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OP-ED September
11, 2003: California With all the media hoopla surrounding the gubernatorial recall vote, a little-known initiative will also be voted upon on October 7. This initiative, known as Proposition 54, spells bad news for Sikhs in California. Proposition 54, also known as the Information Ban, would make it illegal for state and local agencies to collect data on race and ethnicity - data needed to fight hate crimes, to fight discrimination and to save lives. After 9/11, there were many violent attacks against members of the Sikh community, these attacks continue to this day. Sikh students were attacked on the University of California, Berkeley campus and Sikh taxi drivers were shot in Richmond, California. If Prop. 54 passes, police will not be allowed to ask victims their race or ethnicity. A hate crime cannot be prosecuted without knowing this vital piece of information. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer says, "We look at the patterns of hate crime activity in order to know where to deploy resources and how to effectively fight and prevent hate crimes. This initiative will stop that sort of work." State-funded programs to detect race-based discrimination in employment and housing will also be shut down if Proposition 54 passes. As an example, a lawsuit filed recently by Chinese and South Asian employees against Lawrence Livermore Laboratory accuses the lab of applying a 'glass ceiling' in which minority employees are deprived of the same pay raises and promotions available to other employees. Their case rests on analyzing salary data based on race, broken down along education level and experience. Proposition 54 would make it impossible to get this data to make a successful case. Data on race and ethnicity is also used in health care. As an example, South Asians have a higher rate of heart disease than the general public in the United States. This kind of information is used to tailor health programs specifically for that community -- but Proposition 54 would wipe out the data that health professionals need to fight chronic diseases, develop effective prevention programs, and save lives. The California Medical Association, California Academy of Family Physicians, Kaiser Permanente, and many other healthcare organizations oppose Proposition 54 because it bans research that can saves lives. Proposition 54 will harm the safety, health, and civil rights of the Sikh community. Register to vote by Sept. 22 and "Vote No on 54!" For more information, see http://www.DesisAgainst54.org
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©The Sikh Sentinel 2003 |