Saturday, April 29, 2006

Why May 1st Matters

The time has come for everyone to stand in solidarity and demand an end to the tyranny of the people by corporations and their billionnaire beneficiaries. We are all being squeezed by their greed and everyday more and more families are slipping into poverty. Aside from the economic issues, there is the unspoken truth that racism is fueling the backlash to an organized and empowered immigrant movement.

No, not all immigrants are latino or Mexican, but there is enough hostility being thrown in our direction that to stand in solidarity on Monday, May 1st, is to fight back against future acts of violence like .

Prosecutors won't immediately seek hate-crime charges against two white teens accused of brutally beating and sodomizing a 16-year-old Hispanic boy, who was clinging to life after being left for dead, authorities said.

The two attacked the boy after he tried to kiss a 12-year-old girl at an unsupervised house party Saturday night in suburban Spring, authorities said

The attackers apparently were offended at the age difference between the victim and the girl, who is also Hispanic, and shouted racial slurs at him during the 10- to 15-minute attack, investigators said.

Authorities said the two dragged the boy from the party and into the yard, where they sodomized him with a plastic pipe from a patio table umbrella and poured bleach on him.

The United States is a culturally diverse land, there is not one monolithic norm for Americans, no litmus test that says, "You act like an American." Not even the English language can be used, because there are countless U.S.-born citizens who don't speak a word of it. It's not like that tongue was native to these shores.

I'm utterly disgusted by what happened to that young boy in Texas. It is a symptom of the larger problem of demonization and xenophobia being preached by groups like the Minutemen, National Alliance, and some of the Republican lawmakers in Washington, D.C. I'm aware of the rising tension because it is starting to affect me personally when I'm out in public. There are more sideways looks and clutchings of the purse as I walk by. I wish I was joking... If leadership is not shown at a national level against this form of hatred and violence, then I fear a large and wide-spread problem in the future.

To participate on May 1st is to show solidarity for human rights and human dignity. It can be done in many forms, whether you participate in a full-scale boycott as is being called for by groups nationwide; or it can be done symbolically by wearing a white shirt on Monday with some type of ribbon that will draw the curiosity of your co-workers and family.

The Green Party of the United States gives a great example of what it will mean to stand with the immigrant population in the United States. Take it to heart as you decide on your form of protest.


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El pueblo unido jamás será vencido! - The people united will never be defeated

Crossposted from my humble blog

11 comments:

Naniboujou said...

Can you tell me...have you seen a rise in discrimination since the Republicans have made immigration their number one issue du jour? Or is the media beginning to focus more on the issue because the Republicans are talking about it?

(Thanks again for posting this link on www.dailyKos!)

Unknown said...

Hi naniboujou, welcome to the site. I think the answer is 'both'. The tensions are definitely rising as many Americans have a knee-jerk reaction to the fact that undocumented immigrants are starting to mobilize and have the support of many American citizens who see this as a human rights issue. I'm glad the media is starting to show stories about the hate crimes and deaths in the desert. We hear about it all the time in Tucson and it's good that a wider audience is able to see the hate and hostility.

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad that most the people in my school walked out. It was a great feeling walking down the streets listening and singing yourself "Si se puede" and it is true! Si Se Puede!"

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