Hate & Violence Gets US Nowhere

School has kept me busy and wished time allowed for more writing because I have been going through many things. But, the most recent is here.

Today I was able to attend a really for immigration reform in Minneapolis. It was quite a different kind of rally: it was combined with door-knocking, just as campaigns are done and how one gives a face to the movement.

There was also singing (some of us are not very gifted in that, I noticed), chanting, and walking in unity.

While I do not want to focus in the negative, I did notice tension. This tension came when a group, somewhat militant, started chanting more negative and divicive things. I mean, the things they said were true, but the way it was done divides people and does not create dialogue--it pushes people away. Plus, there were some young teens who spoke, sometimes with tears in their eyes, about what is happening in their lives.

They were speaking from the heart, now the broken immigration system has destroyed their lives--for some, parents have been taken away when the best interests of children, many times U.S. citizens, were blatantly disregarded.

These group was asked to just keep it to songs that were about love and peace and union and community and caring for the neighbor. When they started chanting their own chants, I noticed the atmosphere changed. It was more reactionary and to some degree, more militant. It was attacks on others as if the stories of the young teens has not been enough to point out the we in fact do need and must pass comprehensive immigration reform. I overheard a comment by someone from this group saying they have to tell it how it is. Didn't the teens say it how it is? How it is actually affecting their lives? Another person did point out that since it was not their event, they should respect what the other organization asked from participants. The person protested, again, because civil discourse will prevail if there is the will.

I biked to this place, which was somewhat far, but it is a beautiful day here. It was also a chance to reconnect to helping the movement that will eventually bring some sort of peace to millions of people, including me and many I know.

For some time now I have been wanting people to see a show I have seen and nicely recommended it to someone today. The response I got was: "looks like an interesting play about a white woman stuck in the broken immigration system." It made me sad. It pointed out a few things. One, some people cannot get passed that some white people are aware of their whiteness and what the means for them and the rest of the people. Maybe this person, obviously not white, did not read that the performer actually extensively talks about white privilege.

So, really, when people are caught up in their own worlds of, attacking politicians dramatically is going to get them anywhere or labeling every white person as racist without really seeing for themselves, they inherently push people away and will never be able to create real unity. In some way, the person who labels every person as racist, they are doing the same way racist people do (actions): put people into boxes and hate them for what they stand for. Again, this is divisive even within communities of color; at least it made me uneasy and not wanting to do much with their "causes."

Recap: I do not prescribe to militant movements or the demonizing of others based on their prescribed race.

Sad thing is: the performers is biracial--not just white, but biracial, which today is a presidential matter.

The Honorable P