To Die In America

She was from El Salvador, and her death wasn't reported until today, she died on September 29, 2018. She was ten-years-old. She had congenital heart disease. When she arrived her condition was termed, "medically fragile." Most children are fragile little humans.

Her name hasn't been released, it may never be. I call her, "Six." 

She is the sixth child that we know of to die in custody of a government agency.

Six was probably excited to come to America. She probably skipped rope back in El Salvador, or maybe played a game of jacks with a ball and some stones. Tough there.

She probably never thought it would be where she would die. She probably didn't think much about death at all, children's concept of time is different than ours, and they believe in forever.

Yesterday, a 16-year-old boy from Guatemala died in custody. He had a name, and he had six more years of life than ten-year-old Six did.

Six should have been learning how to ride a bike, and own her own kitten. I bet you she would have taken care of her kitten like it was a human being. I know my daughter loves her dog as if he's human.

I'm sorry Six. I hope there's a special place for you and all the kids dying. I hope where you are now, that you have birthday parties, and dance, and sing. I hope you can sense my thoughts, Six, because they're sincere, and we all here in America don't agree with this.

Some of us actually learned from history. We learned about the Indians pushed to live on plots of land, and we studied a man who believed certain people were not just as good as he and his supporters. He wanted all blue eyed, and blonde offspring in his country. I couldn't believe such a man existed, Six. I couldn't believe people supported him. But they did, Six. Many of those weren't considered equal, and they died too, more than six-million. Many had no names either, Six, just like you.

Don't worry Six, you'll have a name in your new place. I'm sure of that, and I hope its something like, "Innocence," or maybe even "Hope." Wouldn't that be cool?

Oh, and Six, I just want to say, I hope there's no need for me to name someone, "Seven." However, I'm afraid there will be more.