This Is Us

“I’m having a hard time reconciling going about my business while knowing there are babies out there that will not remember their parents because they were too young for them to have memories at the time they were stolen.” I typed up this status message earlier because, I am without proper words and I don’t really give a damn about the clean laundry I just brought in from the garage. Or the stack of mail that needs sorting.

As my girl gave me endless hugs before bedtime, I almost lost it. I imagined her being ripped away from my side, her throat hoarse from her screams. I thought of her on a mat on the floor, cold and alone wondering why I hadn’t come to get her.

I imagine the heartbreak and excruciating pain of not having her by my side and having no idea where she had been taken. Of leaving her behind and not knowing if I’d ever see her again.

That’s what thousands of children are now experiencing. What mothers now have to live through.

Let’s be VERY VERY clear on something. This isn’t about upholding a policy. Upholding policy would have those families deported back to their home country, together.

We can talk about what it means to seek asylum later. Because some of y’all also seem to be confused on that one.

There are all kinds of “they shouldn’t have come here illegally” comments. People have varying degrees of knowledge on the law but, that’s never stopped anyone from jumping on the bandwagon.

What We Know For Sure

This country was built on the cruel practice of tearing families part.

Sketch of a slave auction. (Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture)

Enslaved mothers were torn from their children at the auction block regularly.

Native American children sent to boarding schools when in fact, they were taken in order to address what back then was referred to as “Indian problem“.

THIS. IS. US.

I wanted to think that we had learned, grown, respected and understood history. But that’s a whole ass lie!

And a good amount of folks are running around here talmbout “we’re better than this!” SINCE WHEN?

When in the fuck did we collectively decide to 1. forget everything we learned or b. not even bothered with the actual history of this country?!

They came here illegally? They aren’t “supposed” to be here? Neither were your ancestors and yet they landed on these shores and made themselves right at home!

But okay, let’s break that one down, Janet. They came here illegally. They can be sent back, right? What is the purpose of stealing their children (because let’s face it, that’s what it is) and sending them back alone. There are THOUSANDS of children in custody of the American government at this time because the American government. took. these. kids. away. from. their. parents. Plain and simple.

Oh and for good measure, no one is really keeping track of who is taken from whom. Let that sink in. THERE IS NO PROCESS/PROCEDURE THAT TRACKS ADULTS AND THE CHILDREN THAT ARE TAKEN FROM THEM. Because, as the New Yorker reported, there’s no actual plan to reunite these kids with their parents.

Go ahead, tell me about what the bible says about that. I’ll hold…

How dare people forget that THIS IS WHO WE ARE. This is the collective EUUUNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Welcome! So glad you could make it. Grab a damn pamphlet and read up on what the fuck your people have been doing since the dawn of time.

I don’t want to hear another word about “this isn’t us”. I don’t want to read another comment about people not following the law.

If you think that it’s okay for children to be pulled off of a mother while breastfeeding and put in some detention center while the mother gets sent back to the home country she was fleeing from, you have a lot more to think about than your political stance.

Related: allow me to call on all you Christians who have remained quiet during this time. Your church, your pastor, your deacon, the ushers, ERRBODY can go to hell for that one.

I guess we should always remember that no one ever expect the Spanish inquisition, right?

I don’t know if we can survive this. I don’t know if we can get to the other side of this mountain. I just don’t know.

In spite of this crushing feeling in the pit of my stomach, I know we have to keep trying. If for no other reason than to set the example for our children.

Resources

Here’s a list of resources you can use to help spread the word. I’ll share more as more things get planned and organized. Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as I tend to share deets there. In the meantime, I hope you find this useful.

Blog Posts:

Hashtags: #FamiliesBelongTogether | #ProtectFamilies

Petition Pages: Family Separation Petition (English) | Family Separation Petition (Spanish)