Another child has died in custody of U.S. Immigration. Her name was Anadith Danay Reyes Alvarez.Why are children being kept in cages, and in what conditions do they live, and how will this affect them in the future? Is this not the richest country in the history of the world? How did the country come to be? How did the country amass such great wealth, and at whose expense? I talk to people who talk about how they approve of immigration, but only if people do it the “Legal Way.” What was legal about Mexican Repatriation, or Operation Wetback? What was legal about the Chinese Exclusion Acts in 1884, or the one in 1924? What’s legal about all the broken treaties, with the indigenous people of Turtle Island? What is legal about Predatory Loans, and Economic HItmen, and about the whole last 531 years of Euro Colonial Violence across the globe?
Worthy v Unworthy Victims
Why is it that these people’s hearts tug when they see images of Berlin Wall victims, and feel a sympathy for the Pilgrims, but when they see BIPOC people, their hearts are filled with indifference? Why are some histories told over and over, and others not mentioned? Are BIPOC tears worth less to those that write the history books? Why can’t the lives lost in the Mediterranean, or in the U.S. Mexico border never reach the attention of say a Berlin Wall Victim? Why are some war victims instantly martyred and others simply forgotten?
Through the years I’ve read many stories about people of color shot by the police. I have even read stories of kids and even babies shot by the police. The media reports these stories, but they rarely ask the hard questions that need to be asked and sometimes the media has even resort to vilifying the person murdered.
Children are just that. They are kids, with a lot to learn, they are growing up, learning one day at a time. Some kids depending on their social standing/class or ethnic background can afford to make mistakes, and they can learn from them, and those around them will see those mistakes as just a part of their life, it was a stage they went through, or just a stupid idea or action, but for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) the mistake they make can seriously jeopardize their future, or even cost them their lives.
When I read about police shootings of BIPOC, especially children, it breaks my heart, and I do not understand “What kind of a world, would allow this to continue to happen?” In what kind of world do we have to fear those (supposedly) entrusted to protect us?
When I read about wars and how the majority of the casualties are women and children, and when I read about drone attacks killing civilians it destroys me. When I read about children being arrested or even shot, by police or soldiers anywhere in the world, I just cannot understand it. How could you do that to a child? What threat was that child to you? I do not understand this, these are children, and no child deserves evil. The world must push their so-called leaders to end all violence against children immediately.
No Margin For Error
Before the media or society stigmatizes BIPOC children or young men, because of the choices they make when they are not fully mature; They must first look in the mirror. These kids are growing up in the society you made for them. They watch your racist and violent television shows, and films. Programming that “glorifies violence and fast money.” They go to your racist schools that teach them nothing about their people, and instead omit information as to the true history of the United States. The kids hear the popular music on the radio, and it is not all uplifting. There is no “Conscious Rap” for the young kids to listen to on the radio. Usually the type of music that gets radio play is the type that glorifies the dollar and turns women into objects. If the kids turn on the news or reads the newspaper, all they see is violence.
The U.S. is involved in endless wars against BIPOC, and one has to wonder if to these children it must seem, “hey look at the country, they just go and find something they like or they need, and they go and take it by force.” Ask yourself “What are you teaching them as a society?”
For these kids growing up today in an incredibly xenophobic world. All these kids see is violence all around them. For kids in many western countries (countries built on the genocide of the indigenous people, or countries that benefitted from the genocide,exploitation, and theft of BIPOC and continue to do so) these kids are watching their people being abused and attacked.
For kids growing up in the U.S., especially in the inner city add generations of Redlining, and underfunded neighborhoods, over policing, a School to Prison Pipeline, and easy access to guns and drugs, and you do not need a crystal ball to see that these kids are growing up in a trap.
Ask Yourself
How many hours do these kids parent or parents have to work to pay the rent? Why must their parents work sometimes two jobs just to barely get by? Why is housing so expensive and why can’t the average person afford to get by working 40 hours a week?
Why does the media not talk about the Prison Industrial Complex? Is there a business motive to over policing and incarcerating BIPOC people? Why does the media not mention the history of groups like the Black Panther Party, the American Indian Movement, the Brown Berets,the Young Lords? What changes did those groups bring to their communities?
Why have they militarized police? Who benefits? Is this their new form of Eugenics to purposely incarcerate so many BIPOC males on “Minimum Mandatory Sentences” so that they don’t reproduce? Why do police beat peaceful demonstrators? Why are police given immediate immunity from prosecution, are they going in expecting to shoot someone? Would a waiter be given immunity from prosectution if he took a life while on duty, why is it different?
We need to rethink policing, and we must push for a better world for the kids of today and the kids of tomorrow. All kids should grow up with the same opportunities to succeed and not have to fear police officers or soldiers.
R.I.P. George Floyd, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Breonna Taylor, Stephon Clark, Michael Brown, Ahmaud Arbery Philando Castile, Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo, Richard Trejo, and the thousands that have been killed by police.
On my walk yesterday afternoon, I witnessed a mural from a distance and so I decided to check it out. As I approached, I saw the piece, and I read the statement on the bottom. I became very upset after noticing how someone had defaced the word “Black.” The mural is of George Floyd, the 46 year old man murdered by Minneapolis, Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin on the 25th of May, 2020. The mural originally read “Black Lives Matter” but someone changed it to “Lives Matter.” So, this person means to tell me, and anyone reading this mural, that “Lives Matter” as if “All Lives Mattered Equally?” Well let me just reflect on what you are saying….
If it was true that “Lives Matter” then the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color of the world would not have been exploited for the last 529 years. If it was true that “Lives Matter” there wouldn’t be refugees leaving war torn countries, (Wars of Western Imperialism) seeking a better life for themselves and their children. If “Lives Matter” there wouldn’t be drones killing civilians, or thousands of BIPOC children dying from malnutrition daily. If “Lives Matter” The continued Imperialism of the west, would not still continue to dehumanize BIPOC people in order to continue to exploit their countries. If “Lives Matter” there would be no dictators that keep their people down, so that western countries can have access to the so-called, “Free Market” as they help themselves to the resources of that country. If “Lives Matter” than there would no need for “Immigration Detention.” If “Lives Mattered” there would not be a need for racist programming on television or film, and all histories would receive the same amount of attention, but clearly that is not the case.
Ì am Chicano and I am very supportive of Black Lives Matter, because they are only reminding the world that “Black Lives Matter” because everyday the world reminds them by their actions towards Africans and the African diaspora that they don’t.
Not too far away from the George Floyd mural, I ran across this sign, I see these all over Berlin, and I have never seen these defaced. What this offensive advertisement tells me is that the dehumanization of the Native People of Turtle Island, does not bother folks. The dehumanization of a people who were victims of genocide, in the means of commercializing a product is not offensive to the kind of people that would claim that “Lives Matter.” (Photo by, Miguel Torres)
If All Lives Truly Mattered
As an adult, I started reading vigorously about the histories of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and their struggles. I learned what White Supremacy was all about. I also learned that the same people who insist that they do not see color, are the same people who support the system of White Supremacy simply with their silence. That is all it truly takes. All human beings are important, but what is being stated is that clearly, some need to be reminded that “Black Lives Matter” because it seems like some people do not want to acknowledge it. So, here is another reminder, Black Lives Matter!
Fighting Racism Workshop 