We will show them our love.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. - Martin Luther King, Jr.
We will show them our love.
Merry Christmas Eve! I won't be long, as I still have meals to prepare and gifts to wrap, but I wanted to share a few of my favorite holiday memories that used love to ward off hatred.
A line on a map is, in my opinion, just that, a line. I believe fervently that anyone who comes to the USA seeking refuge should be allowed an opportunity to have a hearing and have the right to call America home.
During the Trump administration, ICE Miramar went from seeing a few hundred immigrants to thousands. ICE Miramar is a horrible place that separates families that have lived and worked in our community for 10, 20, 30, and yes, even 40 years. For context, ICE Miramar is in the middle of suburbia, surrounded by homes, businesses, and churches. Most people driving by wouldn't know that they were separating thousands of families and deporting people from our communities to countries that many had not seen in years.
Every Wednesday, a wonderful group of local activists comes out to share coffee, drinks, and snacks with immigrants in line at ICE Miramar. The Circle of Protection, as they are known, organized a toy giveaway for the holidays, and I am forever smiling when I see the photo above of myself with the children. The parents trusted me and others from the Circle of Protection to pull their children out of the long lines at ICE Miramar and walk across the street to meet Santa and get toys and snacks. I love this picture because it reminds me that despite the wickedness of people, we can overcome difficult circumstances and show others who we are with our love. I was proud to be a part of the Circle of Protection for a few years, where each week, and yes, for the holidays, we showed up to be a friend to folks in our community facing tough times.
In closing, I will share a few more photos that shows that love, not hate, makes America great.
Many of you were there, but for folks that were not, in 2019, we organized an Impeach and Remove rally and collected 26 baskets of food and a truckload of toys to give to those in need in our community. Again, despite the difficult times we were facing as a nation, we can always find a way to show others in our community our love.
Thank you for all you do in our communities with your love. I have seen your people power, your words, and actions, moving towards a community free of racism, xenophobia, islamophobia, anti-semitism, homophobia, misogyny, sizeism, ageism, ableism, elitism, and bigotry!
Whatever holiday you celebrate this year, Christmas, Hannukah, or Kwanza, I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season!
Everyone deserves to vote and thrive,
Laurie Woodward Garcia (paid with hugs and kisses, not bought by special interests)
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I believe in the power of the people. People Power United members believe in the possibility of change and work to make it happen. I have seen the love and determination of folks stepping up to write letters and postcards to voters, signing petitions and letter campaigns, making calls, sending texts, hitting doors, and dropping literature. There is no power like that of the people, and People Power United stands ready to protect our communities against any and all injustices. - Laurie Woodward Garcia, People Power United
People Power United - In this community, we will always speak out against racism, xenophobia, islamophobia, anti-semitism, homophobia, misogyny, sizeism, ageism, ableism, elitism, and bigotry! Can you help us spread the word? Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
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Annetta G Schneider once said: “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of one tiny flame. That’s how powerless darkness is!” Thank you for your works.
THE ENEMY INSURRECTIONIST ARE AT THE GATE, DEFEAT TREASONOUS , TERRORIST, AND CON REPUBLICONS EVERYWHERE AND JAIL CORRUPT AND TRAITOR RTRUMP AND CRONIES.THE ENEMY INSURRECTIONIST ARE AT THE GATE, DEFEAT TREASONOUS , TERRORIST, AND CON REPUBLICONS EVERYWHERE AND JAIL CORRUPT AND TRAITOR RTRUMP AND CRONIES. VOTE DEMOCRATIC , AND RESTORE DEMOCRACY.