Bloggerlife.blog

06/10/2025

Today’s blog

Lynn Murphy Mark

What can I do?

Every Monday night at 8 o’clock I am in my seat in front of the television, waiting for Rachel Maddow to start her show. Last night she did not disappoint as she forcefully spoke out against 47’s actions against the state of California. Karen Bass, LA’s Mayor, appeared for a fairly long segment. Mayor Bass believes that her city is being used as an example of the administration’s unnecessary show of force. Neither she nor Governor Newsome asked for the National Guard to be deployed. Now there will be 700 Marines stationed somewhere in the city for some unknown assignment.

There were plenty of clips of young “soldiers” lined up in front of buildings, or slowly marching in a line towards groups of peaceful protesters. I wondered how they felt about their new role of being  lined up against their own people. Their faces wore stony expressions as they gripped their deadly weapons. I wondered if they would shoot their fellow Americans if commanded to do so.

My most memorable part of the show came when there was a clip of 86 year old Representative Maxine Waters imploring a line of soldiers not to shoot their guns into the crowds. “There is no reason for you to do that! Don’t shoot those guns!” Maxine was obviously pissed, and wasn’t having any part of the twisted message that those kids were made to project. Ms. Waters attempted to get into an ICE facility and was denied entry. Congress people are allowed to enter any detention facility without notice or permission. She is now one of many that are being barred from those facilities. Makes me wonder what the officials are trying to hide.

Remember this name: Martir Garcia Lara. He is a 9 year old boy who has attended Torrance Elementary School since the first grade. His school became concerned when he did not appear for school. It turns out that he and his father were arrested after checking in with immigration officials in LA on May 29. Both have been transferred to a jail in Dilley, Texas and are set to be deported to Honduras for reasons unknown.

I have a brief history with that detention center in Dilley, Texas. In 2016 I spent a week there as part of a group of pro bono immigration workers. My job was to help prepare women for their asylum “credible fear” interviews. At the time Dilley’s facility housed a thousand women and children who had been detained after crossing the border. I talked with over two dozen women and heard the stories about why they left home and made a dangerous trek to our border. Their stories reinforced my belief that, “No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark”. (Poet Warsan Shire). That was really the beginning of my voyage into immigration law.

Rachel showed clips of several detained people, whose communities rose up and demanded their release, leaving their detention facilities. One story is of a woman from Kennett, Missouri, who has been a popular waitress at a pancake restaurant in that small community. She is originally from Hong Kong. I don’t know how she ended up in Kennett, but after she was arrested, two community members called Legal Services asking what they could do to help her. There was nothing I could offer to help but I could give some advice. My advice to both callers was to mobilize their community, protest vehemently, contact their representatives, raise money for legal expenses – in short, be as loud as possible. The woman has since been released after being threatened with deportation back to China.

This Saturday, June 14, there are 1,800 protests organized across out country. The purpose is to protest 47’s actions to make himself king of the USA. I saw a clever sign: “No Faux King Way! 86/47”. I will be in Ballwin expressing myself. There also supposed to be a gathering at Kiener Plaza downtown. I hope Saint Louisans come out in force. By the way, what are you doing this Saturday around noon?