"Singing, chanting and waving placards and American flags, a sea of demonstrators - police estimates ran as high as 500,000 - marched in downtown Dallas in the largest of the protests. Some 20,000 rallied in San Diego, 7,000 in Miami, and 4,000 each in Birmingham, Ala., and Boise, Idaho."
The New York Times records the growing marches in support of fair immigration policies.
Here it's being called - "Immigration Action Day in Texas."
Via Grits for Breakfast, here's a list of other, related events scheduled around the state of Texas:
AMARILLO - 9 am Civic Center , with walk to City Hall
AUSTIN - UT - 11 am - 2 pm West Mall , UT campus
AUSTIN - State Capitol - 4-6 pm
CORPUS CHRISTI - 6 pm Memorial Coliseum
HOUSTON - 1:30 pm Guadalupe Plaza , 3 pm Allen's Landing
HOUSTON - 7-8 pm, University of St. Thomas , Student Life Mall
SAN ANTONIO - 2 pm - Student Walk Out - Incarnate Word, Dubius Lawn
SAN ANTONIO - 5 pm from Milam Park to the Federal Building
TYLER - 8-11 am at the Super 1 on 271
EL PASO - 10:00 am (Sunland Park City Hall),
12:30 pm (Chamizal),
4:00 pm (Plaza de los Lagartos)
I'm back in Texas today preparing for the upcoming school finance special session, however on this subject, when I left there was a lot of talk regarding a massive march in Washington in support of pro-immigration policies.
I can't help but observe that the marches and much of the debate are having a dual effect on our United States population. For those people in support of pro-immigration policies and for parts of the Hispanic community, there is a sense of empowerment, of an awakening. Cultural and ethnic pride abounds. Equally affected are segments of our United States population who look at the shear size of these marches who coil in fear and concern over a growing segment of the population that is different from what we have known before. The marches only serve to confirm their point of view that there is a problem. There is a problem, both sides will agree on this much. As foretold and anticipated, however, a polarization of the populace rather than a bringing together is the result.
Comfort of current circumstance may be found in history as we may recall a time when numerous hordes of the so called "unwashed" tried to enter the Roman empire. Romans at the time feared that these foreign tribes wished to conquer and destroy them. Migrating people who wished to participate in the good life that the empire had to offer were confronted in battle rather than negotiated regulated acceptance. In the end the empire lost the battle and the people they once feared were assimilated into their populations. Today, those battles are a footnote in Italian and Roman history, but serve as a constant reminder of man's limitations and failure to see beyond his fears. Let us look beyond our individual and collective fears and find rational resolutions to our current circumstance. We are a great country. We are the grand experiment that should serve as a shining beacon to the rest. In two hundred years how will history judge our actions? Will this moment and our response be wasted to show the darker side of man or will it, as I wish, be an example of the divine that lies within us?
The choice is yours.
UPDATE: The New York Times updates us on the progress of today's marches around the country. The Washington Post also has an update. The Los Angeles Times also has an update. CBS News has an entire page with video dedicated to this issue and today's events.
2 comments:
Thanks for all the information regarding the rallies around the state, but would you be surprised to know that there is a march scheduled here in your own district too?
Would you be surprised to know that this march will be mainly by students?
Students? That answers the question why we don't have the large masses that other cities have.
It is not because the Valley ("South Texas") does not have a large immigrant community, it is because many of the immigrants here are students, and most of their parents don't have jobs (Not because they don't want to work. There are no jobs for them). That is why they go up north to work the fields in the summer.
Let's not confuse the real issue here. We have an immigration problem here in the valley too. We have a population of many high school students who can't go to college because of their illegal status. We have a population of parents who don't have "real jobs" because there are no jobs for them. We have a whole generation of people living under the shadows of the American fabric.
Additionally, we don’t have large masses of immigrant protesters because the Valley as a whole is not as populated as other areas of the state, but make no mistake about it, the Valley should have a voice in this immigration debate just as the rest of the nation is finally voicing out their concerns about the immigration bills debated in the U.S. Congress.
This is history in the making. A whole generation of Americans are learning how important it is for us to chose our leaders to represent us in Washington. By engaging in this debate, immigrants are learning that the President of the U.S. doesn’t make all the decisions regarding law and policy. Now they know, that it is our Senators and Representatives that have to deal with these difficult issues.
I hope this will empower the Latino vote so that we can start selecting leaders who are more representative of our views and ideals and can represent us well at the Texas Capitol and the U.S. Congress.
Thank you for the comments, your point is well taken. Regarding the local rally, I was made aware of an event planned by students, but local reports have noted that it was cancelled.
Now maybe there are others. Could you please inform our readers were that might be and at what time.
Post a Comment