Border Journey: A Cowboy, A Hippie, Wonder Woman and an Accountant

Lois sharing her experience

Monday we crossed the border.
Tuesday the border crossed us.

We started the morning with a meeting with some important advocacy groups. We heard inspiring words from Yesenia from Mariposas Sin Fronteras, and Lois Martin from No More Deaths and End StreamLine Coalition.

The stories they shared, especially Yesenia's, were shocking. Her treatment, the treatment of others... under the watch of our government was appalling. To hear the things your government does, and then justifies and covers up through crazy legal proceedings was almost unbelievable.

It has been inspirational to sit and listen to folks like Lois Martin. She is a retired professor who now spends her time on the border. You could see the emotional toll that her work takes on her, but in her eyes you felt the ray of hope she had that change will come, and that her work would help, and that she must keep on.

My Egg

Then it was lunch... While I joke about the vegetarian cooking, I really do appreciate the simple square meals. Today was a soup to warmed us before heading to a cold court. We were rationed to one egg per bowl. I sat, and then Lois joined me. We got to have a nice casual conversation about things like how grandmas never remember recipes cause they don't measure things, and the importance of childhood education. I thanked her and then I washed dishes. We are at a small center and we prep and clean up after ourselves. Not all advocacy involves getting arrested, sometimes it's washing dishes. We are here to bear witness.

After our meal we went to the court to watch "Operation Streamline". Of all the disappointing things of that session for me was that we convinced the people going through that we were doing them a favor... that this was a good thing what we were doing for them. I guess similar to how most Americans believe that its a good thing for our country to fight this phantom menace. The magistrate deported 28 people in 50 minutes. Not a record I guess, but still an embarrassment of justice.

Professor Moreno

Then I got tapped by our film crew... they wanted to interview me about the role La Casa de Amistad plays in Community Based Learning classes. They interviewed Professor Marisel Moreno who has been sending students to La Casa for over 5 years. I felt like I was on an "E True Hollywood Story" but about something that matters. Hopefully they can help us spread the word about the good work happening when academics and real world meet. It's a beautiful change cocktail.

Then I had a powerful experience of watching four clergy from different denominations speak to us about involving the church in advocacy. This panel wasn't the usual suspects, I searched to describe them and my best is that it was A Cowboy, A Hippie, Wonder Woman and an Accountant. Their styles of dress and activism couldn't have been more different. One sang a song, one wore cowboy boots, one defended Border Agents, one swore like a sailor... but they all said, you have to do what you can, and get others to come to do what they can do. I needed to hear that you can't expect people to do what you want them to, you can only hope they do the most they can do.

Fences Everywhere

As we were wrapping up I shared with the group about an email we got at La Casa earlier in the day... that some of the raids ordered by the President happened in Elkhart last night. No details yet, but this is just starting to get bad... what will you do about it? The border just crossed us, no more time to believe it doesn't impact you. So the phantom menace is near us now, its close, what are we going to do about it?

The song singing got me thinking and not sure why I thought of this song... but I did and I read the lyrics and thought I would share. Plus I like the song so here is a link to Fire and Rain by James Taylor.