Texas Dems Recall Racism in the Past and Racism in the the Future with TX Repubs New Racist Hate Bill!

Dems Blast Sanctuary Cities Bill, Hispanic Senators Cite Personal Expriences with Discrimination
Toward the end of Sen. John Whitmire’s speech against sanctuary city bill, he said that a Republican senator had asked him, “Why do you want to talk when you know the outcome?” Whitmire’s answer to the question thundered through the Senate chamber. “Because it’s our moral obligation.”

It was in that spirit that Democrats — badly outnumbered in the Senate with little hope of being able to block the sanctuary cities bill — continued their campaign against the legislation with speeches that featured the personal stories of Hispanic members and the discrimination they’ve experienced as well as the policy implications of potentially turning local police into immigration agents. “You will never, ever be confronted with the measures of this legislation,” Whitmire told his white colleagues. “We have to slow down and think about what we’re about to do.”

Whitmire, D-Houston, recounted a story of a single mother who’s in the U.S. illegally and is afraid to try to collect child support from her American husband, who abandoned her because she could lose her son and be deported. “Sometimes you have to do the right thing and suffer the consequences,” Whitmire said, finishing his statement with a last minute quote from Sam Houston, in a bid to sway Republicans.

Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, told his fellow Senators that he had experienced discrimination throughout his life. When he was in school, Uresti said his name was changed to Charlie because they were forbidden from speaking Spanish. He told the Senators that when he was in the Marine Corps, he was called a wetback by his fellow white Marines. He called the legislation “mean,” “vindictive,” and “wrong” and said that the bill “strikes at the heart and the soul of Latinos of Texas.”

“All that matters, all of a sudden, is the color of your skin,” Uresti said. “[The bill] opens the doors to discriminate against… anyone who looks like me.” Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, recounted that his son was pushed up against the wall by an immigration officer who demanded to know if he was an American. Democratic Senate Caucus Chair Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, said the fact the Senate is going to pass this bill, broke her heart.

“Today we are going to pass legislation that would treat my children differently, because I have children with blue eyes and sandy hair and they look like their Belgium ancestors. And I have sons with the proud brown skin and eyes and hair and they look Mexican-American.” said Van de Putte, her voice cracking. “And if we’re passing legislation that treats brothers so very differently, how can that be right?”