Immigrants’ Rights
To the editor:
Re “As Immigration Raids Rise, Truro’s Leaders Look for Guidance” [May 22, page A7]:
It is time for all Outer Cape towns and businesses to look for more guidance on immigrants’ rights. “Border Czar” Tom Homan announced not long ago, “I’m coming to Boston; I’m bringing hell with me.” And he has kept his word, as there has been increased immigration enforcement activity in Massachusetts in recent weeks. Boston, Waltham, Acton, Worcester, New Bedford, and Fall River have all seen ICE raids.
Two months ago, as the Independent reported, there was an ICE raid in Dennis Port. Two weeks ago in Falmouth, a Brazilian man was removed by ICE.
Useful information for businesspeople on legal rights related to search and seizure can be found at 4thworkplace.org. All workers should know their rights, regardless of immigration status. The Mass. Immigration and Refugee Association and the Immigrant Justice Network of Mass., known as LUCE, also provide essential resources, including a hotline that operates from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day at 617-370-5023. The hotline accommodates speakers of English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Haitian Creole.
LUCE depends on volunteers, including hotline responders and trained street workers. In the recent case in Worcester, referred to in your article, a 12-year-old boy was left alone on the street when his family member was taken away by ICE. A LUCE street worker was there to respond, talk to the child, and accompany him to his home.
LUCE’s Shannon Flynn made a presentation about the group’s work to a recent meeting of the Cape Cod Coalition for Safe Communities. Guided by the practice of justice and equity, LUCE’s aim is to keep communities safe. Advocacy as well as knowing your rights are of utmost importance.
Toby Simon
Wellfleet
Welcome Restrooms
To the editor:
Thanks to the community members who raised awareness of the need to improve the inclusivity of the public restrooms in Provincetown.
I appreciate how responsive Assistant Town Manager Dan Riviello has been on this issue and his ongoing leadership to create solutions rapidly. I have found Town Manager Alex Morse and the town staff collaborating on the project to be equally supportive and enthusiastic. I was pleased to see a similar commitment from the select board.
It is a dark time nationally for trans and gender-diverse folks, so it was especially heartening to see the voters supporting the related nonbinding warrant article at town meeting this spring.
As a trans disabled resident of the East End, I appreciate the heavy lift to add a gender-accessible, ADA-compliant restroom as part of the Cannery Wharf Park project. This, coupled with changing the town-owned public restrooms to be gender-inclusive, has made a huge difference for me. Our public servants and community members worked collaboratively to ensure that these changes happened in time for the high season.
Provincetown is a world-class destination, and I know we are committed to being an inclusive one. These important steps bring us that much closer to being the most beautiful, most welcoming spot on the planet for all of us.
Lauren Nocera
Provincetown
Venus Was Missing
To the editor:
Reading Justin Samaha’s article about all the changes in the celestial sky over the year [“Another Year, Another 15,285,312,000 Miles in Space,” May 22, page B11], I was taken aback to find a list of the planets in our solar system in which Venus was missing. I thought, has Venus been demoted, like Pluto?
It’s hard enough to lose one planet in a lifetime, but two? Then I read further and saw Mars was in its correct place and had tried to take over poor Venus’s spot. Please reassure me, Justin, that Venus is still a planet.
Donna Cooper
Provincetown
Editor’s note: The writer need not worry. Because of a proofreading error, the list of planets in last week’s article incorrectly listed Mars twice and omitted Venus, which is still a planet.
Staying Connected
To the editor:
Re “Outrageous News” [Letter From the Editor, May 22]:
Shame on those folks who fell out of love with our great Provincetown Independent.
We are stuck in upstate New York due to health issues, and thank God we have the Independent. It keeps us connected to our favorite towns. We look forward to going to the post office every Friday to pick up the current edition.
Obviously, each and every article is not going to please us. Especially with what is going on with the major issues that are hanging over our towns. Affordable housing, water, sewer systems, and on and on. But we need to hear it, whether we like it or not. And the Independent does a wonderful job of reporting what is going on.
By the way, your obituaries are masterpieces, in-depth and well written. The families must feel so much support when reading them.
So, keep up the wonderful effort. You are our best connection with the area and people we so love.
Charlie and Joanna Morrison
North Truro and Averill Park, N.Y.
Letters to the Editor
The Provincetown Independent welcomes letters from readers on all subjects. They must be signed with the writer’s name, home address, and telephone number (for verification). Letters will be published only if they have been sent exclusively to the Independent. They should be no more than 300 words and may be edited for clarity, accuracy, conciseness, and good taste. Longer pieces (up to 600 words) may be submitted for consideration as op-ed commentary. Send letters to [email protected] or by mail to P.O. Box 1034, Provincetown, MA 02657. The deadline for letters is Monday at noon for each week’s edition.
