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If you ever had a doubt that Fox News presented a very biased agenda, you need look no further. Fox News host Laura Ingraham had to weigh in on the Trump administration policy of separating immigrant families at the border as part of its "zero tolerance" enforcement of immigration law.
"More kids are being separated from their parents and temporarily housed in what are essentially summer camps, or as The San Diego Union Tribune described them today, as basically looking like boarding schools. The American people are footing a really big bill for what is tantamount to a slow-rolling invasion of the United States." {emphasis added}
Oh yes. I remember summer camps where we were kept inside chain-link cages and were heard wailing for our parents, but not allowed to be comforted. I remember summer camp in a tent city in west Texas summers. And I remember going to summer camp and being away from any family when I was under 2 as well.
It seems a lot of people supporting this issue have forgotten the maxim, "it is better to remain silent and let the world believe you a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."
Ms. Ingraham did, at least, partially correctly quote the San Diego Union Tribune. They did report that the Casa San Diego facility for immigrant children has "classrooms, a play area with soccer goals and a medical clinic with superheroes like Wonder Woman, Superman and the Hulk on the walls." She apparently though suffers from the same lack of reading comprehension that Jeff Sessions has shown. Had she continued, she would have noticed how the paper also described the prison-like setting. "On closer inspection, details about the California-licensed child care facility run by Southwest Key Programs reflect the situation of the children it serves. It's surrounded by fencing that is backed by privacy netting, and a sign at the gate warns visitors that it's under video surveillance 24 hours per day. If someone opens the front door of the facility without first swiping a badge, an alarm blares through the hallway, warning of a potential escape."
I know they get their marching orders from the administration and are given the thankless task of trying to put as much spin on the effects as possible. But you would think they might choose their words a little more carefully.
At some point this has to rise above party. Above the liberal and conservative divide.
At some point, this has to appall everyone at a basic human level.
We can debate immigration policy. We can even disagree on approaches. But everyone should recognize that this is inhumane. NO OTHER COUNTRY has a policy of separating families of those seeking asylum. Crossing our border illegally is a misdemeanor. This is the equivalent of arresting a person for a speeding violation and sending the driver to jail and their children in the car to a "detention facility" across town.
Even worse, we are most often doing this to people seeking asylum. Seeking refuge. Are we that xenophobic and/or flat out racist that we are going to turn away people in need? In need of protection from gang violence in their native countries? In need of protection from domestic abuse that goes unprosecuted in their native land? We're that callous as to reject any claim of a "credible fear" for their lives in their previous homes.
Is it because they are brown?
I'm seriously searching for justification as to how this can possibly be okay. And the only thing I can come up with is that we have determined that these immigrants don't matter.
If your justifications are butwhatabout sputters (what about Obama, what about..., etc.), it's still a bad policy.
If your justifications are that they broke the law, again, it's just a misdemeanor. It's usually a fine and turning them away (as a whole family). It's still a bad policy.
If your justifications are that this is the Democrats' fault, that they are the ones who left the administration with the law in the first place, then you should remember that YOU ARE THE ONES IN THE BEST POSITION TO CHANGE THE LAW NOW. Seriously, Trump administration, you cannot use an excuse of being saddled with this law when you have control of the executive, legislative, and a majority of the judicial branches. You can change the law. That would also require such a law to actually exist, which it does not. This horrible incident is occurring because of instructions regarding enforcement of the policy, which are completely within the control of the executive branch. If you are using it as a bargaining chip to get your wall built, get over it, change the enforcement of the policy, and then focus on building the wall.
Because right now, we're just continuing to try and justify our actions while thousands of children and families are being traumatized, humiliated, and degraded.
All this while we are withdrawing from the United Nations Human Rights Council. Yeah, really.
We're better than this. At least we should be.
There is a meme going around that posits "If you ever wondered what you would have done in 1930s Germany or during the civil rights moment, congratulations: you're doing it now."
I don't know that we're there yet.
But we're getting closer.
