Well, I will be there in spirit, if not in the flesh. I remember when she claimed sanctuary a year ago - considering the climate even back then, I was pretty surprised that they didn't drag her and Saul out of the church in full view of everyone.

A very admirable and very brave woman.

Every day things seem to get just a little bit worse - and those alarm bells start ringing a little bit louder.

There is very little safety left in citizenship, although I am not sure what it's going to take to get across to some that we are all in this together.

Ay de mi.
How comforting that our government, even as we get mired in a $1 trillion war in Iraq, a housing crisis and credit crunch, a floundering economy and generalized worldwide hatred of US imperial expansion (hey world, we understand, we Mexicans were one of the first victims of Anglo imperialism in 1848), at least we can be reassured that the government has its priorities straight and is going after the truly most important threat to US society-- mujeres Latinas escondiendose en una iglesia con sus niños.

Yeah, from the 1950's the US and British Anglos get their as*es kicked in various wars by Chinese, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Somalis, then lose to Afghans and get humiliated by a bunch of low-tech Iraqi guerrillas using homemade bombs that our government is too incompetent to confront-- but boy, our proud Anglo warriors really show their might and toughness when they're takin' on those brown-skinned little 'Mexcn Mamas holed up in churches. You show em, Anglos, we're in thrall at your virile martial toughness, taking on deadly challenges like that with such courage and determination.

Mis amigos-- as infuriating as this mierda is to all of us, don't let it get you feeling downbeat. Remember, time is on *our* side, not the Anglos. We are becoming the majority in the Southwest once again, enforcing the provisions of the treaties after 1848 that were violated by the Anglos, restoring español on an equal plane as the Anglos' language and culture just like the treaties guarantee, celebrating our culture openly.

All we have to do is to make sure we don't disperse our population too much, concentrate in our SWern homelands, and make absolutely sure that the next generations never allow their identity to be diluted into this faux "assimilation" as the Anglos misdefine it (aka capitulation to Anglo imperialism) that would rob us of who we are. (Remember-- home-schooling! Fight the indoctrination and the intellectual squalor of the Anglo public schools!)

Think about what's happened in California, New Mexico, increasingly even in Texas and Arizona. Little more than 10 short years ago, the Anglos had full control of California and were passing laws to deny even basic services and the warmth of human kindness to the brown-skinned people they broad brush-labeled as "illegals." But the Anglos were defeated then, and now, 10 years later, our demographics and social presence are so strong that no idiot Anglo ever even thinks about pulling that crap again against the California Latinos. The Minuteman jerks in California are increasingly taking off, the Anglos who remain respect us, hablan español, comprenden nuestra historia, aceptan que la "frontera" siempre ha estado falso desde 1848! In most of California, Nuevo Mexico y Tejas, we have such strength now that we are able to provide refuge for our persecuted brethren, soon Arizona will be the same.

Solo es una cuestion de esperar. El tiempo y el futuro sonrien a nuestra gente!

Elvira is an inspiration. She reminds me that it is time for all of us to "step away from the sanctuary" and get busy. Push has come to shove and we must act to bring about the changes we want to see. It is important that we write and speak out, but we must also organize and our coordinate our efforts for maximum impact.

Courage...but you will not hear others call it that of course. Buena suerte Elvira y Saul.

What a lady.

I'll be in the streets of Los Angeles gathering where we La Opinion points us.

Not because I'm Mexican (I'm not), not because I think the laws should be broken (they shouldn't), but because I'm a mother.

And I'll bring my children too.

Trolls, in any language are still ugly.

and always when i wake up. what a greeting. welcome to the spam list ricardo. (For those wondering, the comment is now gone that rafa and i are talking about.)

They are good for bridges, bad for the collective psyche!