My American friends, let’s pretend you have the power to influence whether or not the United States continues to house elderly, sick, infant and child immigrants in very cold rooms, deny them proper nutrition, keep them from their families and cause them post-traumatic stress syndrome that will affect them for years. Let’s just say you have influence over whether the U.S. government continues these practices or not. Would you do anything?
On Friday, July 12th Lights for Liberty is organizing A Vigil to End Concentration Camps to show that many Americans will not sit by and let these things happen. We aren’t just horrified by news stories that we try to put out of our minds. We acknowledge that as Americans how we live our daily lives affects millions of others. We have a role in this crisis. We want to stand on the right side of history and show that we oppose the many, many Americans who don’t believe Mexicans, Central Americans and South Americans are really human. Will you participate? How will you feel if you don’t? What will it tell you about yourself if you read this and then try to put this out of your mind, too?
Maybe I didn’t want to take any action until now because I didn’t want to believe the reports were true of children are being made to bed down on floors without enough warmth or safety to actually fall asleep. I didn’t want to imagine the assaults and abuses they’re vulnerable to every day in prison-like facilities where they’re locked up indefinitely. I didn’t want to believe these reports aren’t of a place like Guantanamo Bay or Abu Ghraib. This is happening inside the continental U.S.
I also didn’t think there was anything I could do. El Idiota has done an effective job of making many of us feel like he’s in control, we are powerless, and all we can do is wait until he’s re-elected and finishes his second term. But maybe that’s not true. He is one of the many who don’t believe Mexicans, Central Americans and South Americans are really human. That makes this one of those situations my dad would respond to like this: If you can’t make them see light, make them feel the heat.
On Friday, July 12th Lights for Liberty is organizing A Vigil to End Concentration Camps to show that many Americans will not sit by and let these things happen. We aren’t just horrified by news stories that we try to put out of our minds. We acknowledge that as Americans how we live our daily lives affects millions of others. We have a role in this crisis. We want to stand on the right side of history and show that we oppose the many, many Americans who don’t believe Mexicans, Central Americans and South Americans are really human. Will you participate? How will you feel if you don’t? What will it tell you about yourself if you read this and then try to put this out of your mind, too?
Maybe I didn’t want to take any action until now because I didn’t want to believe the reports were true of children are being made to bed down on floors without enough warmth or safety to actually fall asleep. I didn’t want to imagine the assaults and abuses they’re vulnerable to every day in prison-like facilities where they’re locked up indefinitely. I didn’t want to believe these reports aren’t of a place like Guantanamo Bay or Abu Ghraib. This is happening inside the continental U.S.
I also didn’t think there was anything I could do. El Idiota has done an effective job of making many of us feel like he’s in control, we are powerless, and all we can do is wait until he’s re-elected and finishes his second term. But maybe that’s not true. He is one of the many who don’t believe Mexicans, Central Americans and South Americans are really human. That makes this one of those situations my dad would respond to like this: If you can’t make them see light, make them feel the heat.
Lights for Liberty will organize five main events on Friday, July 12th in the following cities:
- El Paso, Texas
- Homestead, Florida
- San Diego, California
- New York City
- Washington, D.C.
But many other cities are doing them, including Chicago where we’ll meet in Federal Plaza and march to ICE headquarters at 101 W. Congress Parkway. Go here to see where the event is near you or to find out how to host one.
The plan is for the events to take place between 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm local time. At 9:00 pm local time, participants hold candles and share a moment of silence.
Maybe this will have no effect on El Idiota or his administration. Maybe it will have no effect on the millions of Americans who don’t believe Mexicans, Central Americans and South Americans are really human. But it will send a message to the government officials and lawmakers who also have power to change conditions. These “detention centers” approximate prison camps on American soil where people are sent to languish and die. And whether or not you take any action will tell you a bit about who you are.