Tim Burgess' City View

May Day, Anarchists and a Woman from China

Yesterday was quite the day.

The weather forecast called for rain throughout the day, yet the sun popped out and I was confident I could make it to and from City Hall on my scooter without getting drenched.

Then, on a day to celebrate the effective and necessary role of labor unions, along with a separate march celebrating the importance of immigrants and the need for immigration reform, chaotic violence and property destruction occurred downtown.

Self-described anarchists mingled with peaceful May Day demonstrators at Westlake Park, covered their faces with masks or bandanas and engaged in destructive acts of vandalism and violence.  It stopped almost as quickly as it started; the anarchists pulled off their black clothing and melted away into the larger crowd once again, though not before some were arrested. (The Seattle Times has extensive coverage of all this in today’s newspaper.)

America's Strength: Tolerance and Creativity

Many Americans have been shocked that a government commission in New York City gave the go-ahead this past week to an Islamic community center, including a Muslim worship facility, just two blocks north of Ground Zero.  They wonder why the government of New York City would allow such a facility so close to the site of the World Trade Center towers that were attacked by terrorists in the name of Islam.  Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives on that terrible day.

I had a different reaction.  I wondered whether a Christian or a Jewish group would be able to build such a facility in Saudi Arabia or Pakistan or Iran or Iraq.  No, they likely wouldn't.  The religious freedom we have in our country has fostered a religious pluralism that is something to be cherished and celebrated.  And it points to something else as well—a tolerance that has bred creativity and strength.  Thomas Friedman says it better than I can in this piece in the New York Times from last Wednesday. 

Facts About Immigration

Here are some interesting facts about immigration that will debunk some of the more common myths surrounding this contentious, yet often misunderstood, issue. 

Welcome the Stranger

Each passing day I grow more troubled by what the state of Arizona has done in adopting a new law that gives local police the power to stop, question and demand documents from anyone they suspect of being illegally in the country.  It's not American.  (Seattle journalist Timothy Egan has a biting piece on this topic in the New York Times. And Andrew Sullivan has an interesting perspective here.)

Yes, there are legitimate questions and concerns about illegal immigration, but the heavy-handed approach Arizona is taking is not the way to address those issues.  We've already seen that border fences, increased patrols, even high-tech electronic surveillance can't stop