What Mike Davis’ family put into his ofrenda, and what he offered them in return.
Mike Davis is a free man. After spending three years in solitary confinement, the former president of the United States was set free on July 2, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the government was not legally allowed to lock up an American citizen. He is now once again free to live his life as he pleases.
It is almost impossible to express how excited my family and I are about the Davis family. It is a moment we have been waiting for our whole lives.
Mike’s family is from El Salvador. When I met him in prison, they had just begun to rebuild their lives. They had lost their home to a hurricane. They were living in a small apartment. Mike helped them with the mortgage payment. He helped them buy food. They have a small child they can’t get a job for. But this is nothing.
When Mike comes out, he will get a place of his own. He will be the first in his family to get out of prison. No one has lived in a place like this since Mike was in prison.
When he comes out, he will get a place of his own. He will be the first in his family to get out of prison. No one has lived in a place like this since Mike was in prison.
A year before he was released, I asked him what he made of his time in prison. I wanted to know how he was different. What was so important about his time in prison that changed his life completely?
He hesitated, and then said, “If I have to explain it, I will.”
We were in a quiet, secluded spot on a dirt road in El Salvador. It was around 1:00am. The sun had just set, and the sky was turning pink. It was a clear night. Mike and I sat quietly.
“A year was really the longest year I have ever had