What an odd excursion into memories and wonders, backed with realizations and gratitude. I used to hitchhike all over the USA in my teen years. I was a runaway…from a relatively good home. To some, my home would’ve seemed like a paradise, to others…ok sure … the southern fringe of white…midline middle class. Whatever. I was Born to be Wild and believed I had to carry out my own set of qualifications. But even hitchhiking around into dark and dreary strange places when I was a teenager still cannot compare to what the people showing up via immigration to Chicago are going through.
First off they are mostly from Venezuela, and it’s not looking good there. People need to get hip to the tip with a quickness. Here are some quotes:
“Venezuela’s democratic collapse and governance failures have caused immense human suffering and lead to the most serious migration crisis in recent memory for this region. In response, democratic international actors, including the United States and in Europe have attempted a range of strategies to dislodge the authoritarian government of Nicolás Maduro. These strategies have often leaned heavily on diplomatic isolation of the regime and an extraordinary set of sanctions targeting not only individuals but critical economic sectors, including the oil industry.” ~Benjamin Gedan
“53 percent of Venezuelan households were living in extreme poverty, according to ENCOVI, the monthly salary of a teacher is $6 and there is rising inequality that we can see and read from other reports, as well as from human rights organizations. We have to think about this in real life terms. People who do not have access to dollars do not have access to running water, electricity, fuel, food or medicine.” ~Maryhen Jiménez
Over 7 million people have left their own country to seek basic human needs. I have no idea how things can be fixed in Venezuela. All I know is I can keep taking art supplies and playing music with people seeking asylum and refuge. I hope Americans can pick up the words Peace and Hope and deliver them with a smile to anyone crossing over from a country aligned with terror. ~dg