7/2/26

Lee Goodman Posts on Day Four – Outside the Miami ICE detention facility in Indiana

A woman drove several hours to stand witness with us outside the Miami ICE detention facility in Indiana today. After holding a sign for a few hours, she drove back home again. She came because she disagrees with how our country is treating migrants. But she also showed up because she wanted to support us in our efforts. She didn't want us to feel we were alone. Her presence was a real boost to our spirits. It made a difference.

We are half-way through our vigil, which runs through July 4. Every day is much the same as the days that preceded it, and yet something different happens each day. The pace is slow. The heat is extreme. I spend a lot of time staring out at the gas station as I sit under a canopy to escape the sun. We hold our signs, engaging with whoever approaches to talk with us or just calls to us from their car or truck window. We do our best to answer people's questions. We try to find productive responses to shouts of “Deport them all” and “Lock up the illegals.”

It is disappointing that so many people's views on immigration are based on inaccurate information. We hear over and over that immigrants are all rapists and murderers who don't pay taxes. Today a man told us that China has sent Muslims here to take over our country.

And then there are the comments that people leave on my Facebook posts. Some people have told me that I should censor the comments. I think it is better if everyone gets to see how hateful the people who agree with Trump's treatment of migrants can be. How insulting. How illogical. How childish. How selfish.

In recent days, however, there have been a large number of comments that have inspired me to mention them in this post. Quite a few comments have labeled me with a derogatory term that was formerly used to describe people with developmental disabilities. They don't seem concerned that the word is insulting not to me, but to people who struggle to get through life despite limitations that are not of their own making and are not their fault. The people who post the comments don't seem to have any sensitivity to how their words affect family members and others who care about and love the people who have been burdened with the label they are using.

Certain words cannot be used in social media without risk of the writer being banned. Apparently, Facebook does not consider the words I am seeing in comments to be as offensive as I do.

Since I cannot rely upon the algorithms to impose civility and decency upon those who comment on my posts, I make this request directly to those people who recognize that I am talking about them. Please do what your parents, teachers, and faith leaders have been asking you to do for your entire lives: be nice. Don't demean people. Think about what you are saying and writing, and how it affects others. Treat others the way you would like them to treat you.

And to the many people who have been reading my posts and have commented in a civil manner, thank you. Whether we agree or disagree, each of us deserves to be treated with respect.

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