I came, I spoke, I rambled, I rocked
Riverside Rejects Racism -- I spoke at the rally held on September 26.
Overall, it was good. Some of the people and groups left to the site where the others were gathering (the haters) and reported back that there ended up being only about 15-20 of 'em. And they dispersed well before the time they had planned.
I had someone record my speaking (thanks Corla) --- cuz I'm wanting to catch my affectations and stuff -- and sometimes off the cuff I say some good things, and yet, I can't remember them. There's a part where I get a little fast and stumbling in this speech --- but I can't take the time to edit it (even if I knew how) --- so here it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oTFBAE9fUM
Some of the speakers spoke in Spanish and translation wasn't available. While there was effort to work hard to absorb the message in our hearts if not our heads, I sensed a little impatience here and there. And, even more so when others spoke of humane immigration reform. It might be that some understood Nazism as it related to the Holocaust and Jewish people, but maybe not connecting the modern-day Nazism as it is directly affecting immigrants, especially of latin descent - at least not in such a deep way that they were willing to stand, in the heat, listening to someone speak and not being able to understand. I myself, could get the gist of what was being said, but, some of those speakers were articulate, were poetic, and I don't yet know big words that come from knowledge, and wisdom, and compassion. "My hands are your hands, my feet are your feet..." one woman said. "We are one."
And I got a little fired up --- I couldn't articulate it well --- but I was thinking about if we reject racism, then it starts with the sort of impatience that happens when you don't know what's going on, and though, you might not really, truly believe it --- a part of you is thinking the line we have all heard -- "This is America, speak English." This sort of --- lack of understanding -- from language to the issues that millions of people are facing everyday are the roots of racism, no?
An in-law to my family, who has lived here since he was less than a year old, has been in a detention center in New Mexico for the last few months -- not sure if he'll be deported. He's got twin girls, a baby boy, a home, a small-business, and a wife who is a nurse and been working extra trying to get him the legal help he needs, hold the home together, and reassure her children they will see their father again. The reasons why he is there are directly because his surname is Hispanic.
And when I read Amnesty International's report about how natural-born U.S. citizens including a mentally disabled man have been deported --- well, we must reject racism and we must defend human rights, right? I wish I would have been more articulate, had more time to think and be succinct. But we do what we can.
Overall, it was good. Some of the people and groups left to the site where the others were gathering (the haters) and reported back that there ended up being only about 15-20 of 'em. And they dispersed well before the time they had planned.
I had someone record my speaking (thanks Corla) --- cuz I'm wanting to catch my affectations and stuff -- and sometimes off the cuff I say some good things, and yet, I can't remember them. There's a part where I get a little fast and stumbling in this speech --- but I can't take the time to edit it (even if I knew how) --- so here it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oTFBAE9fUM
Some of the speakers spoke in Spanish and translation wasn't available. While there was effort to work hard to absorb the message in our hearts if not our heads, I sensed a little impatience here and there. And, even more so when others spoke of humane immigration reform. It might be that some understood Nazism as it related to the Holocaust and Jewish people, but maybe not connecting the modern-day Nazism as it is directly affecting immigrants, especially of latin descent - at least not in such a deep way that they were willing to stand, in the heat, listening to someone speak and not being able to understand. I myself, could get the gist of what was being said, but, some of those speakers were articulate, were poetic, and I don't yet know big words that come from knowledge, and wisdom, and compassion. "My hands are your hands, my feet are your feet..." one woman said. "We are one."
And I got a little fired up --- I couldn't articulate it well --- but I was thinking about if we reject racism, then it starts with the sort of impatience that happens when you don't know what's going on, and though, you might not really, truly believe it --- a part of you is thinking the line we have all heard -- "This is America, speak English." This sort of --- lack of understanding -- from language to the issues that millions of people are facing everyday are the roots of racism, no?
An in-law to my family, who has lived here since he was less than a year old, has been in a detention center in New Mexico for the last few months -- not sure if he'll be deported. He's got twin girls, a baby boy, a home, a small-business, and a wife who is a nurse and been working extra trying to get him the legal help he needs, hold the home together, and reassure her children they will see their father again. The reasons why he is there are directly because his surname is Hispanic.
And when I read Amnesty International's report about how natural-born U.S. citizens including a mentally disabled man have been deported --- well, we must reject racism and we must defend human rights, right? I wish I would have been more articulate, had more time to think and be succinct. But we do what we can.
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