least restrictive environment

September 20, 2019 1:38 PM

The Flores Exhibits In this video series, artists, lawyers, advocates, and immigrants read the sworn testimonies of children held in detention facilities at the U.S. / Mexico Border.

cw: children in detention in poor conditions.

posted by Miko (5 comments total)

I could only make it through one of these. My nation is evil, actively. I don't know what to do.
posted by GoblinHoney at 2:25 PM on September 20, 2019 [11 favorites]

Yeah, I just... can't click. I have a little boy the same age as many of these children. I used to believe "if people only could see, they'd reject this as evil and inhumane" but they have seen and decided that evil and inhumane is a feature, not a bug.
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:05 PM on September 20, 2019 [4 favorites]

I think the details are reassuring and upsetting. These are the words of people, real people, not abstract icons of suffering. I don't know why that gives reassurance? Maybe its easier to fight for a person and hold hope for a person whose voice I can hear and living presence I can imagine, even through the medium of a reader repeating their words.

17 years old L (Exhibit #7) crossed over on June 14th of this year and then turned himself in to Border Patrol, who took him to a tent and gave him a burrito, juice, and a cookie. He has a fever and takes two chewables given to him but doesn't know what they are. He is in a room with 5 boys. There is one bunk bed.
posted by spamandkimchi at 9:25 PM on September 20, 2019 [1 favorite]

I just can't...
posted by BlueHorse at 8:00 AM on September 21, 2019

I guess this is kinda why we have a problem.
posted by Miko at 4:59 PM on September 23, 2019