I had a “discussion” (which miraculously avoided becoming too loud) about a little girl from Guatemala. Her parents had brought her to the US for medical treatment, and to escape the Mayan genocide going on in that country. As it happened, the child died in one of the camps along the border.
“Well, she should have waited at home.”
“For what? For America to help? WE were the ones who put their president in office, and their army is using tactics we taught them to round up and kill the Mayans.”
“Well, I still think she should have waited. And she died anyway, so what difference did it make?”
I narrowly avoided slapping the woman across the face. With a chair.
Think about it this way; (and it has always been this way) — a person living in their home country (they love their country the same way we love our country) come to the conclusion that it is too poor, too dangerous, no education for their children, no safety for their children, no opportunity for them or their children, and they decide to take a chance to go to some better place, even though it will be dangerous, and they don’t really know what they will find when they get there.
So they take everything they have that is important to them, and set out on a perilous journey, betting everything on this one chance to live a better life. Those people are full of courage and determination, and make a commitment — bet their life and their family’s life — to try to succeed in that new land.
No one is giving them a first class ticket; it is up to them to struggle to complete the journey.
They came — the Pilgrim fathers, the English, French, Spanish, Irish, Germans, Italians, Russians, Jews, Christians, Greek Orthodox, Muslims, and every other brand of religion, looking for a better life, and working to make it so in their new home. Immigrants built this country, even those who were brought here against their will as slaves or as indentured workers like the Chinese and Japanese — they have all contributed to what America has come to mean to us and to the rest of the world. When our nation needed their help, they put on the uniform and joined the ranks to defend our country in whatever way was needed. Their family names are well represented in every national cemetery where our heroes rest.
We still need them — those who came as poor and downtrodden refugees looking for a better life. We need their determination, and ideas, and children, and their commitment to make this a better place. We’ve got a lot of work to do to fulfill our dreams as a nation. We need their help.
I spent months living in big huge auditoriums like that, deployed all over the world. Lights never going off, people coming and going at all hours, no privacy.
You get used to it. And I was nearly always grateful, because it beats sleeping on the ground, in the rain, night after night which I’ve also done. You don’t ever really get used to that, no. You just endure it.
Life is more than enduring shit. It’s about looking for better. Which is what those people are doing.
Yes, it’s better than being in a cage. And Biden is better than Trump. So I guess, in the end, it’s all about perspective. For those in the cages.
For us on the outside? It’s our responsibility to make sure we don’t make things worse. We’ve spent the last four years making things worse. It is time for us to do better.
So now that the problem has escalated with a new president and can no longer be blamed on Trump, why don’t we get serious, admit there is a problem, put politics aside and try to come up with a solution?
Concretionist about 3 years ago
Beats staying home and being killed (guys, kids) or being forced into prostitution.
FrankErnesto about 3 years ago
They must have heard stories of cages when they were South of the border. Didn’t stop anybody, though.
Valiant1943 Premium Member about 3 years ago
Better than starvation, predation and no hope at all.
RonnieAThompson Premium Member about 3 years ago
Have a awesomely good weekend my friends.
Dani Rice about 3 years ago
I had a “discussion” (which miraculously avoided becoming too loud) about a little girl from Guatemala. Her parents had brought her to the US for medical treatment, and to escape the Mayan genocide going on in that country. As it happened, the child died in one of the camps along the border.
“Well, she should have waited at home.”“For what? For America to help? WE were the ones who put their president in office, and their army is using tactics we taught them to round up and kill the Mayans.”
“Well, I still think she should have waited. And she died anyway, so what difference did it make?”
I narrowly avoided slapping the woman across the face. With a chair.
The Love of Money is . . . about 3 years ago
Where’s the sign that says “Colored Only” . . .?
dickanders Premium Member about 3 years ago
Think about it this way; (and it has always been this way) — a person living in their home country (they love their country the same way we love our country) come to the conclusion that it is too poor, too dangerous, no education for their children, no safety for their children, no opportunity for them or their children, and they decide to take a chance to go to some better place, even though it will be dangerous, and they don’t really know what they will find when they get there.
So they take everything they have that is important to them, and set out on a perilous journey, betting everything on this one chance to live a better life. Those people are full of courage and determination, and make a commitment — bet their life and their family’s life — to try to succeed in that new land.
No one is giving them a first class ticket; it is up to them to struggle to complete the journey.
They came — the Pilgrim fathers, the English, French, Spanish, Irish, Germans, Italians, Russians, Jews, Christians, Greek Orthodox, Muslims, and every other brand of religion, looking for a better life, and working to make it so in their new home. Immigrants built this country, even those who were brought here against their will as slaves or as indentured workers like the Chinese and Japanese — they have all contributed to what America has come to mean to us and to the rest of the world. When our nation needed their help, they put on the uniform and joined the ranks to defend our country in whatever way was needed. Their family names are well represented in every national cemetery where our heroes rest.
We still need them — those who came as poor and downtrodden refugees looking for a better life. We need their determination, and ideas, and children, and their commitment to make this a better place. We’ve got a lot of work to do to fulfill our dreams as a nation. We need their help.
Scoutmaster77 about 3 years ago
Now Ted Cruz this it’s a travesty. Where was he a couple of years ago?
Durak Premium Member about 3 years ago
I spent months living in big huge auditoriums like that, deployed all over the world. Lights never going off, people coming and going at all hours, no privacy.
You get used to it. And I was nearly always grateful, because it beats sleeping on the ground, in the rain, night after night which I’ve also done. You don’t ever really get used to that, no. You just endure it.
Life is more than enduring shit. It’s about looking for better. Which is what those people are doing.
Yes, it’s better than being in a cage. And Biden is better than Trump. So I guess, in the end, it’s all about perspective. For those in the cages.
For us on the outside? It’s our responsibility to make sure we don’t make things worse. We’ve spent the last four years making things worse. It is time for us to do better.
WCraft Premium Member about 3 years ago
So now that the problem has escalated with a new president and can no longer be blamed on Trump, why don’t we get serious, admit there is a problem, put politics aside and try to come up with a solution?
ajmsdca about 3 years ago
And if they show videos of Comic Con, they might want to come back someday
littleann about 3 years ago
Border Patrol agents recently encountered 5 large groups of illegal aliens near the Rio Grande. In total, 539 individuals were taken into custody.
Within the groups, were 93 unaccompanied children alien(UAC). So far this fiscal year #RGV has encountered over 18K UACs.
So 18 thousand unaccompanied children are fleeing their nations? Just this fiscal year. Wow