There’s a lot of #ICE raids happening – but what we tend to see on a national level is a lot of sign posting and rehashing of talking head content. It seems like social media is all about the sharing of the videos of people being taken – or people protesting – but it seems like theres less appetite on trying to find a concerted effort to push back.
I started making the DEICER site back in February – and have tried contacting large orgs – with little response. I’ve been trying to reach out to a big org since February.. Their CEO asked to have a meeting . Then never showed up.
I literally went to a conference not too long ago where folks were giving a panel on civic engagement. I made it a point to get a chance to ask a question and talked about how we are not meeting this moment. All of the talk about “you should run for office” lands on deaf ears when the crowd keeps looking behind them and seeing one more person taken, another person taken. And another… They are scared. And they have immediate problems. Solving those would engender so much trust.
I told them. “You have the reach to solve the problem. Coordinate a response… and solve the communities immediate problem.. and maybe you’ll engender trust for these bigger things. “
Then – nada.
The more I do this – the more I feel like theres no appetite for this bigger response. When there isn’t a plan to think of this at a bigger scale – I end up in two spots.
Charitably? Its a poverty of imagination. Cynically? Social media has trained us to traffic on the pain. And that’s terrible.
I’m trying to put my head around it. Is it people fighting for donation attention? Is it a fear of retribution? Im half of a mind to just make a video that shows every single large account i’ve tried to reach out to and their lack of response.
Because this fractured approach just helps a few here and a few there. But it doesn’t show a collective strength.
DEICER is being used – and the tech is solid. And it’s good for delivering information to communities. But It could be doing -more- . It’s already built and helping….
There are some fantastic groups out there like Union Del Barrio that are meeting the moment with a concerted on the ground prescence. Their organizaiton is really cool to see. But that’s in LA.
In order to really push back we need millions not thousands.
I think protesting is vital. I think being a witness is vital. The genesis of this when I started it was to model something like Peter Gabriel’s Witness of many years ago.
But the sad part is – the more witnesses we get – the more the administration loads more tear gas canisters – or calls for more soldiers to appear. And then we’re focused on talking about the disproportionate response at the activism – and the vulnerable communities fade even more into the background.
I spoke to some folks in the communities I check on a few days ago. I asked if they were aware of the social media responses that are out there on Instagram and Reels. Two responses stood out to me.
“Nadie tiene tiempo para esas Babosadas”
“Eso no sirve. Si nos toca – nos toca”
That -shouldn’t- be the response the people we are trying to serve feel. The community is in real fear – waiting for these folks to come out of nowhere to take them.
Why isn’t there someone pushing for a giant invisible movement of millions to keep watch. Want to make a difference? Imagine if all of those ICE raids were met with empty streets, or immigrants who are confident on their rights. Or even better – with attorneys in tow. They’d have advance notice. And they can make a choice.
You’d have a revolution without having a single encounter.
Thats what we need.