I am crying. I am crying for the hundreds of thousands of people who won’t be allowed to come home for at least 90 days, for some 120. I am crying for those who hold a green card or were merely traveling for business or pleasure when they were stopped from coming home to their family. I am crying for those trying to escape the very thing the government is trying to stop: terrorism. I am crying for those who have forgotten that our country was built on both those who left doors open, and those who walked through those doors to make a country that, while it has flaws, acknowledges those flaws and has people actively working towards fixing them. I am crying for the people who worked so hard to bring our country to where it is now, only to see it torn down, while walls of hatred replaced it, in a simple week and a half. I am crying for the missed opportunities. I am crying for my country.

The United States of America was built on unity. It was built on immigrants who came here seeking new opportunities and refuge. Whether it was religious or political, they came here with the dream of safety and security. America was built on hard workers, not family money.

We are described as the melting pot because of the ability to come together, to blend in and to make a life in this country. A bully with too much power has destroyed this image within two weeks. He has, in effect, destroyed the feeling of safety people had here. He has built an imaginary wall around America, telling people from certain countries that because of their heritage and a few bad apples, they are not allowed. They are not allowed to run from what we consider so dangerous, that people are willing to trivialize human lives. With this figurative wall, is coming a literal one, to attempt to stop people who aren’t involved with terrorism. It is wanted there simply because of skin tone and stereotypes.

Our country’s hard won reputation is being viciously ripped to shreds. Our country in itself is being torn apart, politically and fundamentally. Protests are becoming weekly happenings in our once peaceful country. People are taking a stand against this bully but I wonder if it will be enough to stop his rampant abuse of power. If it will be enough to tear down the wall already built and stop another from being made. It is an injustice in and of itself to block out people based on the actions of others. So I am crying. I will continue to cry until this injustice has been corrected.

We will march and shout. We will cry. We will continue to protest and fight for what is right. This movement won’t stop until justice is achieved. Our marches, our riots, our protests will continue and they will get bigger. Join the march.