I feel infinite
Posts 1064 posts
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SIPPIN ON STRAIGHT CHLORINEvote
Jan 22, 2019
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Points: 15
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My Immersion Trip Experience
Jan 19, 2019
- Hello TG, as a few of you may know, I recently went on an immersion trip to El Salvador and the U.S/Mexico border. I would like to briefly discuss my experience and what I have learned in this blog. If you are interested in what Iāve been up to, please continue to read. If you donāt care, then Iām sure you will learn something from this blog.
El Salvador
The first half of the trip was in El Salvador. Our main focal point was learning about the history of not only the country, but also all those that we came into contact with there. The first two days were dedicated to learning about the Salvadoran Civil War, a war where the government continued to brutally massacre their people for twelve years. A very unsettling detail that we learned was the fact that the U.S provided at least $1 million a DAY for TWELVE YEARS to help fund the governmentās military to killing their own people. Although the war is over, it has left the country in shambles. Gang violence is common in the country due to the poverty many people are faced with, causing families to have to flee in order to survive.
We then went to a small village, Arcatao, where 2-3 of us got to spend 3 days with a family. During this portion, we were able to talk in person with many people who had been personally affected by the war. One woman I talked to had lost her husband and her 5 children all in one day during the war. Many of the mothers and fathers of the houses had photos of them in the war. The son-in-law at my house told us how he was carried across to Honduras during the war by his mother to seek safety. One day we took a 5 hour hike up a mountain that was home to many hiding spots during the war since the city was repeatedly bombed by the government.
Despite this tragedy that left the village destroyed and families mourning, the sense of love and community within was unbelievable. Every single person welcomed up with open arms and were happy to tell us all about their story. Despite having little resources, our families fed us well and did everything they could to provide us with the happiness they have in their own homes. These people had very little possessions and barely any money, but they were filled with so much joy and love.
U.S/Mexico Border
Our next destination was the U.S/Mexico border, which was even harder to emotionally process for me. The first experience that hit me hard was watching the court cases of those who were caught crossing the border. The judge would call 7 people up at once, ask them the same question and declare them all guilty. Each person came in shackles, and the judge got through 51 people in under an hour. It was like these people were being treated like animals with how little everyone else cared about them.
Another part of this trip that was the toughest for me was going to the actual border and seeing the wall that was built years ago. The wall towered over me with two big rows of barbed wire. Along the wall, there was a portion of crosses that were placed to honor just a small fraction of a few who died. One cross that stood out said āUnknown boy, 2 months oldā. Seeing this mentally and emotionally destroyed me. Children were killed along the border because their families were seeking safety in the states. They had their entire lives ahead of them, but because they were born by chance in a certain country, they were viewed as less.
Iām trying to not get too political with this blog or too detailed with the experience, but I do want to summarize the main points I got out of it. I do not want to challenge your political opinions or stir up any controversy with this:
It hearts my heart to have met such loving people for them to then only be viewed as āillegal immigrantsā or āunwantedā. Many of these people have had lives with constant heartbreak, pain, and tragedy, they should not be dehumanized or stereotyped. They are all human beings with hearts, dreams, and families like all of us. No matter where someone is born, they are still a person and they are more than just a statistic, they matter.
And yes, I understand that crossing the border is illegal. However, what many fail to understand is that people who cross into America are doing it to survive. Here is a poem that we read that has resonated with me for so many reasons:
āNo one leaves home unless home is the mouth of the sharkā¦ No one puts their children in boats unless the water is safer than the landā
People face death in their home country and they would rather sell all their possessions, leave everything behind, starve for weeks, face being arrested, raped, beaten or even killed just for the opportunity that us Americans had to do nothing for other than being born in the ārightā country. These people suffer for weeks and endure such pain only to be used as a statistic which is just horrible. Their stories deserve to be heard and their lives remembered.
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wow love when the str8s stick together
Jan 19, 2019
- bengalboy
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Points: 40
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MISTERPREDAA HATES CHOCOLATE
Jan 19, 2019
- DONT PLUS HIS NASTY PROPAGANDA
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Points: 0
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should I blog about my immersion trip
Jan 16, 2019
- To El Salvador and Mexico or no
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Points: 1
5 comments
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WELL GOODBYE FOLKS!!
Jan 2, 2019
- I am off to sleep as I have to wake up at 2:30AM for my flight to El Salvador! I will be inactive for the next 10-11 days, so if you want to contact me, you canāt!!
Iām leaving all social media, emails, texts behind and not even touching my cell phone until the flight back home. I wish you all a good start to 2018 and Iāll be back soon!
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Points: 60
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