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Description
May the spirit of valor and Truth rise from the ashes of negligence and division.
May we learn to turn the mistakes of the past into opportunities for the future,
And may the coming generations learn from our chapter in history.

The dark roots are the genesis of your hardships,
The golden brown, enduring humility that kept you vulnerable to the truth and love.
The white is hope for the coming generation to be free and know grace,
The blue is the purity and justice that will hold the darkness accountable.

===

Valor is not a reward, it is a characteristic. He is a messenger of your humility and your honor. He testifies of the sacrifice you have taken and speaks of the empathy you have for others. Never take him as a trophy, but as a friend.

===

REDBUBBLE PRINTS AVAILABLE!!! > www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/7862…

===

Something I whipped up for both the US Border Crisis and the recent attacks in Israel.

Rarely, I have done art that is close to the chest from me. Normally I don't like talking about my background for personal reasons. But for this... It's special. I think it's time to come clean just this once.

For a bit of background:

I was born an raised in the Rio Grande Valley - five miles from the river itself. And let me tell you, the war on drugs is way more intricate and a billion shades of grey than the press likes to talk about. Child abductions that resulted in them being found dead in nearby canals was a weekly thing to deal with while I was in elementary (early 2000's). "Santisima Muerte" cults were and still are common and serve as the beating heart of the cartels; you never knew if your neighbor was an informant or a practicing witch. Lord knows, how close I came to getting sucked into their business. I've seen it all though… black statues of "Santa Muerte", girls running for their lives and kids getting arrested for drugs...

We were in a pit... Caught between a rock and a hard place.

We often - and I mean OFTEN - looked to politicians and speakers for help to be spokesmen on our behalf, but in the end we ended up more dry after asking for help than we did before. No one helped us. We lost faith in government and often times in God ...

To make a long story short we were virtually on our own; if you had a gun and knew self defense, the cartel wouldn't mess with you, but if you had naive kids (especially kids as pale and gaunt as me), you better keep them close. Republican or Democratic president, no one gave a damn for our corner of Texas.

That's why I always say, "If you want to know if the current president is doing a good job, look at the Rio Grande Valley, first. Then, afterwards look at Arizona's Mexican Borders and the Native American Tribes... if they're in bad shape, the president and his policies are in WORSE shape."

Anyways, having one parent fighting and arresting mules and coyotes on the border takes a toll on you... you're torn between believing the news or what he/she saw on the river and of course that leaves you questioning everything about security and politics. It's his/her words about arresting 15 people in two weeks and their hair turning silver from stress vs. the news claiming there is no crisis while sipping tea with a celebrity caked in make up.

So how does that tie into Israel?

Well... I was scratching my head as much as you before it clicked finally.

When I met my husband and was taken under the wing by the Jewish community, not only did I feel at home and treated maturely, but I also realized I wasn't alone in being victimized by misinformation (if you want to call it that). Despite the fact my region is Catholic predominantly and their strip of sand is Judaic/Islamic, I realize we both have a lot in common to a degree:

Israeli conflicts are no stranger to the same level of cold-shoulder treatment from the news like my corner of Texas. Our neighbors -just a stone's throw away- want to destroy lives by either religious or solely selfish gain, the status quo hates us defending ourselves, children and families suffer the consequences, politicians/evangelicals use us for fame and attention, and religious Christians either criticize us or sit back and watch us burn.

We're both punching bags in a sense.

That's just merely the surface of the egg shell, and from there it does branch off into opposite directions, but that's a different story.

My community is used to fighting drug fueled arrogance and judicial corruption. My husband's community - the Jews- are used to fighting religious dogma and the belief of others who hate them for their god's/political's sake…

Two very different tangents, yet relatable in a weird way thanks to the characteristics of valor, honor and truth.

Yes, in the end after the smoke clears, the Israeli soldiers and border patrol agents share is a common testimony to the level people are willing to go via shedding blood and/or raping innocence away for money or glory. They see different sides of the horrid painting at the end of every day, and it will always leave me stupified.

My compassion towards the Jews and their conflicts has it's genesis in my personal conflicts growing up married with my understanding of the Bible. If it were not me laying down my personal philosophies, I wouldn't have met them nor have learned the cure to my community's despair. Though, frankly, the testimonies of my youth are TOTALLY pale in comparison to the Holy Land's, my imagination treads me into the darker realms of their struggles some days when I sit and wonder. I - to this day - am ASTOUNDED of how they (The Israeli's) persevere still despite the level of carnage for both Jew and Gentile... and yet here I am - here we are; Latino Mexican Americans -, in my corner of Texas wondering how we can overcome the number of homeless children being dropped off and sold, and how to stop these people from making money off their hopelessness...

Maybe, just maybe, we can learn something from Israel to help the Rio Grande Valley for the better. Maybe the Jews can teach us to use our disadvantages - our misfortune - as advantages for the better and to help each other! Maybe they can teach us what honor and valor truly is... That was the very start of my journey, and its a road I am still walking and learning from to this day.

I hope my input clarifies a bit more on the story of my corner of the U.S. compared to what the news says... but all I ask is please, don't damn the community for the sins of one man or multiple. There are SO MANY beautiful things back home we have: The fruit drinks, hand squeezed that take you to a tropical get away. The food is saturated with hard work and love. The ornaments all handcrafted from string to clay. The family-oriented atmosphere will make you wish you had a home there. The faith… Don't get me started... They're not like a mega-charismatic churches, but they know how to carry themselves...

Description
May the spirit of valor and Truth rise from the ashes of negligence and division.
May we learn to turn the mistakes of the past into opportunities for the future,
And may the coming generations learn from our chapter in history.

The dark roots are the genesis of your hardships,
The golden brown, enduring humility that kept you vulnerable to the truth and love.
The white is hope for the coming generation to be free and know grace,
The blue is the purity and justice that will hold the darkness accountable.

===

Valor is not a reward, it is a characteristic. He is a messenger of your humility and your honor. He testifies of the sacrifice you have taken and speaks of the empathy you have for others. Never take him as a trophy, but as a friend.

===

REDBUBBLE PRINTS AVAILABLE!!! > www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/7862…

===

Something I whipped up for both the US Border Crisis and the recent attacks in Israel.

Rarely, I have done art that is close to the chest from me. Normally I don't like talking about my background for personal reasons. But for this... It's special. I think it's time to come clean just this once.

For a bit of background:

I was born an raised in the Rio Grande Valley - five miles from the river itself. And let me tell you, the war on drugs is way more intricate and a billion shades of grey than the press likes to talk about. Child abductions that resulted in them being found dead in nearby canals was a weekly thing to deal with while I was in elementary (early 2000's). "Santisima Muerte" cults were and still are common and serve as the beating heart of the cartels; you never knew if your neighbor was an informant or a practicing witch. Lord knows, how close I came to getting sucked into their business. I've seen it all though… black statues of "Santa Muerte", girls running for their lives and kids getting arrested for drugs...

We were in a pit... Caught between a rock and a hard place.

We often - and I mean OFTEN - looked to politicians and speakers for help to be spokesmen on our behalf, but in the end we ended up more dry after asking for help than we did before. No one helped us. We lost faith in government and often times in God ...

To make a long story short we were virtually on our own; if you had a gun and knew self defense, the cartel wouldn't mess with you, but if you had naive kids (especially kids as pale and gaunt as me), you better keep them close. Republican or Democratic president, no one gave a damn for our corner of Texas.

That's why I always say, "If you want to know if the current president is doing a good job, look at the Rio Grande Valley, first. Then, afterwards look at Arizona's Mexican Borders and the Native American Tribes... if they're in bad shape, the president and his policies are in WORSE shape."

Anyways, having one parent fighting and arresting mules and coyotes on the border takes a toll on you... you're torn between believing the news or what he/she saw on the river and of course that leaves you questioning everything about security and politics. It's his/her words about arresting 15 people in two weeks and their hair turning silver from stress vs. the news claiming there is no crisis while sipping tea with a celebrity caked in make up.

So how does that tie into Israel?

Well... I was scratching my head as much as you before it clicked finally.

When I met my husband and was taken under the wing by the Jewish community, not only did I feel at home and treated maturely, but I also realized I wasn't alone in being victimized by misinformation (if you want to call it that). Despite the fact my region is Catholic predominantly and their strip of sand is Judaic/Islamic, I realize we both have a lot in common to a degree:

Israeli conflicts are no stranger to the same level of cold-shoulder treatment from the news like my corner of Texas. Our neighbors -just a stone's throw away- want to destroy lives by either religious or solely selfish gain, the status quo hates us defending ourselves, children and families suffer the consequences, politicians/evangelicals use us for fame and attention, and religious Christians either criticize us or sit back and watch us burn.

We're both punching bags in a sense.

That's just merely the surface of the egg shell, and from there it does branch off into opposite directions, but that's a different story.

My community is used to fighting drug fueled arrogance and judicial corruption. My husband's community - the Jews- are used to fighting religious dogma and the belief of others who hate them for their god's/political's sake…

Two very different tangents, yet relatable in a weird way thanks to the characteristics of valor, honor and truth.

Yes, in the end after the smoke clears, the Israeli soldiers and border patrol agents share is a common testimony to the level people are willing to go via shedding blood and/or raping innocence away for money or glory. They see different sides of the horrid painting at the end of every day, and it will always leave me stupified.

My compassion towards the Jews and their conflicts has it's genesis in my personal conflicts growing up married with my understanding of the Bible. If it were not me laying down my personal philosophies, I wouldn't have met them nor have learned the cure to my community's despair. Though, frankly, the testimonies of my youth are TOTALLY pale in comparison to the Holy Land's, my imagination treads me into the darker realms of their struggles some days when I sit and wonder. I - to this day - am ASTOUNDED of how they (The Israeli's) persevere still despite the level of carnage for both Jew and Gentile... and yet here I am - here we are; Latino Mexican Americans -, in my corner of Texas wondering how we can overcome the number of homeless children being dropped off and sold, and how to stop these people from making money off their hopelessness...

Maybe, just maybe, we can learn something from Israel to help the Rio Grande Valley for the better. Maybe the Jews can teach us to use our disadvantages - our misfortune - as advantages for the better and to help each other! Maybe they can teach us what honor and valor truly is... That was the very start of my journey, and its a road I am still walking and learning from to this day.

I hope my input clarifies a bit more on the story of my corner of the U.S. compared to what the news says... but all I ask is please, don't damn the community for the sins of one man or multiple. There are SO MANY beautiful things back home we have: The fruit drinks, hand squeezed that take you to a tropical get away. The food is saturated with hard work and love. The ornaments all handcrafted from string to clay. The family-oriented atmosphere will make you wish you had a home there. The faith… Don't get me started... They're not like a mega-charismatic churches, but they know how to carry themselves...