This was the headline of the Staten Island Avance Sunday: “We are at war!: Protesters against Staten Island migrant shelter pledge ‘disobedience’ akin to COVID-19 mayhem.”
With more than 100 churches, mosques and temples on Staten Island, I was astounded that I didn’t hear any voices in favor of sheltering the migrants at Fort Wadsworth or Island Senior Center in Midland Beach.
I believe those two venues would be perfect to house some migrant families and both are currently underutilized. On Saturday, Aug. 13, as reported in the Staten Island Advance, there were very loud voices protesting the placement of migrant families here. The protest attracted a few hundred people, as well as most of the South Shore’s Republican legislators. The Advance also mentioned Scott LoBaido’s speech referencing the migrants, the LGBTQ+ movement and cancel culture as reasons for Staten Islanders to hit the pavement in protest with civil disobedience. Curtis Sliwa and his Guardian Angels were present as well.
But, besides being astounded, I was disappointed that the rabbis, imams, priests, ministers and their followers did not speak up in favor of the placement. As organizations who promote charity and preach kindness, their voices were starkly absent in their support to keep these families together.
With community assistance, Staten Island could be a safe haven for some of these families. Since November 2022, we house families in two hotels and have assimilated their children in our schools. They are incredible teenagers with treacherous journeys behind them. They have thrived at one of our public high schools because there are people there who opened their hearts to them.
With support, language assistance and most importantly, friendship and safety, these students feel well acquainted with the Island as a good place. We can do our best to welcome them here and give them all the support we would want our children to have in the same circumstance.
(Elena R. Arena is a New…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply