Night 11 Vigil

Last night Laura invited to a vigil that was being hosted in honor of a fifteen year old boy, Sergio Adrian Hernandez Huereka. "A U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot a 15-year-old Mexican boy after a group trying to illegally enter Texas threw rocks at officers near downtown El Paso." His mother, Maria Guadalupe Huereka described how her son was waiting for his older brother who worked for the border custom's office. As Adrian Hernandez Huereka waited for his older brother, he met a couple of his friends and hung out by the river. "That was his mistake, to have gone to the river," the mother said. "That's why they killed him." On behalf of the Border Patrol agent who shot the child, the president T.J Bonner seemingly tried to justify the agent's actions by stating "It is a deadly force encounter, one that justifies the use of deadly force." The amount of deaths occurring at the border have been increasing "from five in 2008 to 12 in 2009 to 17 so far this year, which is not half over."

Last night I attended a vigil for this child. We met with Laura's coworker, Zelene who is a hard core activist on human rights. From there we drove to the place where individuals gathered and began to light our candles. Then the walk began. In the breezy, calm, sad evening the whole group began the walk towards the border to get as close as we possibly could to Adrian Hernandez Huereka's death. As we approached what seemed to be just open space in front of an apartment, two cop cars awaited our arrival. But the drummer kept drumming on. Bhum- bhum, bhum bhum, BHUM- BHUM....We all gathered around in a circle and listened to various speakers, holding our candles in the dark night. Flashes kept going off since tons of media coverage was being taken. As I listened to the woman talk about Adrian Hernandez Huereka, it was so surreal for me to even be present at the place, at that moment. She clearly said that "WE have lost OUR son." We need to do something about it. We need to end this battle of violence that has been going on for over 150 years. It is not Mexico versus the United States. How can it be? How can it be seen as two separate nations with people displaced into various locations? "WE have lost OUR son. WE must celebrate his life. WE must celebrate his relationship to his family members. WE must celebrate how he went to school." WE. It was so real. Being there around people who have lost loved ones and coming together yet with some kind of hope, some kind of courage, and some kind of faith, real faith that this will not continue. This will end. Violence on the border is not the answer. It can not be the answer.