It is Fourth of July –Independence Day! Are ALL Americans Independent?
D E A T H I N D O D G E C I T Y
CHARGE: WALKING WHILE LATINO / CLAIRE O”BRIEN 2010
A gunshot from the river bed.
A Mexican. A white man: dead.
Let some wetbacks out of jail –
another herds’ arrived by rail.
Hey, Panama! El Salvador!
Get those cattle in the door.
That’s what God has made you for.
Cattle prods make young steers do
anything you want them to.
We’ve got other prods for you.
SAMUEL BONILLA, FRAMED FOR MURDER, 2010, DODGE CITY KANSAS
Shoot a spike through each steer’s head:
They’re still alive, but dream they’re dead.
You’re dreamers too – each one of you.
That’s the way you make it through.
You have to make your dreams come true –
they’re people. They depend on you:
one life exchanged for twenty-two.
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Thanks very much for reblogging this, Angela!
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Hi Claire, This is a powerful post…when you regain your standing please change journalism so real news is covered.
What amazes me is how compartmentalized our thinking became.
Today, my son and I were out … saw a group setting up for a rally so I stopped to ask the cause. Was told about recent murders of Palestinian including children…., the group hoped to raise awareness….to tell their story about atrocities in the middle east.
I could have said this is America we have our own problems, essentially minimize their cause, devalue their voices…instead I actively listened then replied I understood and wished them well.
I did nothing but noted the smiles because I stopped and listened. As tumultous as life gets….I plan to make time for people in need of help…….because others helped me. Without their trust and confidence in me, I would not be here…some were absolute strangers who I never thanked.
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