Fresno Human Relations Commission Member Removed For Advocating Peace

HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEMBER REMOVED FOR ADVOCATING PEACE

Dr Su Kapoor was removed from his appointment to the Human Relations Commission (HRC) last week by City Council member Jerry Duncan. Dr. Kapoor was removed because he supported a resolution before the council that called for peace in Iraq. He is also accused of supporting Jesse Jackson when he came to Fresno calling for a “Living Wage” for home care workers and because the HRC sponsored events honoring Cesar Chavez. The text of councilman Duncan’s letter is below. A press conference was held today in City Hall attended by over 100 community members to support Dr. Kapoor. Here is the statement, given to the press by the HRC and a report from Diane Scott.

March 26, 2003

STATEMENT BY THE CITY OF FRESNO HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION:

Promoting and advocating for positive human relations can never escape political ramifications, for politics is simply a community making decisions to get the job done. Hopefully, the political process will always aim at improving the human condition and the common good, over narrow, self serving interests. This aim is the same as the City of Fresno’s Human Relations Commission.

From the perspective of the values of the Human Relations Commission, war represents the failure of efforts to improve the human condition. This particular war has a clear and definite negative impact on the local community. The budget cuts that are required to support this war will drastically reduce or completely eliminate programs for those most marginalized in our community, including the poor, elderly and children. These cuts include support for food, health care, the environment, and even Head Start. For the Human Relations commission not to address this current world crisis would be a failure of our very reason for being.

The fact that certain Fresno City Council members appear to be unable to tolerate a healthy diversity of perspective and our constitutionally mandated respect for dissension is most disturbing. Commissioners are appointed based on their demonstrated advocacy for human rights. For the Human Relations Commission to function, the commissioners need to be able to take unpopular positions on behalf of positive human relations without the threat, or reality, of being removed from the Commission. If this cannot be guaranteed, then the entire basis of the Human Relations Commission needs to be reevaluated.

To contact the Human Relations Commission call (559) 498-1866.

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Dr. Kapoor Speaks at the Press Conference
By Diane Scott
March 26, 2003

This afternoon, in the lobby adjacent to the City Council auditorium, over 100 Fresnans gathered to honor a quiet, soft spoken but resolute and courageous man as he addressed us on the subject of City Council member Jerry Duncan's letter stating that "effective immediately I am withdrawing your appointment as a member of the Commission from District 6." As the recipient of this illegal action, Dr. Su Kapoor said he had felt that his work on the commission had been important and that he would have liked to continue it but, he said that he was not angry, he was at peace and held no grudge. Indeed, Dr. Kapoor said he would remember the Council member in his prayers.

Dr. Kapoor has been a professor of Social Work at California State University, Fresno for a number of years. He founded the program of Conflict Resolution at the university and also was one of the founders of the Fresno Center for Nonviolence. Many well known, respected members of
the community attended this gathering as well as many of us who just wanted to show our love and support.

What was the terrible act that caused Dr. Kapoor's unexpected removal? He spoke for the Peace Resolution that Peace Fresno was asking the council to affirm. Duncan's excuse was "where in the mission statement does it say the Human Relation Commission should be involved in the foreign policy of the U. S. Government?" That throws free speech and the right to dissent right out the window, doesn't it?

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March 19, 2003

Dear Dr. Kapoor

When the Human Relations Commission was established in 1986, it was intended to serve a very specific purpose that is stated quite well in its mission statement:

Promote harmonious relations among the many different cultures and people of Fresno, the HRC:

-Monitors discrimination and hate crimes
-Develops positive programs to address these issues
-Mediates disputes
-Educates for cultural awareness
-Celebrates cultural diversity

This is a mission statement that I totally support.

As you know because we have discussed it, since I have been on the City Council I have been critical of this group. I have been concerned that the HRC has abandoned their mission and has become an organization that seems to feel it exists to promote a very narrow political agenda.

A good example of this surfaced when the HRC elected to recognize Congresswoman Barbara Lee for her lone vote in Congress against the war on terrorism. Fortunately, Mayor Autry refused to sign this recognition.

In response to this concern, early last year I engaged the HRC to see if I could have any input in trying to refocus the group’’s efforts more toward their stated mission. Members of the HRC indicated that I was the first Council Member to ever do so.
I came to the HRC and asked for support on two issues; an ethnic festival series and a hate crime meeting in District 6 to see to what extent the problem exists.

With the help and very hard work of Debbie Reyes, the ethnic festival series did happen. Unfortunately, she did not receive much help or support from very many members of the HRC. While I want to continue this effort, I would not ask Debbie to go through what she went through last year. It is clear to me that there is not strong support for this from the HRC.

As far as the district meeting regarding hate crimes, nothing has happened and I have received no communication from the HRC. In the meantime, in the two years I have been on the Council I have yet to see the HRC bring forth and any information in regards to discrimination or hate crimes. I have yet to see ONE positive program to address not just those issues but any issue.

If there have been successful mediations of disputes I am certainly not aware of them.

But I have seen the HRC do many things that have nothing to do with the stated mission. Besides the attempted recognition of Barbara Lee, which would have been an enormous embarrassment to this City had it succeeded, they have thrust themselves into political issues that frankly should be none of their concern. Three recent examples include:


The HRC taking a position on the anti-war resolution and having a board member appear in front of the City Council to request the adoption of this divisive document. Where in the mission statement does it say the HRC should be involved in the foreign policy of the United States Government?


The HRC deciding to put itself into the promotion of the renaming of Kings Canyon Boulevard to Caesar Chavez Blvd.


The request for a City resolution of support for an extremely divisive political figure, Jessie Jackson. This is especially out of place when the resolution specifically recognizes his efforts to support the Democratic Party.


Recommending funding from the social services budget support for a film festival that showed pornographic movies.

The list goes on.

Dr, Kapoor, Fresno is a wonderful City. It is a City that is certainly far from perfect and needs all of our efforts to make sure we stay on a path of improvement.

From my perspective the HRC is not part of this solution but has chosen to be part of the problem. The consistent actions of the members of this group are contributing to the division of our City rather than bringing it together.

The only direct action a Council member can take is to control the appointments they make to the Commission. Because of the Commissions’’ unwillingness to follow their stated mission, I am choosing to have no representation on this group and therefore, reluctantly need to notify you that effective immediately I am withdrawing your appointment as a member of the Commission from District 6.
It is my intent not to fill this spot with anyone until the Human Relations Commission shows that it intends to follow the direction that it’’s formal mission statement direct.

Thank you for your many years of service to the City of Fresno.

Sincerely,

Jerry Duncan