SDAFF 2009: The Choices We Make

It’s amazing how the choices we make can influence a person, and in a position of authority, an entire community.

Last night I went to the 9500 LIBERTY screening at the Jacobs Center. I’m really glad I went because most of the audience was not from the festival; rather they were from our community partners (Anti-Defamation League, UCSD Cross Cultural Center, USD Trans-Border Institute, Bayside Community Center, Border Angels, and MAAC Project). It’s good to see a different crowd coming out to support.

The documentary follows the race relations and the impact of the passing of an immigration policy in Prince William County, VA, from bloggers to politicians, to immigrant families to people who have been there their entire lives. The first time the immigration policy was on the agenda to be voted on, the board of supervisors unanimously voted in favor for it, despite the questionable language of the policy. The result of which negatively effected the community. Immigrant families no longer felt welcomed, leaving the county the same time the housing bubble burst. Prince William County suffered economically worst than other areas that did not have the same policy.

The choices we make, the things we say, even the most off-handedly ones, and equally important the things we don’t say or do, have a ripple effect of touching someone’s life. So when we make conscious decisions on serious issues, our impact are that much greater.

Can you imagine, if each board member voted the way their gut told them to, without fear, they could have avoided this whole fiasco? I don’t know how some people live with themselves, knowing that their actions have serious consequences and still chose to do the popular thing, even though it’s not the right thing.

Life’s not easy, but it usually has a way of coming back to haunt us, whether we realize it or not.

I don’t think Eric Byler or Annabel Park intended for such a discourse on actions and consequences, but that’s the beauty of interpretation.

Take care, SDAFFers.

Tonight:
Second screening of 9500 LIBERTY at 4pm at the UltraStar theater. Director Eric Byler to attend.
ROUGH CUT at 7:10pm
MUSHI-SHI at 10pm (If I’m not to tired).

Tomorrow:
Closing night! IP MAN and All American Grill for the reception afterwards. Silent auction and announcing the winner of our Star Campaign (again, it doubles as a raffle for a 7-day Holland America Line Cruise for TWO to the Caribbean or Mexico! Winner need not be present).