June 2025 California Coastal Commission General Comment: by Lydia Ponce

Our humanity is redefined with each month passing. With each California Coastal Commission, CCC, meeting this country’s further ruin reeks of the ugly historical past. We must recognize and honor both coastal businesses and successful coastal homes that are greatly profitable due to employment of undocumented relatives. Yes many undocumented relatives do own their businesses, starting with nothing, creative, and their rooted business are entrepreneurs mostly co-opted by Americanos. Our Indigenous relatives have known the American Dream, now nightmare.

Masked people pull up and grab people – no warrant, no response to the questions of who the fk are they and what’s their badge number…. Brown and Black relatives are subject to deportation – doe not matter if your documented, going through the process or not. For the people saying, “undocumented people need to do it the right way…” Clearly you do not know the obstacles for your ill informed idea – of the right way.

Humane request for California Coastal communities, it is our shared responsibility to have a Rapid Response to ICE Raids. Defend, protect and honor everyone Black, Brown and Indigenous, undocumented and or so called Americans. Our relationships must nurture our shared future or we will continue to feed the fear and continue to feed the hate machine that disappears people. It is kidnapping. It is human and sex trafficking. All of this contributes to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis. It’s unchecked and Indigenous Women are not searched for rapidly. Searched for? If ever.

How we treat Earth Momma is directly connected to how society protects, defends and honors Women Nation. This is written in honor for all who identify with divine feminine, uplift this connection and support Rematriation.

Prime example:

What was shared at June 2025 CCC meeting was abusive and racist language. It was the short sighted pleas to clean up the Tijuana River. When speaking of the polluted and dangerous river water, it is named Mexican. North of the divide, North it is named as the American Border, let’s correct it: it is the Mexican and American Border. It is a colonial border. The government, federal, state or local, will never clean TJ River because it is a deterrent to migrants crossing from south to north and vise versa. Many Americanos walk over to cross south when it’s low tide at Imperial Beach for an adventure in TJ or Rosarito. There will never be a cleansing of the river there. So how are the Women Nation thriving on both sides of that river?

We, Brown and proud people; we are human beings. It is yours and my responsibility to treat each other as equals. Our humanity cannot be further diminished…. Is the future for the rich economic elite only? Is the future a televise real live Hunger Games challenge in the common public space….. Windward Plaza?

It is a human right for everyone to quench our thirst with water that is not chemically or bacteria questionable. My Sage and Copal smoke prayers are up for everyone to have access to healthy water, everyone’s first medicine, for our bodies, our minds and our souls.

Don’t know how you can help or what to do? Volunteer or donate to support your employees with your full heart in your chest
– support immigration legal orgs
– Mutual Aid grassroots orgs
– Food NOT Bombs local chapters
– Patrol your hood to defend neighbors, family, friends and employees
– Train to join Rapid Response Boots on the Ground
– Help support food banks
– Support your neighbors
– What we need for our community –
– food and food delivery
– Prepaid phone cards
– Gas cards

Dear Venice community, this is the “what the fuck” moment. We share the wtf moment, here, at the end of this article. May hope and faith keep our hearts open and minds open to a better and connected community… 90291, we are everyday people. Venice, go big BLUE!

Lydia Poncé