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Hi, I'm Amanda and I've been painting a new watercolor daily since July 18th, 2019. Each includes a quote by or about a person detained at the border.

A few things upfront:

There is nothing a child can do to deserve the treatment described in this thread.
If you disagree, just go ahead and block me now, we're not going to get along.

Yes, I know Obama built cages and committed mass deportations. That was awful, and not the right thing.

BUT

Not a single child died in CBP custody in 10 years, 8 Obama and 2 Bush, before this admin
Since 2016, at least 7 children have died in CBP custody. That we know about. We often find out after the fact, when a different investigation forces them to disclose. (see buzzfeednews.com/article/jessmo…)

AND
Obama never separated a child from an adult *known* to be a family member without a criminal suspicion of the adult.

0 Tolerance is designed as a deterrent - it is a *known* cruelty designed to make fleeing to safety in the US unattractive. We are tormenting fleeing families.
Finally, if you don't care because these are little brown kids who didn't deserve to be born in the US (what did you do to deserve it?), I leave you with this. Now, for the paintings. blue watercolor with quote: "If your response is, 'The parents should not have brought their children here illegally,' know this: I pray to God that you never have to flee violence or poverty or persecution with your children. And, if the day comes that you must and your babies are forcibly removed from your arms, I will fight for you too." -Brene Brown
Day 1: “There are no activities, only crying.”
-15 year old detained in Texas

nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day…

instagram.com/p/B0O3Rl8hGfR/

facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Abstract purple and black background watercolor with the quote "There are no activities, only crying"
Day 2: "We sleep on a cement bench”
-8 year old detained in TX

Website with source - nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day…
IG- instagram.com/p/B0O3rSjBmEh/
FB - facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Gray marker sketch of a cement bench with the words written on the back and seat "We sleep on a cement bench"
Day 3: "They leave babies, even little babies of two or three months, sleeping on the cold floor. For me, because I am so pregnant, sleeping on the floor is very painful for my back and hips. I think the guards act this way to punish us.”

M, 17, Honduras
nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day… Conte drawing of a sleeping infant with dark hair facing the viewer with red and tan text: "They leave babies, even little babies of two or three months, sleeping on the cold floor"
Day 4: "It is very sad here. We all want to leave.”

– L.G.L.L., 12, Guatemala

site: nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day…
IG: instagram.com/p/B0O4sc1BTDt/
FB: facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Marker sketch on grid paper, black print with a blue and gray background with a white cloud. On the blue background it says "It is very" and then "sad" in blue against the white cloud. Below that it continues "here, we all want to leave."
Day 5: “It’s difficult for me to care for my sisters here. It’s hard because they are very hungry”

-M, 12, from Ecuador, speaking of her 8 and 4 year old sisters

Site: nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day…
IG: instagram.com/p/B0PKLLBBGzf/
FB: facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… American flag painting, the blue more of a blue-black and the stars replaced with tears. The stripes are running into one another and dripping and one stripe says "It’s difficult for me to care for my sisters here. It’s hard because they are very hungry”.
Day 6: “One of the officers makes fun of those who cry”
-Salvadoran teen

site: nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day…
IG: instagram.com/p/B0SG6PLjRUb/
FB: facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Painting of the statue of liberty from below in only blues. there are tears on her face and text along her robe says "One of the officers makes fun of those who cry".
Day 7: “The conditions within which they are held could be compared to torture facilities.”
-Dolly Lucio Sevier, MD, pediatrician who treated children held at Ursula Border Processing Center in McAllen, TX

Site:nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day…
FB:facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Low-detail painting of the white house on an overcast day. The text says, "The conditions within which they are held could be compared to torture facilities.”
Day 8: “I want to leave this place with my sisters as quickly as possible. Children should not be here.”

-12 year old from Ecuador held in Clint, TX

site: nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day…
IG: instagram.com/p/B0XOu7CBBmZ/
FB:facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Painting of a stuffed dog sitting on bottom of railing, left behind. Text on the railing says "Children should not be here."
Day 9: “I have not been told how long I have to stay here. I am frightened, scared and sad.”
-J, 5 year old from Honduras who was separated from his father at the border

site:nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day…
IG:instagram.com/p/B0Z1kcrHJLB/
FB:facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Painting of green surreal cityscape with scrawly handwriting: "I am frightened, scared and sad."
Day 10: “It is always cold in the cage. They took my nephew’s clothes when we arrived at Ursula because they were wet, and gave him a t-shirt, which is not enough to keep him warm.”

-E, 17, Guatemala and nephew, 8

site: nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day…
FB:facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Painting in dark greens and blues of a bottle with a frozen bubble on the mouth. Text to the side says, "It is always cold in the cage."
Day 11: “Nobody takes care of us here. I try to take care of my little brother and sister since no one will take care of them."
-K from Ecuador, 11, speaking of his 9 and 7 year old siblings
site: nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day…
IG: instagram.com/p/B0hbT46nnqd/
FB: facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Impressionist watercolor of a single purple thistle flower with hazy dark/light green and yellow background and lens flares of blue and yellow. In the sky and on the ground is written "No one takes care of us here."
Day 12: “Every night my sisters keep asking me, ‘When will our mommy come get us?’ I don’t know what to tell them.”

-M, 12, from Ecuador speaking of her 8 and 4 year old sisters
site: nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day…
IG: instagram.com/p/B0kFtqJHKGt/
FB: facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… painting of a sunset with a mountain over a lake, several springs of grass peeking out of the water surface with an orange and green sky reflecting on the water.
Day 13: “I have to take care of many of the other children who are sad and cry. I do my best to help other children who are sad.”

-W, 12, Guatemala, taking care of his 4 yo developmentally delayed brother as well as other toddlers/children in his cell
nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day… Watercolor painting of a bright sky full of stars over the valley between two dark, tree covered mountains
Day 14: “The facility is locked. I cannot leave. I was warned that I would get in trouble. One of the other teen boys got into trouble, and we were told that he was taken to the freezer box, hieleras, as punishment.”

-U, Teenager, El Salvador
nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day… Watercolor painting of ice sheets over the arctic, black ice over the dark cold water with sheets of white and blue around it and snow dotting some of the ice. The bottom says "I was warned that I would get in trouble. One of the other teen boys got into trouble, and we were told that he was taken to the freezer box, hieleras, as punishment.”
Day 15: “The toilets were very dirty. Sometimes there was toilet paper but sometimes there was not. There was not usually water for us to wash our hands.”

-Josselin, 13, Honduras

site:nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day…
FB:facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Light colored abstract watercolor painting of blue, green and pink mixed with bubbles and folds of plastic wrap over the page. The text says "There was not usually water for us to wash our hands.”
Day 16: “The female guards were yelling at the mothers separated from their children not to look at their children... The female guards told the mothers and children that they would be punished for looking at each other.”

-Lidia, 22, El Salvador

nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day… Light, misty painting of layered dried flowers in white and pink. The text says, "“The female guards were yelling at the mothers separated from their children not to look at their children in the separate cages. The female guards told the mothers and children that they would be punished for looking at each other.”
Day 17: “My daughter began to cry when I was taken away to another room. When she walked over to the closest fence...the official yelled at my daughter... 'Do you want to get yourself deported right now?!’"
-Dilsia, adult, Honduras
nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day…
facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Painting of a closeup center vein of a green palm frond with text on both sides of the image - “My daughter began to cry when I was taken away to another room. When she walked over to the closest fence where I was taken, the official yelled at my daughter and said, ‘What do you think you are doing over here? Do you want to get yourself deported right now?!’ I found my daughter in tears when I saw her again.”
Day 18: "officers came into the room and started taking everything away. They took pillows and blankets... He said that we were going to sleep on the floor. He said it was punishment”
-G, 7, El Salvador
full story/site: nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/day…
FB:facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Green mountains painted at night with a crescent moon in the green/teal sky and three mountain peaks in the foreground. The text says "officers came into the room and started taking everything away. They took pillows and blankets... He said that we were going to sleep on the floor. He said it was punishment”
Day 19: “I left El Salvador because I received death threats because I am gay. The same people who threatened me beat one of my transsexual friends to death. I was scared they also would beat me to death and would harm my daughter.”
-Ana, 27, child, 6

nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/04/day… Painting of a yellow, brown and orange oil and water closeup with bubbles of varying colors. The text says, "I left El Salvador because I received death threats because I am gay. The same people who threatened me beat one of my transsexual friends to death."
Day 20: “My son is badly traumatized...He wonders when we will get to the United States. I do not tell him that we are already here. He wouldn’t believe that the United States would treat us this way.”

Full story: nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/04/day…
FB:facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Painting of part of a vertical american flag, only 6 corner stars are visible. The text is in blue and then red stripes as if to continue the flag pattern into large lettering: “My son is badly traumatized...He wonders when we will get to the United States. I do not tell him that we are already here. He wouldn’t believe that the United States would treat us this way.”
Day 21: “I do not understand why but whenever I would try to fall asleep a police would come and kick me in the feet to wake me up. Once I would wake up they would walk away.”
-Josselin, 13, Honduras

Hear the full dec read here: nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/04/day…
FB:shorturl.at/bmGOQ Painting of a close up monstera leaf with dark green veins and little negative space. The leaves say: "I do not understand why but whenever I would try to fall asleep a police would come and kick me in the feet to wake me up. Once I would wake up they would walk away.”
Day 22: “The female guards yelled at my daughter a lot, called her names and made fun of her and the other children."
-Daise, adult, speaking of her 16 year old daughter Keylin

More of the story: nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/04/day…
IG: instagram.com/p/B09rSyQHz9t/
FB:facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Painting of a sand dollar underwater on brown, rippled sand. Text on the bottom says, “The female guards yelled at my daughter a lot, called her names and made fun of her and the other children."
Day 23: “The female guards made me and the other girls strip naked in front of them and leered at us before their showers. It was very uncomfortable and caused me a lot of anxiety.”

-Keylin, 16, Daise’s daughter

site:nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/04/day…
FB:facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Painting of a blade of grass with a single water drop on it. Viewed inside the water drop, or blurry in the background, is a large white flower with a yellow center surrounded by green. The quote says, “The female guards made me and the other girls strip naked in front of them and leered at us before their showers. It was very uncomfortable and caused me a lot of anxiety.”
Day 24: “There was water in the cell…it tasted funny, like chlorine, like it came from a pool. I only drank from it twice because I didn’t trust it.”

-Justin, 13, El Salvador

site:nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/04/day…
Sticker:forms.gle/t1W8vTRKkabN7Y…
FB:facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Close up painting of a red rose with overlapping petals and drops of water. The quote says, "There was water in the cell...it tasted funny, like chlorine, like it came from a pool."Sticker design with the red rose painting in the background. cutout text says "never again is now" with a white mask over the red rose painting
Day 25: “My son and the other children [were not able] to eat the food so they were always hungry.”

-Cristobal, adult, Guatemala and his 7 year old son

site:nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/04/day…
IG:instagram.com/p/B1Fa_TfHrA8/
FB:facebook.com/nomorekidsinca… Close up painting of a tan and brown acorn sitting on gravel surrounded by grass. The text says, "My son and the other children [were not able] to eat the food so they were always hungry."
Day 26: “The cold was unbearable. My son is still suffering from a terrible cough and cold from how cold the dog house was those 4 nights.”

-Delmis, adult, Honduras w/9 yo daughter and 2 yo son

site:nomorekidsincages.wordpress.com/2019/10/04/day…
Postcards (set 1):forms.gle/t1W8vTRKkabN7Y… Painting of a horizontal twig coming from the right with bright red, leafy flowers and one petal falling. Most of the painting is empty space. Handwritten says "The cold was unbearable"Design of a postcard back using the painting with the twig with red flowers in the first image. Font-text says in red, “The cold was unbearable. My son is still suffering from a terrible cough and cold from how cold the dog house was those 4 nights.”
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Just Amanda *🎨🖌️daily quotes from kids in cages*
@juuust_amanda
I'm reading the declaration for tonight, and like in many, the teenagers detail the food they're given every day.

Breakfast: pudding, oatmeal, juice
Lunch: Noodle cup, juice
Dinner: Small bean burrito, cookie, juice.

Just doing some basic Googling, that's about 1250 calories
A little more Googling about caloric needs:

"Teenage boys should consume 2,200 to 3,200 daily calories per day on average. Teen girls should consume 1,800 to 2,400 daily calories per day on average."
verywellhealth.com/top-superfoods…
These three teenagers (14, 16, 16) are *hungry* because they're being underfed. The two boys are eating *about half* of what they should be. The girl is getting only 2/3rds. Every day, for weeks-to-months. And that doesn't even consider the vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
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Amanda *🎨daily* wants kids out of cages for xmas
@juuust_amanda
Okay. I know this isn't my normal topic, so bear with me. This is a non-specific thread on reporting *Domestic Violence*. If that's not something you want to think or hear about today, this is the warning to mute it now.

#DoesAnyoneFuckingCare
My situation was fairly mild. I'm not going to share details, but the only reason I thought to re-contact my divorce lawyer was because he was continuing to harass me. In the course of talking to him about the harassment, I mentioned something that I didn't realize was a big deal
He replied back that I needed to document it and we needed to file a protective order. After spending over an hour at the sheriff's office a few months before and being straight up told that I had nothing they could do anything about, this was a bit of a surprise.
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Amanda 🆘 is Painting Daily Border Quotes
@juuust_amanda
They started 0 tolerance with no tracking system. They didn't count the kids they took. They literally didn't write down their parents names. They took ~300 children UNDER FIVE and 5200 5+ from their parents without making note of who arrived with kids.
wapo.st/2Nttp4e
* Correction - 300 of the 1500 recently disclosed were under 5. Many more than 300 of the 5500 total were under 5.
If we assume that ratio is about equal among all separations, there have been around 1100 babies and small children, under 5, separated before, during and after 0 tolerance. Not including newborns taken from their mothers in the hospital if a relative couldn't come forward.
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