Tent City Vigil at GA in PHX- standing on the side of love

We came to act and witness and that we did. Last night we had a permit for 2000 of us to hold a vigil just outside Sheriff Joe Apraio's tent city. This is where undocumented immigrants are held until their trials. Sheriff Joe closed the tent city to visitors (their families) when he knew we were coming.

Earlier in the day during our plenary session we heard first hand accounts of families fractured by this inhumane treatment. There was not a dry eye in the hall of 3000+ as the two young women spoke, with their children in their arms.

20 busses making round trips took us to the site. We had been warned that there would be a counter protest, and they would be carrying guns, legally.

We arrived in the middle pack of the people being dropped off. A team of WITNESS folks shepherded us by the counter protesters to the site where we would hold the vigil. We were encouraged to drink lots of water in the 100 degree evening temperatures. People were always shoving a bottle of cold water toward you.

When we got off the bus, and saw the counter protesters, all of the bus loads sang, "when I breath in, I breath in peace, when I breath out I breath out love". We know this song well, and we sang it impromptu on the bus ride there, and it is well ingrained in our psyches, to remember when we are anxious.

We sang familiar songs, we shouted hoping the detainees could hear us and we practiced non-violence and we stood on the side of love.

We felt safe as more and more bus loads arrived, and the Phoenix police force were there in hundreds. Joe and his sheriff department stood near the entrance, and their numbers also grew by the ones.

People arrived from 8-9:30 and the last ones arrived back at the convention center after midnight.

When we got back to the convention center, a Chaplain got on our bus, encouraged us to drink more water, and made us all aware that Chaplains would be available that evening. A group, who had stayed back at the convention center made an archway holding of candles as we disembarked and sang soothing hymns to us as we made our way "home".

I have been a part of peaceful vigils before however, none this large. I was afraid for only a few moments, when I first saw the counter protesters, and when we were instructed to walk in twos, in the middle of the road.

When I felt overheated and thirsty I only had to remember the detainees, and what they experience 365/24/7. I took the water because I need to stay healthy to keep up our fight against this intolerable treatment of human beings.

This morning one of our partners from Phoenix, spoke during a worship and thanked us for witnessing with them. He was brought to tears, as he thanked us. He was blown away by our numbers, and he was changed profoundly by the expression of support he felt, as were we changed by their stories. He lives this every day in his work, while we return to carry the flame back to our congregations.

We came to Phoenix for Justice GA, to act and not just talk and we did just that. I will decide in the next few weeks what to do next. I have never been so ready to write President Obama a letter. That letter is marinating in my mind as we speak. In my dream, or rather nightmare, I am having a conversation with Sheriff Joe, and in a mode of inquiry I am asking him, "What were you thinking?" or "How can you look at yourself in the mirror?"

My wise daughter helps me get over being angry at him and to realize that he is a victim of our immigration laws and local power. Yes, I get that, but with my UU values I can not imagine treating anyone or anything as cruelly as detainees are treated in Tent City.

This vigil has given me much to think about. My heart is heavy as images of young women and men with fractured families, are deeply embedded in my mind. This story of inhumane treatment is repeated every minute all over the world. There is a lot of work to do, to Stand on the side of Love.


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