Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Crisis at Our Doorstep

While on vacation over the last week, I was able to watch more TV and specifically News, than I have in a while.  One of the stories I heard a number of times is the humanitarian crisis we are having at the mexican/american border.   While I was relaxing for the week there were many people detained at the border, a man and his 18 month old child died by drowning, and 1000's of immigrant children were put into holding camps.

While I feel that things have to be really bad where you are to even consider the hike through hot deserts, dangerous people and the warm (sarcasm) welcome they are getting when they get to the border.  The thing that seriously disgusts me to no end is the treatment of the kids.  Kids do not have a say in where their parents drag them.  If you have a kid under the age of 15, you should know this already.  Are you really going to stand for your 8, 9 or 10 year old kid saying, hey mom, dad, yeah I don't want to make that hike up there, I'll just stay here! No, you will grab them by the ear, shirt, shoulder and point them in the direction you want them to start marching!  Good parents do that, parents that want something better for their kids.

What dawned on me as I sat slack jawed watching this totally Un American fiasco unfold at our borders was that, I am a huge animal rights person.  I love all 4 of my companion pets (2 dogs & 2 cats) and I loose my mother fucking mind when I see or hear stories about puppy mills or overcrowded shelters.  Most people that I know, regardless of how they feel about the crisis at the border, are incessed when they see pictures like this:


But when it comes to these PEOPLE in cages and worst yet, CHILDREN in cages they turn a blind eye to the cruelty and complete disregard for human life.  Is this ok?  In truth, I wouldn't treat my animals like the way these children are being treated.  BABIES crying for their mothers, kids afraid of what may happen to them, toddlers being left on their own.  We don't like when people do this to animals, we call them scum and shit, but we are ok when we do this to human beings....Im NOT ok with this...Not for animals and certainly not for children!

How does this make us "Patriotic"? 
How does this make us "American"?
How does this make us Free, Kind and Compassionate for our fellow human beings?


Do you really walk around in fear thinking that someday one of these kids will kill you or someone you love? REALLY?  Well after how we treat them, I guess I would be afraid of that now too.

And before you start screaming "Obama's fault"  this is happening NOW, and get over Obama already, not all the problems in your life began with Obama and it certainly isn't going to end with Trump.

What would you do if it were YOUR child in one of these pictures?  Is this really ok with you?  

We can not and should not make these kids pay for the sins of their parents.  
Regardless of the reason why their parents sought shelter/amnesty here.  

None of us here today, in this Great country of ours, can trace our roots back to this plot of land (america), we all come from immigrants.  Put yourself in these peoples shoes for one bleeping second.   The Irish, German, Italians, Hungarians, all the eastern europeans that are still coming here, the chinese, japanese, indians, the poor, the disenchanted, the christian, jews and atheists, WE are what make this Country the greatest place on earth!  And this INCLUDES these immigrants.  

Is this really ok with you?  
Is this who you think Americans should be seen as around the world?

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, 
whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother 
Mother of exiles. 
From her beacon-hand Glows
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command 
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. 
"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-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
-- Emma Lazarus 1883