A Dios Rogando Y Con El Mazo Dando: On Immigration Reform

To God Praying And With The Mallet Pounding  

Gente of this United States of America it seems the time to stand up and demand change has finally arrived.  After years of failed attempts to get an immigration reform act approved by the U.S. Congress, broken promises by multiple presidents, and now the introduction of a state law so aggressive it would all but force undocumented immigrants living in Arizona to flee for their safety and freedom, we can officially say diplomacy has failed. 

While Senate bill 1070 sits on the desk of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) awaiting a final decision by her to either approve or veto, President Barrack Obama has yet to indicate any clear position on the passage of this new law.  His promises of bringing millions of illegal immigrants “out of the shadows” through some type of immigration reform now appear to have been only empty words,  evoking in many of us the urge to take part in civil disobedience demonstrations.  Arizona has become our ground zero in this fight to once and for all settle the state of limbo in which an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants live each and every day of their lives in the Unites States. 

Those nine brave students in Pheonix have the right idea.  Enough of protesting obediently on the streets where we are granted permits and secluded to isolated areas of our own communities so as to not interfere with the hustle and bustle of our cities and towns.  What is the point of protesting to ourselves in our own neighborhoods?  It’s preaching to the choir and achieves nothing.  The time has come to engage in nonviolent civil disobedience to make our voices heard.

We will not stand for this discrimination in Arizona and we demand a path to legalization for our millions of undocumented brothers and sisters living in the shadows of this country now!

A Dios rogando y con el mazo dando we need to all come out in full force on Saturday, May 1, 2010, to take part in the March for Dignity and Respect for ALL.  To make our voices heard, and to demand legislative action from our political leaders.  Now is the time to prove this Hispanic Giant has arisen and is infuriated by the lack of respect and dignity we have been granted until now.