[migrawatch-public] Urgent: Stop the ICE Raids Task Force needs your support

 

To the Governing Board Chair & Members of the LSB,

 

Many frustrating weeks have passed and after numerous attempts to get the attention and consideration of the KPFK management and LSB we are now attempting one more time to get your attention and most importantly your cooperation and support in what we consider is a serious crisis in our community. 

 

As you may already know, the Stop the ICE Raids task force was formed in order to better organize and alert the immigrant community about the government's oppressive and dirty tactics against our hard working people.  The task force is comprised of dozens of grass roots, well established community organizations. Many have worked and served the migrant community for over 20 years.  All of these organizations are part of the KPFK family and contribute to its programming and promotion. 

 

As part of this family we have been asking for your support in helping us alert our community of the constant ICE raids.  We are more than disappointed by the lack of support we have received by the management and leadership of KPFK. 

 

As we have tried to bring attention to the state of crisis our communities are in, we have met with nothing but resistance and bureaucratic red tape tactics and still here we are without the commitment and support of KPFK.  All we are asking for is the space to allow immediate alerts be broad casted at the time of a raid or police/ICE check point.  As we have been told KPFK's reluctance to be involved in this very serious matter is purely legal.  We ask why KPFK has no qualms about speaking out against the war in Iraq but has reservations about speaking out against the war on our people and the very community who supports the station?  In our last attempt to get your attention and support we ask that you open up the airwaves and allow for these alerts to be broad casted.

 

We are more than willing to take the time and necessary measures to ensure that such alerts are confirmed before they are announced on the air.  Our proposal is for all the organizations who are actively participating on the task force to call in to the radio station and that they are allowed to make the announcement on the air thus relieving KPFK on any legal responsibility since the announcements are being made by individuals and organizations belonging to the task force and not KPFK.  We believe that KPFK could be a crucial part of these efforts if only it would support its listeners of the migrant community and do the right thing.

 

Our commitment to KPFK will continue and we can assure the management and programming teams that your support would in turn create a new listener demographic and it would gain much support from the ever growing migrant community.  We sincerely hope that you will take our proposed resolution into serious consideration and that you would join us as we fight these oppressive and fascists government tactics against our community.

 

It would be regrettable if KPFK stood by and allowed families to be torn apart while this injustice continues.  We are requesting that you meet with the task force so that the necessary steps are immediately implemented to allow the alerts to be broad casted. Every day that passes by brings more suffering to our communities and more people are displaced.  This is a serious matter that requires your immediate attention. 

 

Please feel free to contact us at (714) 381-6305 or (323) 854-2060 so that we may schedule a meeting to discuss our proposed actions.  Failure to do so will cause many of the organizations that have supported KPFK for many years to withdraw its support and sponsorship.  We know that KPFK has always stood for justice and the truth, we hope that you will continue that legacy by supporting our efforts and the community who supports you.

 

Respectfully,

 

The Stop the ICE Raids Task Force

__._,_.___