One of the things PP&J does in collaboration with Justice Works from Oceanside Sanctuary Church, SDOP, and LiveFree is to work with city officials to pass policies that affirm the value and dignity of all people.
Below, you will read what I shared at a City Council meeting on October 15. This outlines what has been happening over the past few months as we have sought to Stand Up, Show Up, and Speak Up for those in Oceanside who are being ignored, attacked, and disenfranchised.
My name is Larry Warner, a 17-year resident of Oceanside and member of Oceanside Sanctuary Church, whose mission is to grow together in the love, peace, and justice of Jesus, believing all people, especially our immigrant neighbors, deserve dignity, respect, and safe paths to citizenship.
On May 7, the City Council voted to fly the Pride flag. The approval provided a vital message to a community under attack—We see you, We hear you, We care.
Two weeks later, the outcome was reversed. We don’t see you, we don’t hear you, we don’t care about you.
On September 3, the Tenant Protections Ordinance was passed—A necessary message to a community facing housing insecurity and possible homelessness—We see you, We hear you, We care.
Two weeks later, the outcome was reversed. We don’t see you, we don’t hear you, We don’t care about you.
Four weeks ago, on September 17, a vote on the proposed Community Trust Resolution passed, sending a message to a community under attack—We see you, We hear you, We care.
Now, four weeks later, the resolution that was passed has been downgraded to a report. A report is simply informational; a resolution is aspirational—an official expression of the council’s intentions.
First, there was the queer community; then those facing housing insecurity; now, undocumented people and their families—the recurring message seems to be—just because we see you, just because we hear from you, does not mean we care about you.
The previous issues are no longer on the agenda, but one remains—I urge you to reinstate the Community Trust Resolution as a resolution, not just a report.
Let tonight’s message be—We see you, We hear you, We care about you.
The Community Trust Resolution did not pass but was downgraded to a report. Afterwards, we gathered together and reaffirmed our ongoing commitment to Stand Up, Show Up, and Speak Up for those in Oceanside who are being ignored, attacked, and disenfranchised. This is a long journey.