Something to think about on July 4

July 4th - a time for family, fun, fireworks  A time for relaxing and celebrating the good life we have in America. On this weekend of celebrating America’s birthday, I can’t help but feel a little bit sad about our country right now. 

The border situation is way beyond a political or economic crisis.  It is not about whether or not you support Trump, or you hate him.  It’s not about whether or not you believe that allowing immigrants into our country is bankrupting the economy.  It’s not even about whether or not you think that there are an inordinate number of dangerous criminals coming through or that the children accompanying them are actually “fake” families.  

Really, whatever side of the immigration issue that you are already on, that is most likely what you are going to make this about.   I am honestly not trying to change anyone’s mind about the long-term situation at the border.   But I am asking you to look at the immediate crisis facing us and to think beyond party lines and look at the real issues.

 Because quite frankly, what the border situation SHOULD be about is a humanitarian crisis. Our country is at a moral crossroads and what we do in the next weeks and months in the detention centers will have long term affects to the mental and physical health of vulnerable people.  These are children. And fathers. And mothers.  These are human beings on American soil that are being treated in ways that we, as Americans, consistently stand up to and fight to change in other parts of the world but are now allowing on our own soil! THAT is what we should all be talking about regardless of what political side we stand on.  

Reading what Dr. James Dobson wrote in his July Newsletter broke my heart.   This is a man who (whether you believe in his Christian viewpoints or not) is known as a good man, with a good heart and who has been a leader on many world issues.   Yet on what is one of the biggest humanitarian issues facing America today, he is taking a pass on the moral implications of turning asylum seekers away and using the most convenient excuses - “It’s too expensive.  They have lice and scabies.  They have no marketable skills.  They should go back to where they came from”.  This really is not meant to be an attack on Dr. Dobson, but I just can’t understand why he would write what he did and why more people are not calling him out on this one? 

To summarize, I think Dobson and many of our leaders are taking a huge cop out by saying that while conditions at the border are grim and heartbreaking, that it still is not “our” problem.  They think that by dehumanizing and blaming the victim this justifies the inhumane policies of separating children from their families in overcrowded facilities with few to no services. Click here to read Dr Dobson's full article.

I mean Dr. Dobson is a freaking pediatrician and he did not feel compelled to do something, ANYTHING right then and there when he personally saw kids being held in such traumatic and dangerous conditions except to say he would pray for them?  Even if he was powerless to do something at the time of his visit, one would think, as I did when I read the first part of his article, that he would come back and use his substantial influence and power and his voice to make a call to his large audience to help put a stop to this.  But no, he chose to take a partisan stance and make this about Trump and supporting his border policies. 

He basically ended his article with fear mongering and the excuse that addressing the problem was not really our problem because “these people will just bring our country down." Using the argument that they are uneducated with no marketable skills or many are hardened dangerous criminals is just blatant fear mongering.  What statistics and facts does he have to back this up?  And in fact, in his own article he contradicts that statement by saying that most of these immigrants willingly turn themselves into authority.  What hardened criminal does that?  Who would do that?  Only very poor, frightened, desperate people fleeing impossible situations.  That’s who.

For anyone to use the excuse that the children are being used to make fake families and so this is the reason why it can’t be helped that they are being held in such horrible conditions is just bizarre.  Even if this was true (and I have seen no statistics or credible data that shows that to be the case) it certainly is not the child’s fault.  I mean what infant, or 2-year-old or 6-year- old or even 12 or 16-year- old child should be treated this way because someone forced them to pretend they were in a fake family to get across the border? This kind of scapegoating and blaming the victim as if, somehow, they deserve this or are responsible for being in this situation is just sad. 

It is especially more so when people try to bring God into their justification of the situation.  Last time I checked, I can’t find anything in the Bible that says Jesus would be glad about what is happening in those detention centers.   In fact, I kinda think Jesus would be saying “whatsoever you do to the least of these you do unto me…” or something like that. When is it ever acceptable to put human beings in conditions like that?  We don’t even put convicted rapists or murderers in our own jail system in the conditions that are being documented at the border right now.  Much less children.

  

Now you might believe that this is what “these people” deserve since they are breaking the law knowingly by coming here and that is your right.  But do not hide behind the facade of saying that this is fake news and being exaggerated.  We now have way too many clearly documented accounts from both the left and the right stating that the conditions at our borders are real and that they are dangerous and inhumane – just read what Dr. Dobson said at the start of his article. 

This is not what we are about in America.  I do not care what side of the political fence you sit on.  I do not think I know one single person that would walk by a child in need.  American, or immigrant.  Dirty, or clean.  Brown or white.  With parents or without parents. With lice or without lice.   Every single person I know would stop to aid a child in distress.   Yet, here we are arguing over politics and economics while children and families are hidden away or dying in these inhumane conditions.

I am a proud American.   But I am not proud of myself right now or my country.  We must move beyond the political discussions and insist that immigration solutions be worked on immediately, but also that holding children hostage in overcrowded, unhealthy centers is unacceptable. And it is not what America stands for. Sadly, I think that the moral majority is remaining silent because we feel cynical and defeated, I think even our government leaders feel like they can’t change things.  I refuse to believe this.  I do believe that hearts and minds can change.  I do believe that one person can make a difference. 

This is the America I am proud of.  This is the America that stands for freedom and justice for all. These are my people - people who still believe that they can make a difference and that what they do matters. These are my people too – people fleeing desperate situations and looking to America for a chance at a better life.  Happy July 4^th!

Go to Culture Map (   Click here to see 8 ways Austinites can help the border situation) or check out Casa Marinelli, an Austin non profit helping immigrant families, to see some very practical things you can do right now to help stop this inhumane situation.