Mayor getting his 15 minutes

readyIt is unfortunate that Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor is not old enough to remember the civil rights movement of the 1960s. If he were, he would realize that he is on the wrong path in our city.

Like George Wallace standing on the school house steps, the mayor is getting his 15 minutes of fame at the expense of people who have done him no harm and by fostering division in our city.

Last week, the mayor managed to pack the City Council chambers with members of the Minuteman group, which would praise him for his “vision” of making Costa Mesa the first city in America to add immigration enforcement to the law enforcement duties the police perform.

While most Costa Mesa residents who opposed the mayor’s plans were barred at the door by police, a cheering section was seated in front of the mayor. But except for a few, these were not Costa Mesa residents. These were right-wingers shipped in from all over the county and Southern California. Their leader, Jim Gilchrist, was there. He is also the unsuccessful congressional candidate from the American Independent Party, once the party of George Wallace.

The residents of Costa Mesa had very little chance to speak for their city and their neighbors. One of the protest organizers, a resident of Costa Mesa, was cut off in the middle of his three minutes of public comment because he had asked for his supporters to quietly stand.

The mayor, who had let many of his own supporters talk beyond their allotted three minutes, cut the man off at two minutes and had the police surround him. When he turned back to the lectern to retrieve his papers, the police grabbed him and placed him under arrest for, among other things, “resisting arrest.”

It was an unnecessary show of force to intimidate anyone who speaks against the mayor.

When justice fails, resentment and frustration follow. The more Mansoor tries to intimidate and coerce the Latino community, the closer we come to the day when they will push back in an eruption of violence.

People understand that they may not always win, but they at least expect a fair chance to be heard.

RICHARD GILLOCK

Costa Mesa