Activism, activate, act, act up....
I read an article today that summarized the actions of the U.S. military in Honduras over the past 10 years, and it just made me sad, angry, disgusted, and wanting to get active.
If you haven't heard of General John Kelly, you might have been like many people around me who take care of their own business and don't bother with things outside of their daily lives. But, this is important. We have a lot of Hondurans living in Kansas City - many who are seeking asylum and the right to stay in the U.S. Did you know that in 2005, Manuel Zelaya was the democratically elected President of Honduras? He proposed land reforms and limits to international corporations in Honduras. The Honduran military kidnapped President Zelaya in 2009. General John Kelly was the head of the U.S. Southern command during this time, and worked to support the military coup. In 2017, elections in Honduras were held and Juan Hernandez was elected. The elections were condemned internationally, as being unfair and corrupt, but nevertheless, President Hernandez is in power. According to some, General John Kelly and the new President Hernandez are close friends.
I hope that the name John Kelly sounds familiar to you, because he has been in the news a lot over the past six months. He is the same John Kelly who is now President Trump's Chief of Staff. Small world. With the end of Temporary Protected Status for Hondurans approaching, and many Hondurans still coming to the U.S. to seek protection from the violence in Honduras, these issues are affecting our Kansas City community. This recent history in Honduras is connected to the influx of young people seeking asylum in the U.S. Our U.S. government has helped support a government in Honduras that does not protect its people, but does act to protect the interests of international corporations and big business.
It is time for those of us who can to take action and let our Representatives and President know that human life is more important than corporate profit; that we want a U.S. that will fulfill our obligations under international human rights law and provide a safe and welcoming community to refugees. I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and get active with me to protect our neighbors.
Below are some opportunities to learn more about local activism.
April 28: A Humanitarian Approach to addresses removing nuclear weapons, Hosted by PeaceWorks KC, https://www.facebook.com/events/205806526685421/
April 29: Movie Night: Poor People's Campaign. Hosted by The Open Table. https://www.facebook.com/events/198114387582775/
April 29: Poor People Campaign - A National Call for Moral Revival "Share." Unity Southeast in Kansas City. https://www.facebook.com/events/217869545614302/
April 29: Meet a Muslim at Dialogue Institute of the Southwest-KC. Hosted by Crescent Peace Society and Dialogue Institute of Kansas City. https://www.facebook.com/events/575045612864671/
