Alberto Gonzales Not Welcome in San Francisco Bay Area

Bay Area Human Rights Advocates: Alberto Gonzales Not Welcome

On Friday, July 21st, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will be visiting the Bay Area. The undersigned organizations and individuals consider Mr. Gonzales a threat to human rights and believe his presence at various Bay Area events only serves to legitimize his championing of torture and a number of other far right principles.

We have learned that Mr. Gonzales will be attending a breakfast in San Franciscos Mission District at 7:30 a.m. Friday morning at Medjool on Mission Street between 21st and 22nd, hosted by the San Francisco Hispanic Bar Association. He is then speaking at the Santa Clara Marriott at 11 a.m. an event hosted by the Commonwealth Club.

The purpose of his visit is, ostensibly, to promote President George Bushs immigration proposals, most notably a temporary worker program. We believe that this proposal, while better than some of the more reactionary proposals in Congress, is still dismissive of the fact that immigrants are human beings who deserve respect and Constitutional protections. It is no surprise that most of the supporters of the Mission District breakfast are business associations, as Bushs plan is focused not on helping immigrants, but on helping businesses that rely on cheap labor and exploitation.

His immigration proposals are no surprise considering the Bush-Gonzales policy toward civil liberties generally. Latinos, Arabs, and South Asians have been particularly singled out for punishment under the Bush administrations policies with Gonzales as the legal defender of those policies. Gonzales Justice Department has uncovered a number of false terrorist cells and continues to target immigrants and activists who pose no threat whatsoever to Americans. He is a defender of the unpopular Patriot Act and the torture prison at Guantanamo Bay. His jurisprudence on torture, while in the Bush Administration, has undoubtedly had an effect on policy in the field and the embarrassing scandal at Abu Ghraib.

While debate and discussion are often beneficial, as one of the most powerful governmental officials on the planet, Gonzales visit has little to do with the free exchange of ideas and much to do with the promotion of many of the worst American policies. Gonzales can speak at any time and any place and get his point across through multiple media outlets, but there have been few opportunities for the people of Iraq, the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay or the Latin American immigrants working for low wages to speak publicly about their opinions and experiences. We stand in solidarity with the thousands and millions of people throughout the world who have suffered from the policies of Bush and Gonzales. We do not welcome Mr. Gonzales and see no benefit from his visit to our community a community that respects people whether citizen or not, whether American, Iraqi, Palestinian, Mexican, or Salvadoran.