There is a quote that continued to float through my mind over the past couple of weeks. Ahmed Al-Omran, a fellow activist stated, "When you start to care, you can't stop. But the more you care, the more it burdens you. And you start asking yourself: is it even worth it?"
On July 2nd thousands of people met at the Capitol stairs to stand together against HB87. Standing in the middle of that crowd, I could honestly say, "It was worth it." It was exciting to stand and look back and forwards seeing the streets lined with people calling for a stop to HB87. It was a time to celebrate the victories that were gained by the recent court ruling and to call out for an end to unfair immigration policies. People from different walks in life, different races, documented and undocumented individuals, used one voice to demand that the federal government create a fair, comprehensive immigration policy and strike down the unfair state laws. Although July 2nd was an exciting day, it must be seen as a start and not a finish.
This is not the time to stop calling for change. It is easy to step back after a victory and stop fighting for change, but this is the time to fight harder. We still have a battle ahead to keep pushing for all aspects of HB87 to be overturned and for the federal government to create a plan that will allow undocumented individuals a pathway to citizenship. Hang on to the great feeling of the July 2nd rally, but remember to keep working for change. We must continue to let our voices be heard, because if we once again become the silent majority, we are handing our opposition the victory. We are allowing them to win. We are once again allowing them to dictate the course of our country and our future. Democracy is not a short fight and it begins with us. American journalist Chris Floyd asked, "Will we say that we stood silently by, shrugging our shoulders, filling our bellies, closing our eyes? Or will we be able to say: We saw. We dissented. We resisted. We condemned."
