Wake Up!
It’s 4am and I can’t sleep. The cries of children woke me up. Not my children. Not the ones down the
hall sleeping comfortably in separate spacious bedrooms in the safety of their own home. The cries
that woke me up permeate out of a detention center about a thousand miles south of here. The cries
for “papa and mama” float across the Great Plains and into the Midwest. They drift along the southern
border and up the west coast. They skirt though the deep south and up into New England.
hall sleeping comfortably in separate spacious bedrooms in the safety of their own home. The cries
that woke me up permeate out of a detention center about a thousand miles south of here. The cries
for “papa and mama” float across the Great Plains and into the Midwest. They drift along the southern
border and up the west coast. They skirt though the deep south and up into New England.
Can you hear them?
During the day, I cannot hear them. There is too much noise. We are busy. We have meetings to get to.
We have jobs to get done. We have vacations to plan. Mom needs flowers on Mother’s Day. We have
to call dad on Father’s Day. The kids need to get picked up. They need to get dropped off. Phones get
lost. Grandma is in the hospital. Life is swirling all around us and we’re just trying to keep up.
We have jobs to get done. We have vacations to plan. Mom needs flowers on Mother’s Day. We have
to call dad on Father’s Day. The kids need to get picked up. They need to get dropped off. Phones get
lost. Grandma is in the hospital. Life is swirling all around us and we’re just trying to keep up.
But at night, after I tuck my kids into bed and tell them I love them, after I eat my dinner and wonder if
the leftovers will go to waste, after I brush my teeth and spit out clean, potable water, when I finally lay
down in my queen size bed and try to let my mind rest, that’s when I hear them.
the leftovers will go to waste, after I brush my teeth and spit out clean, potable water, when I finally lay
down in my queen size bed and try to let my mind rest, that’s when I hear them.
About 2,000 children were separated from their families
at the U.S.-Mexico border over a recent six-week time period
as a result of a "zero tolerance" policy
that cracks down on illegal immigration,
Why is this happening? That’s a good question. The official answer is: to protect us. The administration
wants to stop illegal immigration. They believe that separating children from their parents will deter
parents from seeking asylum in the United States. Why do we want women and children who are in
danger in their own countries to stop seeking asylum in the United States? That’s another good question.
wants to stop illegal immigration. They believe that separating children from their parents will deter
parents from seeking asylum in the United States. Why do we want women and children who are in
danger in their own countries to stop seeking asylum in the United States? That’s another good question.
It is my belief that this policy is fueled by xenophobia. Webster defines xenophobia as: the fear and
hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign. Where is the
justification for the fear of Central Americans and Mexicans? Trump touts anecdotal evidence of the
crimes of MS 13 gang (many of whom are American citizens born and raised in our own cities, by
the way). But where’s the data? Where’s the data that shows that we should fear Central Americans
or Mexicans more than we should fear our own neighbor? If this evidence existed, you know damn
well that Trump would Tweet it constantly. It doesn’t exist.
hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign. Where is the
justification for the fear of Central Americans and Mexicans? Trump touts anecdotal evidence of the
crimes of MS 13 gang (many of whom are American citizens born and raised in our own cities, by
the way). But where’s the data? Where’s the data that shows that we should fear Central Americans
or Mexicans more than we should fear our own neighbor? If this evidence existed, you know damn
well that Trump would Tweet it constantly. It doesn’t exist.
Why are we not afraid of the lonely White guy that is planning the next mass shooting? What are we
doing about that? Should we label all White men as “animals” since most mass shootings are
perpetrated by White men? Should we separate White men from their children to deter them from
committing mass shootings? How are we combating bullying to stop school shootings? While we are
locking up migrant children at the border our own children are killing each other at school. What are
we doing about that? Should we deploy the National Guard to our schools like we deployed them to
our border?
doing about that? Should we label all White men as “animals” since most mass shootings are
perpetrated by White men? Should we separate White men from their children to deter them from
committing mass shootings? How are we combating bullying to stop school shootings? While we are
locking up migrant children at the border our own children are killing each other at school. What are
we doing about that? Should we deploy the National Guard to our schools like we deployed them to
our border?
What are we so afraid of?
I believe that we are afraid of these children because they represent the next generation of Americans.
And, wait for it… they don’t look like us. Boo! Their skin is brown and they speak Spanish. There is a
fear here in America that If we just keep letting “them” in they will breed “us” out. We can’t fathom an
America that is not dominated by White European culture. There. I said it. Any other explanation that
justifies this hysteria while ignoring REAL domestic issues is just a bunch of hogwash.
And, wait for it… they don’t look like us. Boo! Their skin is brown and they speak Spanish. There is a
fear here in America that If we just keep letting “them” in they will breed “us” out. We can’t fathom an
America that is not dominated by White European culture. There. I said it. Any other explanation that
justifies this hysteria while ignoring REAL domestic issues is just a bunch of hogwash.
This not new territory. We have been here before. In the 19th century we feared the Irish Catholics
and the Chinese. Our European Protestant majority saw these groups as a real threat to American
culture. Does anyone still argue that the Irish Catholics and Chinese destroyed America? Nope.
We honor their contributions and memorialize their stories as American stories.
and the Chinese. Our European Protestant majority saw these groups as a real threat to American
culture. Does anyone still argue that the Irish Catholics and Chinese destroyed America? Nope.
We honor their contributions and memorialize their stories as American stories.
So, what do we do?
The first thing we have to do is face this fear. We have to acknowledge that it is precisely this
fear that drives the current hysteria over immigration. All of us do not have this fear but all of us
need to face it so that we can move forward together.
fear that drives the current hysteria over immigration. All of us do not have this fear but all of us
need to face it so that we can move forward together.
Next, we have to have faith in our values! Have we lost our belief in the Constitution? People have
been coming to this country for over two hundred years. They have spoken every language under
the sun. They have worshiped every god. They have come in all shades and from every corner of
this earth. They seek the same rights and freedoms that our Founding Fathers did when they drafted
the Constitution. Why have we lost confidence in our ability to unite people under our great
Constitution? This is a test and we need show ourselves and the world what American values are.
been coming to this country for over two hundred years. They have spoken every language under
the sun. They have worshiped every god. They have come in all shades and from every corner of
this earth. They seek the same rights and freedoms that our Founding Fathers did when they drafted
the Constitution. Why have we lost confidence in our ability to unite people under our great
Constitution? This is a test and we need show ourselves and the world what American values are.
When my children cry out in the night. I get up and I go to them. Wake up, America! The children
are crying...
are crying...
Thanks Mike.
ReplyDeleteDidn't FDR say: "We have nothing to fear but fear itself?"
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