Open Your Eyes

“There’s a dying world outside your stained-glass windows;depressed people, poor people, addicts and widows.” (Clayton Jennings, 1:33-1:38)

“Cool and comfortable behind their air filters, with their A/C and recycling, they might not even care that the world was falling apart outside their windows.” (43) In the book TheWater Knife I read about a guy named Angel driving through Phoenix and he sees people trying to cover up because of the dust in the air. There was broken glass, women on the corners and refugees squatting at traffic intersections, begging for work and cash. He then arrived to Hotel 6 where the as soon as you walk in everything that happened outside seems to no longer exist.

The past two summers I was able to help lead a team of 5^th graders on a mission trip. When I hear about mission trips and people telling testimonies about kids who have to walk far water, or they have not eaten in an week, it’s one thing to hear about it, but it’s another thing to see it. I went on the mission trip it broke my heart  see women on the streets to provide for their families, and to hear that the only food some people had eaten, was the food that we had given them during Vacation Bible School. While on the mission trip it opened my eyes to see how blessed we are, we don’t have to worry about when our next meal will be or how long we need to manage water to make it through the week.

 In America we have so many things that other countries do not have, but we are like Angel driving through and just watching it, and as we get into the comfort of our homes, we forget what is happening in the world around us. “Indonesian officials have said the search for victims of last month's earthquake and tsunami is to end on Thursday - despite the fact hundreds of people are still unaccounted for.”

Land of the Free

"This land is your land, this land is my land. From California to the New York Island." (Woody Guthrie) The American dream is a "national ethos of the United States, the set of ideals (democracy, rights, liberty, opportunity and equality) in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, as well as an upward social mobility for the family and children." In the Grapes of Wrath families had to migrate to California during the dustbowl. The Joad family (the main family of the book) had high hopes/expectations before leaving for California. “Maybe we can start over again, in the new rich land-in California, where fruit grows. We’ll start over.” (9) “But I think how nice it’s going to be, maybe in California. Never cold. An’ people just being in the nicest places, little white houses among the orange trees.” (10) America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. The migrants had great hopes for the journey ahead, unfortunately the country they were about to travel to would not be as free or welcoming. “This is a free country. Fella can go wherever he wants.” “That’s what you think! Ever hear of the border patrol on the California line? Police from Los Angeles- stop you. Says, got a driver’s license? Let’s see it. Tore it up. Says you can’t come in without no driver’s license.” (11)  Upon their arrival to California they were “welcomed” with cops demanding to search through their things and being threatened that if they do not leave, they will be burned out.

This novel revealed very disturbing things about the migrants not being treated right, and it makes me wonder, have things changed? “Juan David Ortiz,35, an intel supervisor for the Border Patrol, was charged with four counts of murder and aggravated assault and unlawful restraint.”