Its not fair that they overuse social services and don't pay taxes.
Its not fair that they have jobs while 6.2 million Americans remain unemployed.
Its not fair that Americans are criticized for not speaking their languages when they are in the United States of America.
Its not fair that Criminal Justice and Law Inforcing ICE officials are made out to be the 'bad guys.'
.....Justice?
Luis came to the United States from Peru looking for a refuge from the extreme poverty that left him and his family on the brink of starvation. Without work, social capital or governmental aid services he was told that the best thing he could do for his children was cross the deadly boarder into the ‘Country of Prosperity.’
Rosa came over from Mexico in 2002 to join her husband in Carrboro. There was nothing left for a single women in her pueblo.
Luis works a double night shift cleaning schools and is a full time single dad during the day for his two young children. He struggles to learn English as he works alone at night and speaks Spanish to his children in hopes that they will someday be bilingual.
Rosa works part time cleaning hotel rooms. She speaks Nahuatl and Spanish. The $200 she earns each week is split between her aunt and mother in Mexico, her three children and on the occasion, herself. Her husband drinks and hits her if she’s not careful, but she knows that she would never survive without him. Even so, who would she tell?
Alone at the school one night Luis is handcuffed and put into a patrol car. He spends the night in a jail cell before he is driven to a detainment center 6 hours from the city where he lives. He is given one phone call to a neighbor asking her to watch his children until he returned. He has no idea where he is, why he was detained, when or if he is going home.
....Justice?
Its not fair that Rosa, at age 20, has never gone to school.
Its not fair that Luis, with an degree in Accounting from Peru, was seen only worthy enough to clean toilets.
Its not fair that a woman must choose between domestic violence and abandoning her children.
Its not fair that a hard-working, honest man is punished for taking care of his children.
Its not fair that I was born into privilege while billions of children everyday are born into extreme poverty.
Its not fair that white skin, English, and money equate to dignity while brown skin, Spanish, and used clothes are coated with shame.
Its not fair that Jesus, in his perfection, died for this.
Died for me.
Died for Rosa.
Died for Luis.
Died for Americans.
Died for Latinos.
Died to reconcile an unfair world to himself.
Justice.
Thy Kingdom Come Thy will be done on earth here as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.
Amen.
