Over the past two years, I’ve been in a constant state of hopelessness and anger. As a severely passionate and emotional person, every moment of injustice overpowers me and fills me with an inconceivable rage. I always yearn for a proper course of action after a fatal example of police brutality and/or atrocity committed by the Trump administration and everyone who follows along (they forget that ‘doing their job’ was a common excuse Nazis made during the Holocaust). I don’t want to sit on my ass all day and complain about the bad things, I want to actually make a change and use my skills and privilege to fight against injustices on a larger level. Most times, fighting equals donating, crying, marching, calling, and writing when it all becomes too much. Writing as rioting. However, what’s even more aggravating is the sheer amount of humans who agree that caging immigrant children is the only way to keep the border secure and that it’s their* fault (*they as in month old babies to young teenagers) that they’re imprisoned and separated from their families. I don’t know how anyone could agree with those statements but unfortunately, this has always been America.
Over 2,300 immigrant children have been separated from their parents and are either housed in caged concentration camps or flown across the country, only to be lost in the system. These violent acts have occurred well before Trump (aka Satan) took office, but not on such a broad scale until the moment AG Jeff Sessions (aka bad Santa whom I really want to punch in the face) signed the Zero Tolerance Policy banning all forms of immigration. Even for those families seeking asylum (which most of them are), imminent arrest and child kidnapping has been perpetuated on a cruel and heartless level. Babies are literally torn from their parents’ arms, and are often sexually assaulted, beaten, and tortured, just to be sent into the foster care system forever. When the Jewish people were facing widespread extermination in Nazi Germany, author Martin Neimöller wrote the poem, “First They Came for the Socialists…,” which reads,
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out-
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out-
Because I was not a trade unionist.
They they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me-and there was no one left to speak for me.
I will march in the Families Belong Together protest this weekend and I’ve donated countless times to immigration funds and families directly. At this point, I’m at a loss (as I usually am) of what to do and how to change the government. Babies were taken from their parents, never to be seen again. I refuse to stand by and watch as children and families are placed in internment camps. Silence is violence and if I quietly reject Trump’s actions without speaking up, I’m just as guilty of violence and selfishness as any of his supporters. If that means putting my body on the line, constantly donating my money, and writing posts that raise awareness for these atrocities, I will do it. I will always think of these sweet babies whose lives were ruined because of racism and I will hear their cries forever.
If you’re feeling remarkably generous, please consider donating to RAICES and Fianza Fund– two organizations that positively impact these families by placing their bail and offering legal assistance.
