Imagine the courage it takes to walk across the country knowing there are people out there that would hope you get hit by a car. Four young people are walking to Washington DC, hoping to make a difference for the millions of people that are living undocumented in the U.S. (we don't use the word illegal in this blog).
To Overhaul Immigration, Advocates Alter Tactics Lacing up new pairs of walking shoes with a flourish, four immigrant students set out on foot from downtown Miami on Friday, starting a four-month walk to Washington to protest what they called the Obama administration’s lack of action on legislation granting legal status to illegal immigrants.
Three of the four protesters, who are current or former students at Miami Dade College, do not have legal-resident status and risk detention by immigration authorities during the 1,500-mile walk.
bottom photo: Gaby Pacheco from the Orlando SentinelThe students’ trek showed the resolve and also some limitations of groups supporting an immigration overhaul that would include measures to legalize illegal immigrants. Those groups said this week that they would start a national campaign in January to pressure President Obama to push for the overhaul before midterm elections in November.
But as immigration enforcement has continued at a steady pace during the first year of the Obama administration, many illegal immigrants are clinging to jobs and families in this country and may be afraid to participate in public demonstrations. With unemployment holding at 10 percent, immigrant advocates acknowledge that their campaign could awaken passionate opposition in Congress and around the country.
The students in Miami said in a statement that they decided to begin their walk because they had a “deep desire and need for complete citizenship” after they reached dead-ends in school or work because of their lack of legal immigration status...link to complete article
--
Juan Rodriguez and Gaby Pacheco are two of students walking the Trail of DREAMS. They are former DREAMers who have regularized (meaning they now are able to stay in the U.S. with permission).
top photo: Juan Rodriguez from the WaPo
1 comment:
Huffington Post : The possibility of Texas having a Democrat as Governor and Redistricting in favor of Democrats for the 2012 Elections
This is a possibility with the political meaning of an Earthquake
Texas could slowly become a Blue ( Democratic ) State and abandon its strongly Red ( Republican ) past - Texas is very important to get the presidency in year 2012, It's a majority-minority state and has many electoral votes for the Electoral College that elects the president, and this number of votes may be increasing ( Due to the 2010 census ).
Huffington Post
The Most Important Race of 2010
By Dylan Loewe
Speechwriter, Author
January 4, 2010
The Most Important Race of 2010
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dylan-loewe/the-most-important-race-o_b_410172.html
Some excerpts :
The Census Bureau recently released population projections that suggest that Texas could pick up as many as four Congressional seats after the census. Those will have to be placed where the population growth occurred, which is invariably among minority communities in major urban areas. These will be Democratic districts.
It's also an opportunity to rid the state of the Congressional map drawn mid-decade by Tom Delay and the Republican-controlled state legislature, a map which caused Democrats to lose 7 seats through gerrymandering shenanigans. All told, if the Democrats have a seat at the negotiating table during the Texas redistricting process, they could pick up as many as 10 seats, perhaps more.
Bill White is the best chance Democrats have to get that seat at that table. The state legislature draws the map, subject to the governor's veto. The Republicans solidly control the state senate, but only hold a two vote margin in the state house. Democrats could find their seat at the table be retaking the state house in 2010, but in this political climate, the odds of that are relatively slim.
It will no doubt be an uphill climb for White, as well. Texas is going through major transformational changes, to be sure. It's a majority-minority state; all of its major cities voted for Obama except for Forth Worth. Obama lost the state by only 10 points without ever campaigning there. But the transformation of Texas from red to solidly purple is not yet complete, and the impact of the changes that have already taken place is least on display during an off-year election. Depressed turnout among minorities and young voters is exaggerated, leaving Democrats to contend among a much more hostile electorate.
Still, if anyone is up to the challenge, it may be White. As mayor of Houston, he was seen as a business-friendly moderate with strong management skills and a keen ability to execute effectively. Among the many styles of Democrats, his may be the only one palatable statewide. In the end, he may not be able to win the seat on his own, but if Rick Perry emerges from the primary bloodied by his formidable opponent, it might just give White the outside shot he needs.
Win that race, and much of the damage done during this year's midterms will be sure to be erased just two years down the line.
Youth, Minorities, Politics :
Milenials.com
Vicente Duque
Post a Comment