CASH MICHAELS
IN THE FACE OF TYRANNY
by Cash Michaels
It is our deepest, most cherished tradition.
And there’s no “perhaps” about it!
Opening our shores, and our borders, to those who seek a land, a home, of freedom, future and opportunity. For those willing to work hard and sacrifice, the promise of being allowed to do so as long as they understand that in exchange, they'll contribute to this glorious idea that for almost 250 years now, we’ve proudly called "America."
As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said during his historic 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech, “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
It should be no surprise that for generations now, the world has heard Dr. King’s prolific words of American promise, freedom and opportunity, and taken them to heart. That’s why many have come here. We should be very proud of that!
Now of course, as a nation, we must maintain our borders to make sure that those who come in understand that with citizenship comes responsibility, and respect for our rule of law. And normally, as a nation, we handle that question with civility, and justice. We do so in marked contrast to the tyranny of other nations. That is what makes us proud to be Americans.
And we share that pride with our collective energy, vision, and commitment to make this country the best that it can be for ourselves, our families, and each another.
That’s why last week was an extremely painful one for those of us who truly care about what being an American is all about.
We turned on our television sets, and we saw human beings - men, women, and yes, children - living in fear across our state, running and hiding, even in the woods, from masked federal agents with weapons from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) chasing them for capture because, we’re told, they're “violent criminals” who don’t belong in our country.
Really? “Violent criminals?” Working at long established neighborhood businesses for years; raking the leaves from the front yards and streets of their churches and homes; driving their vehicles to their places of employment; attending church and public school; taking their children to school; at home enjoying what they thought was the safety and sanctity of their property they purchased with their hard earned money; and I could go.
Oh I don’t doubt that there are many undocumented immigrants in our communities here in North Carolina and elsewhere across the nation. But the disgraceful display of masked, armed, aggressive federal tyranny we all witnessed last week was anything but representative of the sacred rule of law we all cherish and covet.
Wasn't very Christian either!
Hey masked man! Yeah you, manhandling that defenseless Hispanic woman. What did she do? Why did you stop her? Where’s your warrant to arrest her? You and those masked goons with you also manhandling her and throwing her into the back of that unmarked van, where are you taking her? When will she see a judge? Have you read her her rights? Will she get an attorney? You know, our Constitution says she still has rights in this country whether she’s a citizen or not! Where did you say you’re taking her again? What the hell do you mean “Put down that phone?” Got news for you, Rambo… as long as you keep doing what you and your masked muscle men keep doing out here in public, out in the open, I have the right to pull out my iPhone and capture it all so that folks can see their precious tax dollars at work!
Funny how a little tyranny in the neighborhood brings out the patriotism in people.
On Saturday, my wife and I decided to have a meal at a New Mexican restaurant that just opened near us recently. When we pulled up to the front the door to walk in, we were unexpectedly greeted with a sign taped to the entrance:
STOP - NO ICE ACCESS IN THIS BUSINESS. PRIVATE PROPERTY ENTRY RESTRICTED BY LAW. NOTICE TO ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT & IMMIGRATION AGENTS…..
I mean this thing made you stop and read it thoroughly to make sure you weren’t doing anything wrong just standing there.
The notice had lots of legalese in smaller print to read, but the part I really found interesting was one of the last lines that said:
IF YOU ATTEMPT TO ENTER THIS BUSINESS WITHOUT A VALID JUDICIAL WARRANT , YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE.
IF YOU ENTER, YOU RE TRESPASSING, AND WE WILL SEEK LEGAL RECOURSE!
The damn thing was enough to make you lose your appetite! But you know what? It didn’t stop my wife and I from going inside, getting a nice table along with a lot of other Saturday afternoon customers, not only having a great meal, but getting great food to go, and having pleasant conversations with our waitress and the manager, plus great service.
It was a damn shame this business had to post that notice to protect its workers and customers.
But the whole experience also made me proud.
Proud of hundreds of fellow citizens who took to the streets in Charlotte, Raleigh, Cary and Durham last week to protest Trump administration tyranny and stand up for the rights of their neighbors who were being unjustly persecuted and hunted down like animals.
Proud of bold elected officials like Gov. Josh Stein, Rep. Alma Adams, and the mayors of Raleigh, Cary and Durham who issued messages in defense of the rights of all citizens, urging calm and caution, but also making sure that people knew their rights in the face of tyranny.
Proud of our local and national media that covered not just the outrage of the masked, armed federal tyranny, but what churches and civic groups were doing to confront the threat.
Yes, in the midst of undeniable shame being perpetrated by our federal government, there was a lot to be proud of in how North Carolinians banded together the week before Thanksgiving to protect the rights of people who were being racially profiled just because they were Hispanic or looked different. Illegally picked up and detained in many cases, some were actually naturalized American citizens with spotless criminal records. Some, I’m sure, even served proudly in our military, or had grown children who are doing so.
But there was also crap I couldn’t ignore, like from Republican House Speaker Destin Hall, who told the News & Observer in an interview that he saw nothing wrong with the Border Patrol raid tactics, and hoped “They will come back!”
MEMO TO SPEAKER HALL AND MAGA FOLKS LIKE HIM:
If, in fact we have so-called “violent criminals” in our midst, we’re supposed to have laws governing how we bring them to justice. That includes reading them their rights, and treating them humanely until they go before a court of law to face their charges.
This business of rounding human beings up like cattle and breaking up families must stop because it IS NOT THE AMERICAN WAY! It may be Trump’s way, but NOT ours!
Let’s say it plain here! ICE/Border Patrol agents have rounded up tens of thousands of people from here and across the country, supposedly “violent criminals,” and instead of taking them to court for the due process they're entitled to, have bound them up like animals, shaved their heads, and shipped them off to foreign prisons in other countries where they re beaten and abused. It’s no secret that the real goal here is to deport millions of undocumented immigrants from our country under the ruse of criminality.
Oh I get it! Your boss hog Trump wants to get rid of as many as possible now so that they won’t be voting for Democrats in the future. And you think this is a winning strategy…!
That’s Trump’s mandate, and it’s a deep stain on our democracy, and our established rule of law.
We know you’re coming back, Border Patrol, because you told us so. But when you do, if you truly want respect for the work you’re assigned to do, try doing it legally! With federal warrants and advising those arrested of the rights they have. As those six Democratic congresspeople Trump threatened with death warned, if you’re in federal or military service, and you’re ordered to do something illegal, refuse to do it!
And you can start by taking those damn masks off your faces! You carry guns, so what are you afraid of ?!!
For everybody else, I pray that you and your families have a safe, blessed and peaceful Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Be thankful for the freedoms we have left while we have them, but please, pray for the future of our nation.
And as for you ICE, Border Patrol and your boss hog Donald Trump, I “respectfully” say…GOBBLE, GOBBLE to you and yours!!!
-30-
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