Who Will You Protect? by Wendy Millstine

(Photo source: Bloomberg)

“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
by German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller

Several weeks after the elections,
after my initial shock wore off,
after I stopped fear-babbling to myself
about what the hell are we supposed to do,
after I braced myself for the oncoming
annihilation of our nation’s underserved,
underprivileged, and under-appreciated communities,
I made a conscious choice.

I would not lie down and be paralyzed with fear.
I would not let apathy win out.
I would not let cynicism defeat me.
I would not let despair and disgust take over.
I would not, as a white woman with privilege, buckle under.
I would not sit tight and wait for 4 years to pass,
since we all know 4 years will only bring us
a new warmongering regime
set on the ultimate accumulation
of wealth, power, and further colonization.

Guided by the righteous words of my immigrant elders
who taught me that if I don’t stand up
to protect others who are oppressed,
then I can be certain that no one will stand by me
when they come smashing down my door.
So I revisited the North Bay Organizing Project’s
Rapid Response Network.
The Rapid Response Network’s ultimate mission is
“To defend Sonoma County’s immigrant communities
against unlawful detainment and deportation.”
It’s the equivalent to The Underground Railroad during slavery times,
only it’s for undocumented immigrants.

You have to start the revolution somewhere,
and what better place than with the folks
who have already been doing the good work for justice since 2010.
I started my first training as a Legal Observer.
A Legal Observer’s role is to “observe and document
police actions during immigration enforcement activities,
including arrests, searches, and questioning,
and to identify potential legal issues that could be raised later.”
The trainers and speakers were passionate and knowledgeable,
experts in the field of protecting undocumented people and their families
through legal channels.
A Legal Observer’s documentation could help
undocumented people during court trials.
If you witness ICE raids at a business or someone’s house,
please notify the Rapid Response Network at 707-800-4544.
Keep this number in your phone.
They will dispatch trained people to help
undocumented people.

One of the training highlights:
An elderly woman in a wheelchair attended,
her long white hair pulled back in a loose ponytail.
She gave off an air of defiance,
a powerful symbol of resistance to us all.
She became my inspiration.

I’m digging my heels in
with steadfast resistance .

When I speak the word solidarity,
I don’t mean it intellectually.
Solidarity means accountability.
Solidarity means to take action.
When I speak the word resistance,
I don’t mean it just in spirit.
Resistance means making sacrifices.
Resistance means taking risks with your privilege.

Lastly, in case you didn’t know:
Mexico launched an emergency alert app called Consul-App Contigo
to help those facing deportation in US.
The app is designed to provide resources and alert
relatives, lawyers, and officials at the nearest consulate
when someone is being detained or deported.

Who will you stand by and defend?