A Reason For Hope
To SIM and their Supporters,
Year after year, from kindergarten through high school, teachers would praise the fundamental liberties and innate power that we possess as “the People” of America’s democratic republican form of government. In stark contrast to any centralized government before us, the sovereignty of America’s government was based on the consent of “the People.” However this facet of our history is hardly seen in modern times. Our American society is plagued with countless tales of the federal government and omnipotent conglomerates, who often seem to be too closely intertwined, acting wholeheartedly in their self-interest without the consent of “the People.” Whether it’s politicians making decisions based on being re-elected or businesses being obsessed with the almighty dollar, the well-being of the common working man and woman have fallen to the wayside. However, the efforts of the Student Immigrant Movement and its constituents have given me hope that the voice of the people can be heard.
SIM and its allied organizations accomplished something spectacular with their 24-hour vigil. In eradicating the lines that so often separate us into different factions and uniting under a banner of humanity and morality we were able to overcome division. People from all different ethnicities, socio-economic statuses, sexual orientations, immigration statuses, and faith communities joined together in a spirit of solidarity in able to overcome what I feared was inevitable. As a student, a person of faith, and the son of an immigrant, I cannot express my gratitude for allowing me to join in SIM’s fight against Amendment 172.1. In addition, I am especially thankful for being present for the prayer vigil that was held on Wednesday, June 23.
In my opinion, the enthusiasm and unity of SIM’s vigil reached its crescendo during the nighttime prayer vigil. The collaboration of students from SIM with the clergy and parishioners from many different communities of faith was a sight that was unprecedented in my life. In sharing our compassionate stories and joining together in songs, everyone present at the prayer vigil become united into one peaceful body. Despite different faith backgrounds and all of society’s labels that often prevent us from coming together, we truly became one body fighting for something we believed in. While the removal of the most controversial aspects of Amendment 172.1 is a massive victory, it’s important to remember that our fight has just begun.
The political temperament of the United States is a foreboding one. Anti-immigration laws already exist in some states while others have the topic on the docket of potential legislation. Workers throughout America are being denied their right to provide for themselves and immigrants. Hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children continue to live their lives not knowing where their next meal will come from or if they have a place to sleep. It is vital for those of us who came together in support of SIM to remain united to fight the inevitable battles that tomorrow holds. That being said, it is even more important to continue educating our communities and informing the public about what is really going on in our society. The bigger our numbers grow the harder it is to ignore our voice. Let us use SIM’s efforts to be a spark of a new social justice movement that we can now nurture into a conflagration.