A New Form of Manifest Destiny ~ A Student with no Hope commits Suicide.

By Shirl Mora James

Lead Co-President of the National Tequila Party Movement

Civil Rights and Immigration Lawyer

Courtesy of KGBT Action 4 News

With a heavy heart, I write this article today as the Tears for Joaquin Luna stream down my cheeks. The National Tequila Party mourns for our young brother and sends our deepest condolences to his family. The anger that wells up in my soul is almost unbearable as I ponder why a brilliant eighteen old student, Joaquin Luna, took his own life. This is the most tragic story that I have seen lately in which an aspiring engineer, Joaquin Luna, shot himself because he did not have a piece of paper that would allow him the possibility for a better tomorrow. According to news reports, Joaquin took his life because as an American without U.S. status, i.e., his dreams of a bright tomorrow as an engineer would not be realized.

Joaquin Luna committed suicide because of his status as a Latino-American immigrant without U.S. legal residency. I know that as Americans of the U.S., we are kind-hearted, welcoming, compassionate and accepting people. However, currently in the United States of America, we are living in an abyss of hate against immigrants which was created to promote some ones’ political gains. How quickly, the politicians forget that they too are children of immigrants that come over to the United States unlawfully. Their ancestors came here, killed our Native brothers and sisters, and stole their land and then called their genocide ‘Manifest Destiny’. Today, we have a new form of ‘Manifest Destiny’ and it’s called the denial of the passage of the DREAM ACT.

As I look across this nation, I wondered how this great country could allow the constant bullying of Latino-American students without U.S. statuses which continue to minimize and beat down our Latino-American children. It is time to lay the blame for this tragedy where it belongs. Our U.S. Senators who voted against the passage of the DREAM Act in December 2010, you all have Joaquin Luna’s blood on your hands and you will need to explain to your Maker why you failed this young man. This also includes all the anti-immigrant GOP presidential candidates, you too all, have the blood of Joaquin on your hands. I wonder what Jesus will say to all the anti-immigrant politicians that failed Joaquin. The hate that these so-called Christian politicians spew against Joaquin and others that are similarly-situated is unacceptable and deplorable!

Our promise to Joaquin’s memory, we as Latina/os will not support any politician who did not support Joaquin Luna. Please go and register to VOTE and help the rest of your family and friends to register to VOTE. VOTE to HONOR the memory of Joaquin Luna and to create the Hope for the rest of our Latina/o DREAMERs who need a status adjustment to fulfill their Dreams. As Latinas, as women, as grandmothers, as mothers, as aunts, as sisters, as nieces and as cousins, we stand up today and scream NO MAS!

With great Sympathy, as the lead Co-President and on behalf of the National Tequila Party, we send our prayers and your deepest condolences to Joaquin’s family and friends. We encourage you to reach out to Joaquin’s family and send them a contribution in honor of their son and to help with funeral costs. The contact for the family is Marie Mendoza, she’s Joaquin’s cousin at: telephone number: 956-862-2407. Joaquin’s services are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday, November 29, 2011, they will hold services at Rick Brown Family Funeral Home in Mission, Texas.