Time and time again, we've been taught the lessons of history, but have we learned anything? The unconscionable separation of families, who only have one another after fleeing violence and poverty in their home countries, is not entirely unprecedented in this country. Will we allow history to repeat itself with the federal government's zero-tolerance policy at the border? Or will we say no more?
- The American Indian boarding schools were part of a forced assimilation project that aimed to "Kill the Indian...save the man," removing tens of thousands of Native American youth from their homes, their culture and their families. Post-traumatic stress disorder and feelings of alienation and abandonment followed these children throughout their lives.
- The Japanese internment camps, considered a low point in American history, detained Japanese American families in prison camps without due process for 4 years and often kept families separated from one another. Half of those interned during those dark days were children who suffered long-term damage to their physical and emotional health.
There is no question that forced family separations cause unspeakable trauma-- the historical record makes that clear.
This is a moral test. We're facing the question of whether we will allow children, once again, to be ripped from their families to serve a political agenda. Or will we stand in opposition to an immoral, cruel policy and break the cycle?
Families belong together. The zero-tolerance border policy is already
claiming lives and inflicting psychic and physical wounds on families who risked more than most of us can even comprehend to seek refuge in a country that despite its flaws has been a beacon of hope for many who seek her shelter.
Instead, the beacon of hope has become a dystopian nightmare where children are ripped from their mother's breast and housed in an abandoned Walmart. This report from the border is a must-watch to understand exactly what is being carried out in our nation's name:
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Democracy Now:Trauma at the Texas-Mexico Border: Families Separated, Children Detained & Residents Fighting Back
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Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. once wrote:
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
Today is not the day to be silent. Today is the day to defend our shared values, to acknowledge past wrongs while fighting the injustices of today, and
to finally and fully become the nation that was promised.
This past weekend, Precinct One team members joined with others to oppose establishing a child detention center in Houston on
Emancipation Avenue right outside of downtown, and we will continue to oppose child detention centers anywhere.
The only acceptable solution is to end the zero-tolerance border policy and hold elected officials accountable for using innocent children as props in a cruel display of political theater. What can we do?
- Support the organizations on the front lines that are providing assistance to the families however they can.
- If you're a lawyer or have translation skills, volunteer.
- Contact your federal elected officials, and tell them families belong together. Demand they cease the zero-tolerance policy immediately.
- Hit the streets. Raise your voice. Public outcry, protest and organized resistance are democratic tools that belong to all of us. Use them.
What you say and where you stand today will matter tomorrow. These families are counting on all of us.
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| Click here to help. Photo credit: Edgard Garrido/Reuters |
Juneteenth: No One is Free Until We're All Free
This past weekend, Precinct One staff and community members from our Lincoln Park Community Center joined Mayor Sylvester Turner in Acres Homes to celebrate freedom at his annual Juneteenth Parade. It was a wonderful day to commemorate our ancestors' hard-won emancipation and the shared history that binds our communities.
But Juneteenth must also serve as a reminder that while emancipation was won, there are still many who are fighting to be free from an unjust system of mass incarceration that paradoxically also has its roots in emancipation. While the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, it still allowed for involuntary servitude as "punishment for a crime."
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Learn about the history of the 13th Amendment and Mass Incarceration.
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The Equal Justice Initiative further
explains that
"As the end of slavery left a void in the Southern labor market, the criminal justice system became one of the primary means of continuing the legalized involuntary servitude of African Americans."
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Incarcerated men return from working in the fields at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in 2011. Photo credit:Gerald Herbert/AP
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And as I've written many times now, Harris County is a ground zero in the fight to end mass incarceration, and bail reform is a key battle line. Countless lives have been destroyed and families have been needlessly torn apart by a money bail system that forces low-risk misdemeanor defendants to languish behind bars simply because they cannot afford bail. This has led to documented cases of people pleading guilty to crimes they did not commit simply to escape the confines of jail. Others have remained in jail for weeks and months at a time for petty crimes while people charged with violent felonies are able to post bail and walk free all because they can afford it. The current system is neither fair nor safe.
Multiple federal court rulings, including one earlier this month, have found that the Harris County bail system operates as a two-tiered system of injustice, routinely violating the constitutional rights of poor defendants to receive due process, fair treatment and equal protection under the law. As has become a familiar refrain, Harris County still has no valid defense for what is ultimately indefensible and has spent well over $6 million in taxpayers' dollars that could have been invested in bail reform and public safety.
This Juneteenth and every day, we need people to speak out and demand action because no one is fully free until we're all free.
Harris County Flood Bond Program
Harris County Commissioners Court on June 12 voted unanimously to call a $2.5 billion flood bond election scheduled for August 25, 2018--the one year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey's landfall in Houston.
The goals of the bond program are to assist with recovery after previous flooding events and to make the county more resilient to future flooding, which is Harris County's most prevalent natural disaster. Passage of the bond will provide the opportunity to accelerate the delivery of projects. It will also leave the county better positioned to leverage local funding to take advantage of federal funding opportunities.
The Harris County Flood Control District has released a list of potential bond projects in economically disadvantaged communities, where there is a substantial need for flood damage reduction work and a potential to serve the greatest number of residents. Prior to the passage of the final bond order, I also introduced an equity amendment, which
passed unanimously, to ensure Harris County Commissioners Court will allocate flood bonds in an equitable manner that prioritizes vulnerable regions and communities across Harris County.
During the summer, the Flood Control District will hold public meetings throughout the county, where residents can learn about proposed projects in their area and give input.
Below is information about two upcoming meetings this week; click here for a complete schedule.
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Halls and Greens Bayou
Date: Wednesday, June 20
Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Meeting Location:
NE Harris County Community Center
10918 1/2 Bentley Street
Houston, TX 77093
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Hunting Bayou
Date: Saturday, June 23
Time: 10:00 am- Noon
Meeting Location:
Kashmere Multi-Service Center
4802 Lockwood Drive
Houston, TX 77026
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I strongly encourage you to take part in these meetings as public participation is essential to the process. If you're unable to attend you can still learn about the projects online at
www.HCFCD.org or by calling the Flood Control District's Bond Hotline at 713-684-4107.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please call my office at 713-991-6881. We are here to help.
