A random mix

Today I am just going to list a few moments, instances that have occurred over the past few days that I don't want to forget. There isn't really a theme (at least there isn't one that I have yet to notice). If my writing in the post develops to reveal a theme, it's because I've figured it out while writing.

----
Just so you know, I decided from the beginning to make this blog a "stream of conciousness." If I end up figuring something out while I am writing, I want(ed) you to be figuring it out with me, too. For me, this blog isn't about projecting a certain image of the frontera, El Paso, Annunciation House, or myself. My goal is to help anyone who is reading to "get into my head" so you can see what I've seen. I hope my mind isn't too confusing of a place. If it is, my apologies. There happens to be a lot new non-material acquisitions (ie experiences, memories) stored up there that are in need of sorting and classification.

An interesting interview

that pretty much summarizes much of the Mexican position on a number of border issues (mas o menos)

Former Mexican president Vicente Fox (Calderon's predecessor) speaks with Deborah Soloman of the NY Times:

You’re the former president of Mexico. What do you think of the Arizona immigration bill that is scheduled to take effect this week? It would require immigrants to carry their registration papers at all times and risk jail for not complying.
I think there’s a big misunderstanding on the value of migrants. Unfortunately, since Sept. 11, that very sad day, we have not advanced on the issue. On the contrary, xenophobes have taken over; governments like the one in Arizona are taking negative decisions with a very blinded look at the future.

runways and enforcement run amok

On Friday I went with the BAE (Border Awareness Experience) Group from UC-Boulder to UTEP (University of Texas at El Paso) to have a small Q&A session with Dr. Irasema Coronado, assistant provost from the Political Science Dept. (she was fairly radical so far as bureaucrats go) and a recent Obama appointee to the Joint Public Advisory Committee of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation.

Speaking with her about the border, especially after talking to the DEA Agent Gilberto Gonzalez really made me think a lot about the complex dynamics that are at play along the border...specifically el papel of the US.

One of the points that Coronado kept bringing up was the role of economics, specifically that of jobs for US citizens/residents. She was not talking about the jobs that "illegal aliens" supposedly take from US citizens.

Day 57 (yes I counted it up)

Time seems to be traveling so quickly...only two weeks stand between me and my flight back to North Carolina.

I find that incredibly frightening.

As I sat on a bench outside Annunciation House, at the intersection of San Antonio Ave. and St. Vrain I stared off into the distance and thought about my time here. I thought about what leaving would feel like, but I couldn't focus on that for long. Bubbling instead to the surface of my consciousness over and over again was my frustration.

I began to feel my eyes welling up with hot salty tears (really not that different from the the droplets that constantly form on my skin here due to the extreme heat and lack of "refrigerated air"). My eyes were sweating with frustration.

let's start with the good news

The procession and mass went off without a hitch. It made me feel so good as we marched down the streets of downtown El Paso all together. Together we walked--guests, volunteers, community members, complete strangers--and we were all calling for the same thing: a way to end the increasing hostility and violence directed against the immigrant. We highlighted policies that divide families, push migrants into the desert or into the arms of human traffickers where many perish, and spawn legislation like Arizona's SB1070.

Fewer than 32 hours

remain before the Procession and Mass. I am currently at Casa Teresa answering the phone and trying to tie up loose ends for the event (right now I'm waiting for direction from Ruben).

I just spoke with Srgt. Gomez of the El Paso Police Department about what would happen in the event that the number of people attending the procession should exceed the capacity of the sidewalk, which is where our permit stipulates we process. I was quite nervous about this discussion, to be honest. Srgt. Gomez had some excellent news for us...the police are actually planning to close the streets entirely. Thank goodness! That takes a load off my shoulders in terms of safety as well as legality of our permits...

good news!

So today we finally were able to pick up those permits! We had a big all-staff meeting this morning, and since I was officially on AM shift, it made more sense for Kyla to go pick them up instead of me. I really wish I could have gone to pick them up--the satisfaction would have been mindblowing...but ultimately it's not about me, or Kyla, or anyone else. It's about the event, and the impact we hope it will have.

Apparently, the folks down at city hall initially were giving Kyla a hard time about picking the permits up since they had seen me doing a lot of the leg-work, especially over the last couple of days this past work-week.

Day 45 maybe????

I waited a bit longer in the lobby outside a cafe. I refused to end my stakeout until I got some results. It just so happens that the woman from Parks and Recreation (who I will refer to as LW) came down there for lunch! I had picked the perfect spot to make sure she couldn't avoid me.

I watched as she ate lunch with some of her colleagues and I felt like predator waiting to pounce on its own meal.

Days go by...

I am currently downstairs in the lobby of El Paso's City Hall.
Waiting.

It is only six days until the Procession and Mass in Response to Border Violence and despite many visits to speak with city representatives and even more phone calls, we still have not been able to get the permits.

To make matters worse, the city work-week is only Monday through Thursday, so if I am not able to get the permits today, then the entire weekend will pass...then it will be Monday-- T minus two days.

A two-day ballistic retrospective

I have the day off until 2pm today. I decided to catch up on news, so I went to my usual sources:
http://www.nytimes.com-->my national news source
http://www.elpasotimes.com-->where I keep up on El Paso news in English
http://www.lapolaka.com-->a Spanish language news-blog
http://www.diario.com.mx/secciones/El_Paso.html-->Spanish language newspaper in El Paso

I happened across an article at the El Paso Times that caught my attention. The headline read, "Gunfire from Juárez usually heard, not seen"

I clicked on the article. The first line read, The gunfire from Juárez that struck El Paso City Hall on Tuesday was unusual.


My first thought, "Gunfire? City Hall? What day did I go to City Hall?"