We've Always Made Monsters
Sometimes I read something powerful and I think, finally: truth, clarity, insight, history, heart. This was the case when I read Erick Sierra’s thoughtful essay about a friend he’s mentored—a young man who fled South America and was granted asylum in the U.S.
Erick enlightens us with a profound and singular truth. That truth is wrapped in history, and it continues to haunt us to this day. He reminds us that we’ve always been making monsters, or more specifically, making certain people out to be monsters.
So, though it’s Halloween, we’re focused here on the imagined monster we learn to hate, not the scary, gory monsters we love to hunker down with during scary movies once the trick or treating is done.
Erick’s essay, which I link to below, was posted on Medium and required a membership to read. I wanted more people to see it, those who cannot afford a membership. I asked him to consider allowing non-members to read it. He made that happen on Substack, and I thank and appreciate his love and kindness. So here it is, free to read, no membership required. Thank you, Erick!
Read it here on Substack. You may be asked to subscribe to read more from Erick, but if you'd rather not, you can click No Thanks.
Well Street
I appreciate that you asked Erick to publish his powerful article for a wider audience, and that he agreed.
There's no sugarcoating Dante's experience with ICE, but fortunately, he has an advocate in Erick, who worked tirelessly to get him out of detention, sparing Dante from being lost in an Everest of bureaucracy and red tape.
The late Reverend Carlton Pearson questioned the need for hell, since so many people are already living there while on Earth. Living in a country where you're threatened to either join a murderous gang or risk being killed yourself sounds like hell. Then, escaping to a country where you believe you'll be safe and can earn a living and support your family back home, but have been branded an enemy and live in fear of being disappeared. That, too, sounds like hell.
Thank you for sharing this article with us.
Evangel
Such an insightful comment. Thinking about Dante as being caught between a rock and a hard place in the fires of hell is justified. It's a strong reminder of the countless others who are caught within those same wicked flames. And yet Dante doesn't want his prof to worry about him.