Working for justice at Abbey Court

This is a follow up to my recent midnight post about the confrontation in my apartment complex over the management towing residents' cars. On Sunday, Hugo and I attended the meeting that our mayor convened to discuss residents' grievances. It was democracy in action, which I find somewhat uncomfortable, frankly (people pontificate, say intemperate things, don't stay on task or on topic, etc.), but that's how democracy works. Certainly I appreciate city officials' active interest in trying to help. At the same time, I found the meeting somewhat discouraging because it became pretty clear to me that while our contact with city officials can be very helpful over the long term at improving conditions in the apartments (e.g., management is now under pressure to conform with safety and health regulations), it's also clear that the undocumented status of many residents prevents them from being able to avail themselves of services that might otherwise help (like free legal services). And the city's basically powerless to stop the immediate problem of towing.

Still, it's been encouraging to see local media cover the story; to read editorials in support of the residents; to know that local progressives are watching and are helping to publicize the situation. In the end, I suspect bad p.r. is our only effective means of getting management to back off the unreasonable parking policy. A website's been created to help with publicity: AbbeyCourt.info. It's rapidly emerging as a good clearinghouse of information about what's going on.

I'm commenting about all this here on the blog because I see this as a social justice issue, which makes it a spiritual issue for me. During the "Prayers of the People" at the Episcopal church on Sunday, I voiced a prayer for a just resolution to the tensions between management and tenants at Abbey Court. It's in my personal prayers as well. A little earlier tonight my thoughts were drawn to the parable of the unjust judge in D&C 101, which teaches an overtly political lesson about the importance of repeatedly demanding justice from people in power until you finally "weary" them into doing what's right, even if it's just to get you off their backs. I think that's what we're going to have to do with the owner and manager of our apartment complex.

Visit AbbeyCourt.info. And pray that justice will be done in this little corner of the world.