To gain perspective on the humanitarian crisis at the border, put yourself in the shoes of a child refugee.
What if my son were a child refugee? How bad would life have to be to send him to another country with only his mother? Or even worse, as his mother is pretty damn resourceful, on his own? With strangers?
Amongst all the posturing regarding the mess at the U.S. Border, the actual human factor of the crisis is lost in the shuffle. In order to gain a new perspective on it, you need to imagine yourself in the shoes of the refugees.
The majority of the migrants are women and children. They are desperate, scared, penniless, and exhausted. They are seeking asylum from the lands they are fleeing. They need help. Instead, they are facing demonstrations of hatred.
A preening conservative talk show host accompanies the Governor of Texas on a border patrol. They pose next to a heavy machine gun after multiple criticisms of the President’s “photo ops.” They are trying to catch exhausted and frightened children with a heavy machine gun. Insanity.
Cliven Bundy had a militia come running, as well as that same conservative talk show host, when the Federal Government tried to stop him from taking advantage of them. Members of that militia went on to kill two police officers. Now they aim to patrol the border, and protect it from exhausted and frightened children. Insanity.
Meanwhile in Detroit, Americans are protesting having their water shut off. They are getting detained en masse. Where is the militia to protect them?
Bundy’s racism is long exposed. The type of people who supported him are filled with hatred. They won’t help the people of Detroit, but they will hunt refugee children at the border. And neither group of people resembles them. Coincidence? No. Those screaming about deportation, and how we should refuse to help refugees may not all be racists and bigots, but the racists and bigots are the ones supporting this cause more than anyone. Period.
Then you have Sarah Palin clamoring for Obama’s impeachment over the border crisis. Disregarding Palin’s irrelevance, let’s show how badly she has misunderstood what she advocates. Again.
Look into the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. Then go check out the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008. See who was President when the law was passed? Not Obama. Who then reauthorized and voted for it?
The 2008 law, which passed both chambers of Congress by unanimous consent and was signed into law by President George W. Bush, dictates exactly how children caught crossing the border without their parents must be treated.
“For children coming from ‘contiguous countries’ (that’s Mexico and Canada) a Border Patrol officer has the authority to determine whether the child is eligible to stay in the country. Because the child can be directly and safely handed over to officials from his or her home country, the process can move very quickly.
But for children from all other countries, any repatriation to their home country involves a plane flight and more preparation. The law dictates that after being caught, the child must be turned over within 72 hours to the Department of Health and Human Services to care for them and find them safe housing.
HHS is also urged to find them legal counsel and child advocates who can explain the process of applying for asylum or identifying other ways to stay in the country.”
In other words, Obama is following the letter of the law to a “T.” And for those who say the President isn’t doing enough to secure the borders, how were all these people detained in the first place? Never mind the record number of deportations under this current administration.
Sarah Palin is not just wrong, she is blatantly misrepresenting history, reality, and the law of the land. Insanity.
Ted Cruz has also been vocal in his opposition to allowing these refugees the chance at a better life in America. After all, who do these kids think they are? Cruz’s father?
It’s no secret I am an immigrant to the USA. I’ve written about my experiences, and I’m no stranger to discrimination. If an English-speaking white man like me, applying from a privileged position at that, is facing scorn because I’m an immigrant, then I can’t even imagine how tough others have had it. These refugees, already terrified, have got to be out of their minds with fear after that awful hate rally waiting for them in Murrieta.
Our son is the light of our life. He makes my wife sing. He makes me do silly dances. We both live for his laughter. As I’ve written before, he has changed everything. We can barely watch the news, for all the horrors it broadcasts. Children killed. Children abandoned. And now, child refugees.
Republicans, backed by a bigoted conservative base, are railing against Obama and using this humanitarian crisis as a weapon, just like they did with Benghazi. Oh, right, remember Benghazi? All that noise the GOP made about it? They aren’t talking about it anymore. Why? Because they were wrong.
Conservatives tried to stand on the backs of four dead Americans in order to score political points against the President. Now they are using refugees, many of whom are just children, to do the same thing. Once again, a minority of hateful bigots looks to represent the nation.
How many more clues do the rest of us need to tune out the GOP? They just don’t stop being wrong. They just don’t stop being awful. They don’t want to spend money on resolving this issue because they are spending money on, drum roll, investigating Benghazi! Again! Insanity.
This after wasting Billions of dollars, let’s say that again, BILLIONS, on a government shutdown and repeated fruitless repeal attempts of the Affordable Care Act. Which is working, by the way, despite all of their lies. Conservative priorities are, to say the least, a twisted mess. Tune them out.
In the meantime, regarding the refugees at our borders fleeing violence and murder, look to those who are trying to help them. Those are the people we need to focus on. Those are the stories we need to hear.
Imagine that’s your son, your daughter. They are children, and they need our help. If we turn these refugees away, we can never say the USA is the greatest country in the world. Ever again. And even worse, America will be denying the soul of it’s foundation.
Don’t believe me? Check the Statue of Liberty.
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free; the wretched refuse of your teeming shore, send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” – “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus
Great article, and fact-filled.
but here is a video that kinda gets close to how i feel.
“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” – Leviticus 19:33-34 for all the pro-life, conservative Christians out there who cherry pick their beliefs – news flash – where is you charity? humility? gratitude? helpfulness to your fellowman? You’re behavior is in direct conflict to the old testament, the new testament and everything our founding fathers built this country on. Go home and read your Bibles – take a trip to the statue of liberty; then get busy helping these people and others who need help in your community. .
But hey, since this site is managed by a Canadian why don’t we send alot of these kids to Canada? I think that is a great plan!!!!
“Matthew 18:10
See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
Mark 10:13–16
And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And she took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.”
Thank you for taking the time to write this article. We need to speak out at from every avenue for these children. I have a petition that is just beginning to take hold. Here is info. Please take a look. Thanks.
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The growing anger, resentment and hate being directed towards these vulnerable young children crossing our borders is shocking. They need our help. Can you please support this petition and share, share, share! Thank you. http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/america-does-not-turn?source=c.em.mt&r_by=8747592 Thank you so much for speaking up for these children.
I noticed you couldn’t be bothered to name even one falsehood. Perhaps you’d have more time to ‘tear down everything that’s wrong here’ if you didn’t spend so much time polishing your gun collection, attending Klan rallies or organizing Hitler Youth groups.
Excuse me? What are YOU talking about? Speaking of guns, if you’re going to take a shot at this brilliant writer, have some empirical data to back it up. Or…more simply have the gun loaded and make sure you shoot the target. Pathetic response.
You mam are a moron who only has false stereotypes to insult people with, but ill tear down one just for the sake of argument. The complete falsehood that Bundy is racist. The lie that he is racist was based off a video that was deliberately cut off to make him appear racist. when in fact is you took the time to watch the full video he would probably be ok with these kids coming from south America. Also on the same topic the idea that the couple who shot the police officers were involved with the Bundy group in any more than a passing manner. They were kicked out of the Bundy ranch due to many of their very provocative statements.
Hi. Here’s Bundy’s quote:
“I want to tell you one more thing I know about the Negro,” he said. Mr. Bundy recalled driving past a public-housing project in North Las Vegas, “and in front of that government house the door was usually open and the older people and the kids — and there is always at least a half a dozen people sitting on the porch — they didn’t have nothing to do. They didn’t have nothing for their kids to do. They didn’t have nothing for their young girls to do.
“And because they were basically on government subsidy, so now what do they do?” he asked. “They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton. And I’ve often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn’t get no more freedom. They got less freedom.”
http://www.businessinsider.com/cliven-bundy-racist-comments-slaves-ranch-2014-4
That is unequivocally racist. Your lame story about media manipulation is beyond absurd. Now you are trying, and failing,to defend racism amongst all the other bullshit you’re spouting off about.
no sir, you are the liar for picking some all be it badly worded statements and calling it racist. Or perhaps you are just a fool who believes what he is told about a person whom they dislike and want to tear down.
But here is some enlightenment, even though im sure you will find some reason to continue to be stupid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agXns-W60MI.
And he very specifically addresses the issue of illegal immigrants in his actual statement in a very positive manner. so your using him in your little rant on this issue is utterly bogus to begin with.
So your big “gotcha” moment is to link to video of Bundy saying the same thing I quoted, and say he isn’t racist for positing that black people were better off as slaves?
And that he says nice things about immigrants, so that’s okay? Even though that has nothing to do with what I said and his former militia members are still hunting children at the border?
Plus you can’t refute anything else I’ve written, the laws, Palin getting them wrong, the Benghazi mess, or that the basic premise that hating children is incredibly wrong, ethically, morally, and ideologically?
While you suggest elsewhere that the child refugees just be sent to Canada? While being immensely disrespectful with everything you say?
Keep talking, please. Let me just hold this hoop a little higher for you to jump through.
And thanks for completely illustrating what kind of asshole resists helping children caught up in a humanitarian crisis.
right, your every post on every subject is disrespectful toward people you disagree with so sorry for not showing you any respect in turn.
Why should these children not be sent to canada? how exactly is this “humanitarian crisis” entirely our problem to deal with? and if it is such an issue i would think the Canadians would be happy to help since they are touted as being such nice people.
When exactly did Bundy say the blacks were better off as slaves? What he said in essence is that overall the black community in many regards has not gotten any more freedom than they had other than in name only and if they can be called truly free from slavery. And that is a valid question to ask. As i said, the wording was unfortunate but the question in and of it’s self was not racist. See your treating the question as a statement, which is was not. He is simply a concerned person who wonders if the black community as it stands now is really in any better a position than it was then. If you look at today id say it would be a fair assertion that a black slave had as much likely hood of becoming free as your average black male has of graduating college. And that is a problem we need to think about. Thats all this man was saying, nothing more.
And “hunting children”? really?……..really? that was a bit overly dramatic even for you.
uh, in case you weren’t aware there is still an intensive investigation that is on going in regards to Benghazi. The only reason its not being talked about is because there is some new huge problem this country is running into every other week. which is really kind of the point now isn’t it? Keep people distracted from each of these issues with new ones so no one really digs too deep.
Sure, hating children is wrong. but whether we hate them or love them it is still not our job to be the worlds refugee camp. we really don’t have the resources to sustain such a massive influx of illegals. Right, wrong, it makes no difference in economics. It would be one thing if we weren’t trillions of dollars in debt, but we are. And now Obama want’s billions more to feed ,house and cloth these people? unacceptable. And now these kids and being bussed to many cities without any prior notice with simply a “here ya go, its your job to take care of these kids somehow”. Unacceptable. So yes, these people have every right to be angry when it is their community that will experience the economic drain with no plans to relocate these children. and trying to compare hundreds of jews with tens of thousands of south Americans is foolish to begin with. You can make all the fluffy feel good arguments you want, but they don’t hold water in the real world.
Speaking of water, this deal with Detroit is stupid to begin with. If you don’t pay your water bill your water gets cut off. That’s kinda a “derka der” moment.
Yes. Hunting.
“You see an illegal. You point your gun dead at him, right between his eyes, and you say, ‘Get back across the border or you will be shot,'” Chris Davis says in the 21-minute video posted on his YouTube channel.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-texas-border-militia-video-20140707-story.html#page=1
And the rest of what you are saying is trying to justify racism, hatred, and conservative fuck ups. I will always be disrespectful to that.
You can’t take it? Don’t dish it out.
Can’t take what exactly? I just want to be left alone and not have to pay taxes to deal with liberal fuck ups and feel good bullshit that does absolutely nothing but waste money. well i shouldn’t say nothing, it garners them more power and that’s why its done.
And no not hunting, that would be like saying a security guard at a military base is “hunting” when he says “turn back now or you will be shot”. If the only way to secure the border is to do it with lethal force so be it. but these people are not “hunting” in even the remotest sense. They are not going out to shoot children, they are trying to block people who are invading the border by the thousands.
This has nothing to do with racism. Bundy is clearly not racist though you can keep believing that if you want, and i really could not give two shits if these “refugees” are coming from Guatemala or Germany. Expecting any single country to simply take in 50,000+ “refugees” is utterly ludicrous.
But hey, since this seems to be such an issue close to your heart how bout this. why don’t you and your buddies start a petition of “concerned citizens” who want to take these kids in. So you can pay for them and house them and feel awfully good about yourselves. But you won’t do that because you don’t want to have to deal with it yourself, you just want someone else to take care of it and call them racist or hateful if they have a problem with it.
Wow. You’re still talking.
I’m not really surprised, you’ve been insulting people at this site for a while now, trying to virtually shout down everything. That’s how you introduced yourself here. Now you’re all surprised when you are accorded the same disrespect?
Whatever. Rail away. You’re just a troll. You got nothing.
I realize you are never going to stop and think getting the last word is some kind of victory. I don’t care. Engaging with you is a waste of time.
Continue spouting pointless denials to prove me right.
me the troll? yes im insulting people. because your an insulting man. you make a pass time off insulting people you don’t agree with and probably get off on it. so im certainly not going to play nicety nice while debunking all your bullshit.
I have proven you wrong over and over and all you have to say is “you’re just another troll”
Go on answer the question i posed before. If this is such an issue to you are you willing to house and care fore these people yourself and getting others to join you? Because otherwise your the troll not me.
Just as i thought, all fluff and feathers but no substance.
no pointless denials, all you have to offer are baseless attacks on others with no solutions. I gave you a solution which you obviously have no intention of doing. you would rather force others to do work you are too much of a coward to do yourself.
So in that sense engaging is a waste of time since you are nothing but a hate monger with no solutions. And yet you call me as much, bah!
Your entire article is so entirely full of falsehoods and aggrandizing its utterly astounding. I would go to work tearing down just how wrong everything you are saying here is, but there are just so many untruths that it would take half a day just to get through it. Certainly not worth the effort for someone who is obviously simply a political tool.
So, “Nuh UH” and then ad hominem attacks?
Thanks for stopping by.
No…thank you for stopping by. Baseless comments about this article is cowardly.
Well, you took the time to read it and comment so I DARE you to name ONE false fact…it’s Saturday…I’ll await your response.
Well, you took the time to read it and comment so I DARE you to name ONE false fact…it’s Saturday…I’ll await your response.
Ain’t it amazing?
The party of, “What would Jesus do?” and “Won’t someone please think of the children?” Has suddenly become the party of, “Tough luck, kid. Get lost”.
This is a wonderful article. I wish I could be so eloquent. You have hit the nail on the head, I truly believe we have a moral obligation to help these refugees and because of what our country was founded on we have a national obligation to assist them.