Ezell on Death Squads

I am writing on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Community Relations Conference of Southern California to express our strong disapproval of statements made by Ezell.

The CRCSC is a coalition of 95 organizations in Southern California which have come together to address racial, ethnic and human relations, as well as governmental and civil issues. We are saddened by the events of recent weeks in which Salvadorans and a priest have been attacked or threatened in Los Angeles by international terrorists. As people concerned with the ability of all our residents to live and work together in an increasingly diverse community, we are outraged that the government official charged with overseeing implementation of U.S. policy on immigration would dismiss such events as “an orchestrated PR campaign.”

With racial violence on the increase, indiscriminate shootings on our freeways and now international terrorism in our neighborhoods, we expect our community leaders and government officials to be sensitive to their roles in bringing people together and ending such violence.

Ezell has once again shown that he has little respect for basic human rights and dignity in our nation. He owes an apology to those who have been attacked and threatened.

He owes all of us a change in his combative style of leadership and his insensitive attitude, particularly toward the people that might fall under the jurisdiction of the INS enforcement of immigration laws.

KENNETH R. BROWN

Executive Director

Community Relations Conference

Los Angeles