudice to divide communities was voted down at city council. It was a big deal for people here—a big victory and it should be noted and celebrated. A lot of people showed up for the meeting….one city council member mentioned that it was the most community members he’d seen at a meeting since he had been on the council. I decided to speak in front of the council. It doesn’t sound like much but I was really nervous and afterwards really, really happy that I had.

There were many people from the community who spoke and I heard some incredible speeches. At one point, I was stereotyping someone who I thought was going to be a racist white man but, it turned out, I was completely wrong. He spoke near the end, walking up to the microphone in blue jeans and a jacket. He talked about how he has been a small business owner in Fort Collins for 30 years (the ordinance was aimed at business owners) and that he recognized the proposed ordinance as legislation that would create fear and mistrust and would severely and negatively affect Latina/o folks in the community. I was really impressed with his statements and his courage, as I was with so many people who were at the meeting. One Latina woman said something about how as soon as a Hispanic person voices concern about these kinds of policies, so many people lash out and accuse them of ‘playing the race card.’ She said something like ‘after you’ve walked in my shoes try telling me that.’

I did not like the ‘politics’ element of the meeting, in which the council members sometimes seemed like calculating politicians. I don’t feel that the community members’ comments probably really have that much affect and it certainly does not feel like I am a part of the decision or the even the process. And it was interesting that the council, made up of seven people, were all white and all but one were men.

All the same, it is great that the ordinance did not pass and I do believe that some of that is due to the hard work of lots of people in the community. Someday we’ll all be able to make those decisions and no one will be excluded or ignored. When and where that happens, I doubt that an ordinance like this would ever even be conceived of.