MAYAN CALENDAR NEWS: MORE EXCELLENT FEEDBACK...COMMENTARY ON "ENDGAME"
OK MAYAN READERS,
I want to thank everyone who has contributed their thoughts, observations,
arguments and suggestions on the national crisis provoked by "Operation
Endgame". I want to make one point clear, none of us are "against" the other.
We disagree about how we "percieve" Operation Endgame; the severity of it's
intention. We all agree that we must oppose and resist this massive modern day
"Inquisition" of our people. We must end this Gestapo Police State policy
before it becomes a permanent reality in our lives.
The views expressed in this edition of the MCN are poignant, inspirational even.
Again, I thank everyone who has taken the time to express their opinions...they
truly are impressive and are "pure gold".
Carlos Perez
Founder/Editor
Mayan Calendar News
ELENA WROTE:
"Dear friends;
After reading about "Endgame" and witnessing it at work in Detroit, I
have to say that it is hard to know the right way to go. We have
complained, protested, posted bonds, and endless other activities to
support the vulnerable community, the way our elders never had support.
Any and all analysis is important. Historical context is important,
although there is no comparison when one considers the bizarre demands
of late capitalism, versus the early industrialism that drew our
families here. There are more people to lend support, more technology,
and infinitely more solidarity between borders because of the links
between families now. We can hold vigils, show solid support for
people in these dark days, raise hell, hide out, pray, fight, whatever
one believes one's contribution can be. And we can show patience and
solidarity with each other, respect each others' analysis, keep asking
questions and keep struggling. We can never give up. It is important
that we hold each others' efforts, no matter how we disagree, in the
light of our best selves. What is a good response today may not be
tomorrow because no one is in charge, just a headless, heartless
monster. At least that's the way it seems to me here. Maybe some of
you know different, but given our best
efforts in our truest intentions, we have to keep on.
Here we have people coming and going between states and hoping their
cases will follow so they are not considered fugitives. We have people
in detention who have lived in the US for their whole lives, have no
Mexican passports, have no ties to Mexico and would absolutely be
Repatriados when they get there. But they will return and their
children will sponsor them, so the future generations will remember
what their parents suffered. And they will remember how we acted with
them, for better or worse.
All of this will be remembered. How we treat each other will be remembered.
Amor y lucha
Elena Herrada"
PEPE WROTE:
"What is needed is some action on our part to address this gestapo conduct.
During the Viet Namn war Budhist monks doused themselves with gasoline to
protest against a ruthless government that was brutal in many ways, I am not
suggesting that we do the same, but we need to look at actions that will make
the Gestapo stop these acts of total disregard for families and human rights.
When the hundreds of Mexicanos were arrested in Missisippi, the coworkers
applauded. What is needed is extroadinary actions to address this attitude of
hatred and indifference to our folks. Blacks took to the streets for police
brutality in the sixties and seventies (Rodney King). The whole world stopped
and listened. We just can't sit and let this go on."
JORGE MUJICA WROTE:
"I tought my English was bad... now I'm sure. You did not understand me.
I never said that Endgame "will end when the Homeland Security Gestapo will say
it will end", therefore there is no incorrect assumption, on my part, at least.
All I'm saying is that the gobernment is using immigration as an excuse.
Endgame is the immigration part of militarizing the country, but this
militarization goes way beyond immigrants. The final goal then, again, is not
to deport people but to smash resistance, protest and dissagreement.
Millions are already imprisoned or in some kind of legal process. You are
connecting the dots in the wrong order.
The U.S. war is against "all people", not only "our people", and has been going
on since forever. It's all a matter of how to get the most riches out of
everyone to be enjoyed by the few, wheter is inside or outside the U.S.
I don't expect you to "believe that Operation Endgame will be a limited
project", blah, blah, blah... That's your own assumption. Endgame is just part
of the creation of Homeland Security, the Patriot Act, the "War on Terror", the
threats against Iran, Korea and so on. But "Endgame", as a gobernment program,
is set for 2003-2013. Will they extend it under the same name or the "American
Program Against Alien Invasion 2013-3013"? Who knows. But "Endgame" is set for
2003-2013.
I don't like people to be afraid. Under fear, people don't move, don't act,
don't react, don't protest. Take a look at Macarthism. Very few struggles
happened until 1968. A fearfull generation is the last thing we need.
If you collaborate in putting fear into people, you will be collaborating with
the "siniester and evil powers behind Operation Endgame"
Protests, marches, vigils are not the solution to Endgame or the militarization
of the country, but teach people to fignt, to yell, shout and scream. What kind
of struggle do you propose with people sleeping under their mattress for fear
of jail, deportation and incarceration?
I'm talking about teaching people to fight. To fight in the workplace, to fight
in the street, to fight in the school. To fight Endgame, to fight the "American
Program Against Alien Invasion 2013-3013". You are talking about community
gardens, buying wholesale through combined purchasing power, opening up church
facilites as community dining rooms and boycotting "all but CITGO"?
Go ahead. I just hope we can find some kind of middle groud and work together,
both in the short and long terms.
Un abrazo!"
TONY HERRERA WROTE:
"Hello all,
I wish to point out that our difference with Jorge Mujica (which is strategic)
does not alter in any way the manner in which we are promoting that the
immigrant community must wage its fight regardless of the view you accept
("they can" or "they can't" deport all the undocumented) .
Our community will still need to develop means of surving the repression,
raids, separation of families, racist profiling, violation of rights, inability
to stay employed, etc., etc.
Our community will still need to find support systems and build alliances and
develop community, grassroots power as part of its organization building needed
for the long haul.
Our movement will still need to turn its attention to this level of detailed
organizing which emphasizes drawing forward leaders from within the community,
uniting with them to form another layer of leadership that is organized and
capable of leading to win, not protests, but winning the outcome of the battle
itself.
Our community will still have to go through the preparation stages for a more
developed sophisticated struggle where we can act as one body, capaple of
exercising and enforcing our collective will. The slogan "the giant has
awakened" referring to our community is only a half statment. The other half
is "Now we need to get him in shape".
The preparation campaign is designed to get our community in shape, to build
the organizational capability at the deep grassroots that utilizes its
resources to the max on all levels. This must be done irrespective of whether
or not you believe that they can deport everyone or not just as a matter of
being good organizers and building grassroots empowerment.
This past September of 2007, we engaged along with other forces in a broad
coaltion in a one week work stoppage that tested all our capabilities and
resources to the max. From the standpoint of accomplishing its objectives, it
failed. However strategically it was a victory because now the leadership
forces in our community now know what it will take when the next time
approaches. We had to try in order to know what this type of action requires.
Despite that it is estimated that around 20 to 40 thousand participated and
many more supported even though they did not leave work themselves.
Let me say that the experience was sobering even to the most idealist, romantic
who lives for this type of action. We saw first hand what it takes to engage
in this type of action from the logistical, organization, political, economic
and moral angles. It reinforced even stronger the preparation stage that our
community MUST go through as part of its own survival in times like these. The
whole campaign would have had a different nature had our community PREPARED,
PREPARED, PREPARED!
For the record, Unidos en Arizona is NOT an immigrants rights organization
(although we fight for immigrant rights). Unidos en Arizona is a community
EMPOWERMENT organization of, by and for the Latino Community. "Community
empowerment through grassroots organizing is our slogan". We joined the
battle from this angle because the main attacks on the Latino community were
being directed at our immigrant sector and harms all of our community both
citizen and non-citizen.
That is why we are so adamant that this fight must be capable of empowering our
people through organization and not merely mobilizing them. Mobillizations are
expressions of power and have the semblance of power, but without organization
that is built upon them, they fail to arm our people to be capable of fighting
to win.
The problem has been that our movement collectively has not even considered the
issue of waging an organized national fight, because we have been to busy
fighting! To pause and strategize, come up with a good analysis of the balance
of forces our strength, weaknesses and that of our opponents has been labeled a
waste of time. "We need to take it to the streets" has been the attitude that
has dominated our thinking as thought there were some kind of magic in it.
Now it is evident that we are being kicked all over the playing field and
having a "better way" to fight is so evident a blind person can see it.
Our last version of our proposal proposal (which was distributed to all back in
March of 2007) has not changed fundamentally since our earlier proposal in
August of 2006. For those that wish a copy, please write me and I will send
them to you. We argued that we use the "Unity Blueprint" as a starting point
as part of developing our response to the proposals that were being imposed on
our community without their input.
We propose that the preparaton campaign also be a mechanism for bringing the
discussions about what a reform should look like to every living room in our
community so that we are armed with this knowledge and can intelligently
support or deny our support of a next round of proposals that hit the table,
among which must be our own.
Where this difference of opinion ("They can, they can't deport everyone") can
spell disaster is, if the view that they can't takes the form of downplaying
the urgency of these tasks, of the building of alliances of preparing people to
weather the storm, of building the support groups and grassroots organizations
and so on.
If what is proposed is a more a refined protest plan than a battle plan to win,
then we will have lost valuable time that we do not have.
For more info on Endgame and how it fits into the broader picture please go to
this link and read the article by Richard Vogel
Transient Servitude: The U.S. Guest Worker Program for Exploiting Mexican and
Central American Workers
http://www.monthlyr eview.org/ 0107vogel. htm
The author says:
"The final campaign of Endgame, a nationwide assault on the established
communities of undocumented migrants living and working in the United States
and the deportation of millions of men, women, and children to Mexico and
Central America, is the immigration emergency anticipated by the DHS. It will
be the biggest mass deportation in world history. To remove all removable
aliens means to locate, arrest, detain, and deport in excess of twelve million
people. The logistical problems alone are staggering and, if ICE meets
organized resistance, the operation could indeed produce an immigration
emergency. People with their lives invested in the United States and with
nothing to return to in their home countries might not go without a fight. The
organization and training of ICE for military operations indicates that DHS is
anticipating just such a contingency. "
Finally, let me say that this type of debate and discussion has been a long
time in coming. It should have taken place immediately after the formation of
NAIR while we were still fresh and had we done so, we would have been in
fundamentally different place than where we are today (and our community too).
Lets NOT lose this opportunity to engage in dialogue and exchanges of proposals.
Through these it is possible that networks will unite around one or another
proposal and begin working on it. This will represent a quantum leap from
where we are today even if it means that we will have compteting trends or
lines being implemented. At this stage of our development it will be an asset
to have groups of people and organizations from across the country engaging in
on-going, coordinated work.
There are many lessons to be learned in this fight and working collectively we
can increase our learning curve and bring ourselves up to speed nationally.
This is what we must strive for.
In solidarity,
Tony"
PHIL HUCKLEBERRY WROTE:
"One thought:
Most municipal elections in Illinois are non-partisan, or sort of a
strange version of partisan where there's municipal-only parties that
get formed ("the Cicero Party" or whatever). There's usually a lot
less money in most of these races (still some, just less) and it's
easier to launch a significant grassroots campaign because people
don't know what districts they live in but they know what city they
live in.
There's no elections in early 2009 in Chicago, but everywhere else in
Illinois, there are elections, and the petitioning period actually
begins in about two weeks. I think in places like Cicero and other
neighboring suburbs which now have strong Latino populations, this is
a prime time to field candidates for those municipal seats, those
school boards, etc. and make those communities bulwarks against ICE
and similar operations.
Obviously the Green Party is lacking in financial and other resources
to support a lot of those endeavors, but we at least know what the
paperwork hurdles are and can provide a broader platform for
organizing if people are interested in that. It's very hard to
organize for these races when you're also organizing around the
November elections - the election calendar isn't a coincidence, the
people who control things know how all this works - but the secret is
to do the minimal groundwork for those races early and then after the
November elections, immediately move into the next election cycle
without taking time off.
Not a specific plan here, just general thoughts, but 2009 seems like a
ripe time for citizen immigrants to strike a blow back and try to take
power in some of these places. Imagine a Mexican city council in
Carpentersville!
- Phil"
CARLOS REFLECTS:
Back between 1953 - 56, over two million Mexicans were deported during
"Operatioon Wetback". Many of them were citizens of the USA. They were just
rounded up in the streets and shipped back to Mexico in Box Cars. At that time
(1953 -56), there were only about 5 million Mexicans in the USA. That means,
that 40% (forty per cent) of the Mexican population in the USA was uprooted and
thrown out of this country, violently and with no recourse to redress of
grievances, due process rights, etc.
Mind you, more than 500,000 Mexicans served in the armed forces of the USA
during World War II, and Mexicans were the most decorated for their service in
combat during this conflict. Yet, in spite of this contribution to the war
effort...Operation Wetback was put into effect.
Well Gente, history repeats itself.
My argument is this: Operation Wetback...Operation Endgame...are rooted in a
rabid racist
anti-mexican hysteria that dates back to the mid 19th century invasion of
Mexico by the USA.
Mexico was invaded without cause or provocation in 1848....just as Iraq was
invaded in 2001.
Abraham Lincoln vehemently opposed the war against Mexico and denounced it
publicly.
Later, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant would also declare that the war against Mexico was
a sham.
The hysteria, racism, hyperbolic propaganda that was used to incite the war
against Mexico is still being used today and is embodied in the inflammatory
rhetoric of the anti-mexican minutemen, the MOEDI media, and the Bush crime
cabal.
Gente, according to the AP news report on the ICE raid in Mississipi, those
were UNION members of the AFL-CIO, that were applauding the arrest of the
Mexican workers.
!!!UNION MEMBERS!!!
You see Gente, Omar Lopez is right when he states that the immigration debate
needs to be the center piece of national labor reform, instead of in the arena
of NATIONAL SECURITY!
As long as the rabid racist right wing neo-nazis dominate the rhetoric and the
tone of the debate around undocumented workers and families in this country,
then we will always have to contend with these massive racist GESTAPO POLICE
STATE policies; which are a danger to all human rights and dignity.
Phil Huckleberry is right.....the Immigrant Rights movement is a tremendous
opportunity available to us....through the vehicle of the Green Party, (here in
Illinois the Green Party is now an official recognized political third party
and not an independent entity).
The Immigrant Rights movement can place candidates in the upcoming municipal,
township elections throughout the state of Illinois for Mayor, Town President,
Town Council, etc.....
The Green Party can become the party of the Immigrat Rights movement in
Illinois, and in every state where it has a similar official status.
Nationally, the Green Party Candidate for President of the USA, Cynthia
McKinney, is a true champion for the Immigrant Rights movement. Rosa Clemente,
Green Party VP Candidate also is a champion of human rights and dignity.
When I read their speeches, every word they speak resonates with the mission,
perspective, and
political persuasion of the Mayan Calendar News.
The Green Party is already the party of the Immigrant Rights movement.....as
it is the true anti-war Party!!!!
This vehicle is available to US....and I exhort the Immigrant Rights movement
to....
"SEIZE THE TIME".....
Carlos Perez
Founder/Editor
Mayan Calendar News
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