Who Won?

It's the anniversary of 9/11 in the USA. I've always said one should not let the bad things that happen in life become one's defining moments and I stand by that, but let's face it - 9/11 has become a defining moment for this country. The question is . . . how have we chosen to have it define us? Did we respond to that terrible day by vowing to not let the terrorists win - to stand by the foundations upon which our country was built and upon which it stands - to even, in total defiance to the bastards who killed all those innocent people, become more of what we are as a nation . . . or did we instead react by allowing this country to stray in exactly the same direction as those who did this to us have strayed themselves. Did we allow the terrorists to define us? Is this still a country with Liberty and Justice for all? Does our Statue of Liberty still define the heart and soul that is the USA?

Those of you who have followed my blog know what has consumed me this last year. Over the year, what started as a simple attempt to bring one friend picked up by ICE back home to us has turned into a battle the likes of which I have never seen. I am a veteran of the Anti-Vietnam war movement. I have fought hard for equal rights for women. I went to the South in the 60s to fight for civil rights and looked in the faces of the Sheriff Bull Connors of this world. I've worked in animal rescue and dealt one-on-one with a man who was not only horribly abusing horses, but was also molesting girls and running guns. I did the behind the scenes dirty work that put him in prison for a very long time. I decided long ago that I would do my part, not by turning away, but by looking straight into the darkness that can lie within men's hearts, by confronting that darkness and by dealing with it head on. I have seen the worst of the worst, or so I thought, but this . . . what I am seeing now . . . this is worse than all that I have seen in the past.

19,000 people who have committed no crime held indefinitely in prison - families torn apart - people denied adequate food, water, medical care - people beaten, maimed, even killed - thousands upon thousands of people denied justice - and no response to any of it other than, "We are working on legislation." The perpetrators of these acts are not brought to justice, not even investigated. The abuses within the system that facilitate these abuses are not only continued, they are increased. The stain from tears and blood of the victims of these abuses grows ever larger and obscures the clarity of America's beacon of hope and freedom - from the world - from our own eyes. Innocent, decent people wasting away in our covert concentration camps that we call prisons ask me - their families ask me - "Deb, what is going on? Why is this happening? They are treating us worse than criminals, worse than animals - why? Where are the American people? Why do they not protest this?" I can not give voice to an answer, but as I profess that I do not know the "why" my heart rebels. I do know why - I do not want to admit it, but I know . . . to some degree . . . to the degree that we continue on this path without seeing, without shame, without total outrage . . . to that degree the terrorists won.

A link for those who are not willing to give up - who still believe in the USA enough to do something: www.racewire.org/archives/2009/02/immigration_detention_reform_m.html