I feel compelled to voice my feelings on this matter. I wish for it to be understood in no uncertain terms where I stand on the matter. I have been vocal in my opposition to Trump and his policies ever since he first started campaigning for president. I continue in that opposition now and do not see a future wherein I do not oppose him.
The matter currently at hand is that of children being torn from their parents at the border. Border patrol has been instructed by the administration to have a zero-tolerance policy and to separate families who are attempting to cross the border. Infants as young as 8 months old are being held captive, forcibly separated from their parents. At least one pregnant woman was among those who have been kidnapped and held in these unspeakable detention centers for weeks so far.
I denounce this practice as being immoral, unnecessary, and purely disgusting. It should offend any person with any shred of empathy. It is highly ironic that conservatives who have spent decades yelling about how the family is the basic unit of society and is so important and that every child needs a mother and father to now turn a blind eye to this horror or worse--to go so far as to actually applaud the effort by the current administration to keep babies and children in cages, sleeping on the floor with space blankets, never knowing if they'll ever see their families again.
I cannot for the life of me understand how cruel, heartless, and vindictive a person must be in order to instigate such a horrific practice. I cannot understand how people can stand idly by and be unmoved by the plight of the children (and their parents). And I'm deeply disturbed by the people who support it and defend it--my own father being one of them.
I want to emphasize that clearly the greatest share of the blame goes to those in authority--Donald Trump, Jeff Sessions, Kierstjen Nielsen, and any others who were involved in creating and issuing the policy change. They are unspeakably evil people for having done so. However, I would be remiss in placing all of the blame there.
It is firmly my opinion that the rank-and-file members of the government agencies engaged in these behaviors are also to blame. I understand that they are just following orders. I understand that they risk losing their jobs if they do not comply with their orders, and I understand that they have mouths to feed in their own families. I certainly would have a difficult time choosing between my livelihood and my conscience in such a matter--that is to say, if my employer asked me to do things which I found morally questionable or reprehensible, it may be difficult for me to refuse to do those things. Fortunately, I have not yet had to face that decision and hope I never do.
All that being said, we must hold these people accountable. The ICE officers who go into places of employment and raid them, detaining any hispanic persons. The border agents who tear children from their parents. The supervisors who tell the workers and the children that they aren't allowed to even hug each other. These are all things that I believe these people should be judged for, and held accountable for. Clearly it would not be possible for the Trump administration to commit the atrocities it is currently committing without the every day worker following orders and doing the horrific things that they are being asked to do. Without the little people to carry out the orders, that's all they would be--orders. Not actual suffering. It is the little people who actually cause the suffering. The men and women who tear families apart and say cruel things to the parents, like that they will never see their kids again.
How do we combat this? I am unsure. But one thing I still believe--beneath all of my cynicism and my hardened exterior--is that kindness is more powerful than hatred. I have lost hope that being kind toward people who are evil will help them recover from their evil nature. That may not ever happen. But being kind toward those who are being oppressed I believe will help. It may ease or end their suffering. It may help them hold on to hope, to make it to see a better day. I believe we can donate time and money to organizations that have been created specifically to ease suffering. I have been donating to the International Rescue Committee ever since Trump first started making his stand against refugees. I plan to donate to organizations designed to defend immigrants from the atrocities being committed against them.
And one more thing I believe will help is to never go silent. In my mind, silence is compliance. I will continue to voice as vociferously as I can that this is not okay. This will never be okay. History will look back on this behavior harshly, as it has any previous violation of human rights. I despise those in power who have ordered the atrocities to occur and I deplore all those who follow the orders and carry out the atrocities.
The matter currently at hand is that of children being torn from their parents at the border. Border patrol has been instructed by the administration to have a zero-tolerance policy and to separate families who are attempting to cross the border. Infants as young as 8 months old are being held captive, forcibly separated from their parents. At least one pregnant woman was among those who have been kidnapped and held in these unspeakable detention centers for weeks so far.
I denounce this practice as being immoral, unnecessary, and purely disgusting. It should offend any person with any shred of empathy. It is highly ironic that conservatives who have spent decades yelling about how the family is the basic unit of society and is so important and that every child needs a mother and father to now turn a blind eye to this horror or worse--to go so far as to actually applaud the effort by the current administration to keep babies and children in cages, sleeping on the floor with space blankets, never knowing if they'll ever see their families again.
I cannot for the life of me understand how cruel, heartless, and vindictive a person must be in order to instigate such a horrific practice. I cannot understand how people can stand idly by and be unmoved by the plight of the children (and their parents). And I'm deeply disturbed by the people who support it and defend it--my own father being one of them.
I want to emphasize that clearly the greatest share of the blame goes to those in authority--Donald Trump, Jeff Sessions, Kierstjen Nielsen, and any others who were involved in creating and issuing the policy change. They are unspeakably evil people for having done so. However, I would be remiss in placing all of the blame there.
It is firmly my opinion that the rank-and-file members of the government agencies engaged in these behaviors are also to blame. I understand that they are just following orders. I understand that they risk losing their jobs if they do not comply with their orders, and I understand that they have mouths to feed in their own families. I certainly would have a difficult time choosing between my livelihood and my conscience in such a matter--that is to say, if my employer asked me to do things which I found morally questionable or reprehensible, it may be difficult for me to refuse to do those things. Fortunately, I have not yet had to face that decision and hope I never do.
All that being said, we must hold these people accountable. The ICE officers who go into places of employment and raid them, detaining any hispanic persons. The border agents who tear children from their parents. The supervisors who tell the workers and the children that they aren't allowed to even hug each other. These are all things that I believe these people should be judged for, and held accountable for. Clearly it would not be possible for the Trump administration to commit the atrocities it is currently committing without the every day worker following orders and doing the horrific things that they are being asked to do. Without the little people to carry out the orders, that's all they would be--orders. Not actual suffering. It is the little people who actually cause the suffering. The men and women who tear families apart and say cruel things to the parents, like that they will never see their kids again.
How do we combat this? I am unsure. But one thing I still believe--beneath all of my cynicism and my hardened exterior--is that kindness is more powerful than hatred. I have lost hope that being kind toward people who are evil will help them recover from their evil nature. That may not ever happen. But being kind toward those who are being oppressed I believe will help. It may ease or end their suffering. It may help them hold on to hope, to make it to see a better day. I believe we can donate time and money to organizations that have been created specifically to ease suffering. I have been donating to the International Rescue Committee ever since Trump first started making his stand against refugees. I plan to donate to organizations designed to defend immigrants from the atrocities being committed against them.
And one more thing I believe will help is to never go silent. In my mind, silence is compliance. I will continue to voice as vociferously as I can that this is not okay. This will never be okay. History will look back on this behavior harshly, as it has any previous violation of human rights. I despise those in power who have ordered the atrocities to occur and I deplore all those who follow the orders and carry out the atrocities.
Comments
Post a Comment
Anyone is allowed to comment on this blog. As you can tell from reading my blog, I am very opinionated and I'm not afraid to share my opinion. You're welcome to disagree with me as mildly or vehemently as you like, but be aware that I will reply with my own opinions, very strongly. If you don't want that kind of open discussion, or you think it will hurt your feelings, then please avoid posting. I do try to be respectful, but my verbology often comes across as brusque.