Last Friday, approximately 15-25 Immigrants and sympathizers, marched alongside the “Tennessee Immigration and Refugee Rights Coalition” to speak out against the practice of deportation. Under the Obama administration, deportations have reached record numbers, almost twice as many than that under President Bush.

Mexican Americans and latinos have began to rescind their support for President Obama.  After the U.S. backed gun smuggling scandal coined, “Operation Fast And Furious”, which lead to many Mexican deaths, and now record numbers of deportations being made against latinos, the tone has changed from support to fear in regards to this administration.

Our team approached respectfully and courteously holding our “Fight 4 World Peace” signature sign, and was met with smiles,high-fives, and was invited to walk alongside them. Police carefully monitored the event, yet the protesters were respectful and paid no mind. After the event was over, everyone peacefully dispersed, including the police, without incident.

Watch the video above as one of the organizers who went by the name of “Veronica”, came to the logical conclusion that humans are not “Aliens from another planet”, but “Human beings who have the right to move and travel. I believe that President Obama can stop this.”   As the birds move to more fertile grounds without violence or regulation during the change of seasons, we must ask ourselves….

Have humans de-humanized themselves? What separates us? Before the invention of maps, borders, countries, citizenry, and other artificial constructs, what did it mean to be “human” and were early humans even conscious of their humanity? Perhaps their unconsciousness was a blessing in disguise as their lack of perception made it difficult to distinguish. Now, with our supposed superior intellect, we distinguish from one another with such harshness and disregard to a human’s will and necessity to not only survive, but thrive.

Tennessee has become a popular immigration destination in recent years to Egyptian, Nepali, and Latino sub-groups.  Put yourself in their shoes. What if the conditions here become what is there? What would you do? When we strip away language, nationality, and religion, what are we left with? Humans who are seeking food, clothing, shelter and most importantly……social bonding with other loving and welcoming humans.

If  we are to live in such a regulated society, can we not atleast make the transition from one place to another more practical, humanizing, and streamlined?

The only thing that separates us from the animals is the belief that we are separate. We think of being as a separate species makes us superior, but in what ways?….in what ways? One reason can no longer be enough. We can do better than this…

 

-Nalini Global

2016