You are the chief of a large city agency. Your department is working with the Federal government through the Secure Communities program. Your city has been declared a “sanctuary” city and has developed a policy stating that it will not enforce immigration laws, but welcomes illegal aliens. What will be your response to your agency regarding this issue? How should your officers respond to your local state laws and federal immigration laws?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
As the chief of a large city agency, it is essential to approach the issue of being a “sanctuary” city and working with the Federal government through the Secure Communities program with careful consideration and a focus on public safety. Here is my response to the agency regarding this issue and how officers should respond to local state laws and federal immigration laws:
Clear Communication and Understanding:
Firstly, I would ensure clear communication within the agency about the city’s policy of being a sanctuary city and not actively enforcing immigration laws.
It is important for all officers to understand the policy and its implications, as well as any limitations or guidelines set by the city.
Compliance with Local State Laws:
Officers should continue to uphold and enforce local state laws that are unrelated to immigration.
It is crucial to prioritize public safety and maintain law and order within the jurisdiction, regardless of immigration status.
Collaboration with Federal Agencies:
While the city may have declared itself a sanctuary city, it is important to maintain a cooperative relationship with federal agencies, including those involved in the Secure Communities program.
Officers should continue to collaborate with federal agencies on matters that relate to public safety and criminal activities, while respecting the city’s policy on immigration enforcement.
Respect for Federal Immigration Laws:
Even though the city has chosen not to actively enforce immigration laws, officers should still respect and adhere to federal immigration laws in situations where they come into play during the course of their duties.
This includes cooperating with federal agencies when necessary, such as sharing information or detaining individuals who have committed serious crimes or pose a threat to public safety.
Training and Guidance:
The agency should provide comprehensive training and guidance to officers regarding the city’s policy on immigration enforcement, local state laws, and federal immigration laws.
This training should focus on ensuring officers understand the nuances of enforcing laws within the context of being a sanctuary city, while maintaining public safety.
Building Trust and Community Engagement:
Officers should actively engage with the community, including immigrant communities, to build trust and foster positive relationships.
By focusing on community policing efforts and ensuring that all residents feel safe and protected, regardless of their immigration status, officers can contribute to a safer and more cohesive community.
Ongoing Evaluation and Collaboration:
It is important to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the city’s policy and its impact on public safety.
Collaboration with community leaders, legal experts, and other stakeholders can help ensure that the agency’s approach remains aligned with the values of the community while also upholding public safety.
In conclusion, as the chief of a large city agency, my response to the issue of being a sanctuary city would be to prioritize public safety while respecting the city’s policy on immigration enforcement. By maintaining compliance with local state laws, collaborating with federal agencies when necessary, respecting federal immigration laws in relevant situations, providing training and guidance to officers, building trust within communities, and engaging in ongoing evaluation and collaboration, the agency can navigate this complex issue effectively.
