UWALDE, Texas. On a day that should be remembered by two of killed in massacre, which took place last a week here, the general feeling was anger.
A lot of in in community find it hard properly mourn the 21 lives lost when there seems to be so much injustice and total lack of trust in those who vowed to protect and serve.
“Mistakes were made and we have no promise that they will never happen again”said Peter Vasquez, a friend of ten-year-Old victim Maite Rodriguez. “They brag about everything of it’s training and all that of this is equipment as well as how they are prepared. All of which turned out be a lie.”
Maite Rodriguez will be buried on The Tuesday after the visit took place on the Monday. The Rosary Mass was set take place on Monday morning for Amery Joe Garza. Like memorials start take place, sorrow continues, as does the anger.
“They had to take equipment” said Uvalde resident Miguel Flores. “In 2018, the police department claimed to have received a grant money to buy equipment for this very thing. Where was it equipment last week when our children needed it?”
Flores meant Facebook post that the Uvalde Police Department made back on August 1, 2018, stating that he received a grant from Gov. Greg Abbott that provided every officer in department with Level 4 body armor.
Back in 2017 during a legislative session, Texas taxpayers were asked to pay a bill for $23 million grant program which sent 453 police jurisdictions across the state money to buy Level 4 body armor that could have (and should were) used in a situation like in one what happened in uvalde last Tuesday. representative for the state stated that the majority of what money came from the state general fund, but either way, some locals are now wondering if it was money here was wasted.
“I think you can’t buy courage,” said Javier Cazares, 43, whose daughter, Jacklyn, was killed in shooting along with her cousins. “I mean I was right there outside and we heard shooting. We were ready to go inside and the police just waited.”
The expectation was not what these parents and this community expected.
“We are told over as well as over again what these guys I will be there for us When we need them,” said Martin Gonzalez. “Where in what the hell were they?
Gonzalez said he wanted go and pay your respects young Mayte Rodriguez on Monday night but his anger just wouldn’t let him.
“I can not go in there we mourn and mourn with my friends when i know that i have everything of this anger in my heart,” he said. “These people who blindly trust these officials need open your eyes”.
Uvalde is near the Texas-Mexico border, where Abbott and fellow Republican Republicans launched their own border security initiative known as “Operation Lone Star.” use state law enforcement and the National Guard to prevent undocumented migrants from crossing the border. The narrative is that the federal forces are weak, powerless, and unable to protect the citizens. of state and country. The Governor has repeatedly noted how federal government It has failed. After all, it was these federal agents who helped end the carnage that took life of 21 people including 19 children— while local and state law enforcement waited and thought about what to do.
“Thank God there was a border patrol here,” Gonzalez said. “If they hadn’t come in and took control then more people maybe dead.”
Sounds of crying filled the streets of uvalde on Monday afternoon like community struggled to cope with his grief. The hearts of the locals full of pain, some of it was inflicted by those whom they thought could be trusted.
“We’ve never had this kind of distrust and confusion until they started to make a border patrol out to be monstersGonzalez said. “They are using us like pawns in their political game get re-elected”.
Angelica Morales sat in the shade of big oak on Monday tries to find peace in the midst of all the tragedy.
“I cant help but I feel like if we were mostly white suburbs community that things would be different,” she said. “We are poor Hispanic families. out here, and this is what does us very different from others.”
She said that Hispanics have always been considered a minority that has been overlooked. in places like Texas. She is added that she didn’t want make a situation about race and ethnicity, but in her mind is hard don’t think about it.
“I am looking at how we compare with Sandy Hook, Parkland, Columbine and more,” she said, referring to previous sites. of school shootings. ” real main difference in our skin color and ethnicity.”
Morales said that she concerned that things are getting worse.
“A lot of of the officers who responded were Hispanic,” she said. “It like what would happen back in Mexico. The so-called’good guys’ would wait until bad guys were finished and then they rushed in like heroes. But in reality they were waiting because they were scared.”
.
