Innocent Children and America's Moral Crisis

First, what I say, of course, is purely my opinion. But that’s what blogs are for, right? I don’t mean to offend, but sometimes I feel strongly enough or inspired enough about something to where I just have to write about it. I hope those that don’t agree with me can at least respect my point of view. If you don’t agree with me, I promise that if you start your own blog I will read it and give your points food for thought. Having said that, here goes:

(John Moore/Getty Images)

This post won't be long. Short and sweet. Just a commentary about the most recently implemented practice of separating migrant children from their parents at the border.

It’s wrong.

I’m probably preaching to the choir here. In fact, I probably won't change many minds. But just some points I wanted to make.

First, I’ve read some really insensitive Facebook posts expressing the opinion that if parents don’t want to be separated from their children, they shouldn’t cross the border illegally. Never mind that these people aren’t criminals, but fellow human beings who are simply desperate for better lives for themselves and their children. Despite that, even if you want to blame the parents, there’s one key point that’s being missed here: It’s about the children, stupid.

These children have no control over whether they are brought here are not. They don’t deserve this kind of treatment. They don’t deserve to be traumatized in this way. They are innocent children who need to be with their families. To rip them apart from their mothers and fathers in this way and then detain them in institutional-like settings is, to me, evil.

Second, in response to our Attorney General, who quotes Romans 13 from the Bible to justify such an atrocious policy  – I say I can’t help but wonder how many others may have used this passage to justify their brutal acts. Maybe the Nazis? Maybe abusive slave owners during what was another dark time in our history? And since when do we use Bible passages to dictate our policy? We do have such a thing as separation of church and state. It’s not a recent thing – the concept was the brainchild of our founding fathers. And what else does the Bible say? Aren’t we forbidden to eat shellfish? So when will the federal government start closing down all the Red Lobsters in this country? Sorry, but in my heart I’m thinking Jesus would have thought what we’re doing right now is NOT okay.

Third, when President Trump blames the Democrats for this he reminds me of an abusive boyfriend or husband. Follow my line of thinking here.

I was in an abusive relationship once when I had a boyfriend with a volatile temper. It was mostly verbal and emotional abuse I suffered, but once in a while I would get hit and thrown around too. I remember so vividly that instead of taking responsibility for his own actions, he would deflect the blame onto me. It was my fault that he had to treat me that way. So many times he would tell me that if only I would just change in this way or that, he wouldn’t get so mad at me to the point where I would have to suffer his wrath. In other words, I made him treat me that way. (Fortunately, I was able to eventually escape that relationship. But it was only after being far removed from it that I realized how insidious his logic was.)

So how do I use that experience to make the analogy to President Trump? He says he doesn’t like to see children separated from their parents, but the Democrats are making him do it. Yes, if only the Democrats would cave to his demands and agree to build that stupid wall, then he wouldn’t have to use these children as political pawns and rip them away from their mothers’ arms. Okay, that’s a load of crap. He can stop this at any time. Just like an abusive husband – deflecting the blame for his own actions and resisting any accountability.

Mind you, this isn’t a Democrat versus Republican thing. There are good people on both sides. And both sides should know that we are in the middle of a moral crisis here. Not Democrat versus Republican, but right versus wrong.

I guess in this day and age, maybe the divide of right versus wrong seems gray at times. But I would think common sense would dictate that all of us, no matter what side we’re on, would see this as so obviously wrong.

Call your congressional representatives. Call your senators. Express your outrage. And for God’s sake, the next time any of us want to look at refugees and immigrants as the bad guys, as the enemies, as animals (Trump’s words, not mine), please remember that we are all children of God. We are all fellow human beings.

Do what’s right.