Jamiel's Law

2008-05-12T17:23:55Z

Seventeen year old Jamiel Shaw was shot to death on March 2nd by 19 year old Pedro Espinoza. Espinoza was in this country illegally. He was a DREAMer who had been here since he was a child.

Stories like these make me sad on so many levels. Sad because some innocent kid had to die. Sad because it will probably be used as an argument against the DREAM Act, however little sense that makes. Sad because it reminds me of the reason why the DREAM Act is necessary--to keep hopeless kids out of gangs, to get them in school and contibuting to society instead of stepping onto the path of crime and jail and theft and murder.

The elder Shaw and his wife, Anita, urged the council to pass "Jamiel's Law," which has been proposed by a mayoral candidate but has not yet reached the council.
It would require police to work with federal officials "to identify, arrest, prosecute, imprison and deport illegal aliens who are, or appear to be, gang members or affiliate gang members," regardless of whether they have committed any other crimes.
--SF GATE

Even though I am sorry for the death of Jamiel, I'm not sure that this law is the best way about to go about it. I may be in the minority, but I think that gang members who have grown up here should be given a chance if they have not committed any other crimes--given the option to join a reformation program, the army, something. After all, their gang affiliation is not the product of their birth country, but of ours, and often of the circumstances they find themselves in. As for those who have committed crimes already, and those gang members who are not DREAMers, of course they should be deported. I hope that is happening already.

However, I would hope that at the same time as something like Jamiel's Law goes into effect, the government and the community would also take steps towards remedying the problems that cause kids to join gangs. The passage of Jamiel's Law should be nationwide and coupled with the DREAM Act, to keep immigrant kids out of gangs, and more funding to groups that improve the community, after school programs, etc.

Here are some organizations that I hope the L.A. city council reaches out to or provides more funding to if (or if not) Jamiel's law is passed:

Clean Slate, a gang recovery program

CROP, a community development program

B.U.I.L.D., a gang prevention program for youth

L.A. Bridges, the city's gang prevention program

DREAMers at Brave New Films

Jamiel's Law