Dave Matthews, lead singer of the Dave Matthews Band, paused a recent concert to condemn Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican citizen who was shot and killed in Houston, Texas.
"I don't know why we let people make excuses for why we should kill each other, you know?" Matthews said during the concert. "There's always reasons that we should kill each other.
They tell our children and use their words when they — when they grow up. I wonder what's wrong with us. I don't know why we lost our way. So it feels — but maybe we've always been like this, we just got better at making things that can kill each other," he said.
Matthews was reacting to the death of Araujo, who was killed by ICE officers during an operation in Houston.
According to ICE, Araujo tried to ram US ICE officers in his vehicle, resulting in an officer firing his weapon in self-defense. Matthews was visibly upset by the incident, using strong language to express his disgust. "Anyway, I wanted to say his name.
I wrote it down so I didn't forget it, this young man who was — well, old man, but we're all young — this father and grandfather who was murdered by ICE in Houston, Texas.
And then they say he's not even the guy — he's not even the guy they were looking for. Well, then don't pull the trigger, you a–holes."
Matthews has spoken out against ICE before, condemning the agency after the killing of activist Renee Good in Minneapolis amid an altercation with ICE agents in February. "I don't want my taxes to pay for ICE, to masked thugs to roam our streets and terrorize our communities and rip families apart. We should be taking care of each other.
We should be minding each other. We should be housing the homeless. We shouldn't be, you know, throwing people to the ground," he said. Matthews' comments on the two incidents highlight the growing concern about ICE's tactics and the impact they have on communities.
Matthews' comments on the two incidents highlight the growing concern about ICE's tactics and the impact they have on communities. The incident in Houston has sparked outrage, with many calling for greater accountability from the agency. As the debate continues, one thing is clear: the incident has left a lasting impact on the community, and Matthews' words are a testament to the outrage and sadness felt by many.
Source: NYPOST
