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news
Whittier talks
strategy
By Jamillah R.
Gabriel
On-line Forty-Niner
More than 75 people
gathered in Whittier Saturday at the Sheriff's Training Academy
for a town hall meeting.
Led by U.S. Rep. Grace
Napolitano of Norwalk, the forum was a place for constituents
to voice their opinions and concerns about the Sept. 11 "Attack
on America."
Attendants of the
gathering included representatives of the American Psychological
Association, the California National Guard, Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Department, and local clergy.
Napolitano gave an
overview of proposed congressional legislation in response to
the terrorist attacks. One of those measures may involve the
future placement of federal marshals on board all airline flights
in the country.
Other security measures
include the placement of National Guard troops in airports nationwide,
according to Maj. Gen. Paul D. Monroe Jr. of the California
National Guard.
"The National
Guard will be in airports for about four to six months. . .
until federal marshals are trained," Monroe said.
Also in attendance
was Councilwoman Margaret Clark from the City of Rosemead. She
said she was particularly concerned that the media may report
sensitive information that could jeopardize the safety of all
Americans.
"Why do we have
to tell what our strategies are?" Clark said. "I don't
have to know everything, I just want to be safe."
Some residents questioned
whether their basic rights, such as the right to privacy, would
be violated as a result of the heightened security measures
throughout the country.
Capt. Mike Grossman
of the sheriff's department said he did not want people to confuse
civil liberties with security and said that we should expect
to be inconvenienced in some ways, but that our rights would
remain intact.
Irfan Elahi, a resident
of Palos Verdes and employee of a Norwalk company, stressed
the fact that Arab Americans are dealing with loss and grief
just like everyone else.
"I am of you
. . . and you are of me . . . Just because of my background,
please don't hate me," Elahi said, urging people not to
target anyone because of their race or background.
He also asked what
he could do to help as an American citizen beyond going to the
nearest Red Cross.
Monroe and Grossman
both urged Elahi to get involved with law enforcement or the
National Guard, while Napolitano suggested he speak with schools
and organizations to promote tolerance.
The congresswoman
asked all Americans to become "more responsible for our
brothers and sisters" by helping in any way possible. She
also advocated donating money to organizations, saying "we
need to put money into projects where people are going to help
rebuild themselves."
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