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Before you read this story, please get out your handkerchiefs. This is a very sad story about a promising young Latino student whose life was shattered and ended early -- due to the hate-filled attacks led by Tea Party Republicans!
This is a true story about a young Latino Boy. His name was Joaquin Luna, aged 18, a straight A student. When Joaquin was six months old, he and his family, including his parents and five siblings, crossed the Texas/Mexico border without visas and travelled about 40 miles north to Mission, Texas, just on the US side of the border.
As a young student, Joaquin studied very hard. His parents taught him about the American Dream -- if he studied and worked hard enough, he could achieve the American Dream!
As Joaquin grew older, he heard all of the hate-filled rhetoric by the Republican Tea Partiers and he grew more and more concerned about not having a social security number. He became afraid that due to these Hate Mongers, he would never find a job. Joaquin talked about this often with his brothers and sisters, and often cried at night, realizing that even if he gained a good college education, he would never be able to find a decent job or be able to support a family of his own.
Joaquin followed the news and politics very closely. He read newspapers detailing all of the angry talk and hate filled rhetoric by the Republican Tea Party members and by Republican politicians like TX Senator John Cornyn who spewed his Hate Talk to defeat the Dream Act. He also read about the Hate Bills like sb1070 in Arizona and the Georgia and Alabama Hate Bills that passed harsh immigration laws that racially profiled ALL Latinos!
Joaquin's brother Carlos Mendoza said, "Joaquin became very sad. He said the people passing these laws had no heart! How could they leave so many kids without parents and destroy so many lives?"
Last year, when the Dream Act failed to pass the US senate, Joaquin's heart became saddened. Carlos said, "Joaquin got depressed real bad. Every one of us, we all get depressed. Some of us can handle it, some of us can't. Joaquin couldn't."
Last Friday, all of the Hate Filled rhetoric surrounding the Immigration debate became too much for young Joaquin. Early in the morning, Joaquin put on his best Sunday Suit, white shirt and black skinny tie, the same outfit he wore every Sunday without fail to the Pan de Vida church in downtown Mission, Texas. As his brother Carlos put it: "Joaquin dressed himself to go to God."
Then Joaquin went into the bathroom, into the shower, then shot himself.
Joaquin left behind a note that explained why he ended his young, promising life. Joaquin spoke of his desperation at the Hate Filled WALL blocking out his future and preventing him from attaining his Dreams.
A wall reserved for the undocumented Latino immigrants in America.
John Cornyn on the DREAM ACT