Kids In Cages...

[Cow Poke]

So where is the faith, and where is the hope and the love????

Our local food pantry / help center has lots of love. I'm usually there 2 to 3 days a week having breakfast with a roomful of people who are there not just to 'get stuff', but to learn skills and find jobs.

[rogue06]

ACK!!!! Charles wants to open BOARDERS!!! HIDE THE CUTLERY!!!!!!






Sorry, couldn't resist...

Didn't you know that's how "sofisticated" people spell it?

[rogue06]

Our local food pantry / help center has lots of love. I'm usually there 2 to 3 days a week having breakfast with a roomful of people who are there not just to 'get stuff', but to learn skills and find jobs.

Have you ever considered starting remedial English classes?

[Cow Poke]

Have you ever considered starting remedial English classes?

Not just considered - doing it. And ESL.

We have a program during the summer where we have, in effect, Vacation Bible School on steroids in the public school, where kids are fed breakfast and lunch, and get tutoring in math, science and reading. The public school provides the buses, the meals and the teachers.

I'm just waiting for somebody to scream "SEPERATION!!!!"

But we do this because we HATE little kids, and want them to suffer through the summer!!!!!

[seer]

But we do this because we HATE little kids, and want them to suffer through the summer!!!!!

Well that is the way I would look at it if I had to go to school during summer vacation. You are evil!

[Cow Poke]

Well that is the way I would look at it if I had to go to school during summer vacation. You are evil!

It's really amazing - one of the rules is "no personal electronics", and the kids have to dump their phones and tablets when they come in. At first, they groan about it, but the program is action packed from 8 AM to 1 PM, and they find they can actually get along without "electronics"!

It's really fun to hear them singing the songs (much wilder than the VBS songs I remember ) and quoting the scriptures. And they actually seem bummed out when it's time to go home!

Oh, and we employ 25 college kids as coaches and mentors for the summer, so they gain experience in, effect, running a summer camp.

[oxmixmudd]

That's effectively what open border liberals are asking for.


It's because the situation is more complex and nuanced than you allow for with your simplistic black and white moral thinking.

(Speking to all, not just MM)

Looking these posts over there is a clear disonnect between how you speak about the people on our borders and how you act towards those in need in your local communities. The latter - those in need here - seems right in line with what it should be. In many cases not merely good but great. But then you turn around and callously paint these people on the borders as if they are objects, things, not real human beings that are truly suffering

I dont believe the words you using when speaking about the border reflect the goodness that is ciearly in you and demonstrated as you deal with the homeless or poor in your own local environments.

Please take a moment to see these people as you would see them if they were standing in line at your food pantry, or if they were kids at your vbs or comunity outreach

Try to see beyond the politics and into the eyes and hearts of these people on our borders. Allow yourselves to see them as if they were your neighbors, or family members of an immigrant friend, or the homeless fellow on the steet corner.

Their suffering is at least as great. Their need is at least as much.

Jim

[Teallaura]

(Speking to all, not just MM)

Looking these posts over there is a clear disonnect between how you speak about the people on our borders and how you act towards those in need in your local communities. The latter - those in need here - seems right in line with what it should be. In many cases not merely good but great. But then you turn around and callously paint these people on the borders as if they are objects, things, not real human beings that are truly suffering

I dont believe the words you using when speaking about the border reflect the goodness that is ciearly in you and demonstrated as you deal with the homeless or poor in your own local environments.

Please take a moment to see these people as you would see them if they were standing in line at your food pantry, or if they were kids at your vbs or comunity outreach

Try to see beyond the politics and into the eyes and hearts of these people on our borders. Allow yourselves to see them as if they were your neighbors, or family members of an immigrant friend, or the homeless fellow on the steet corner.

Their suffering is at least as great. Their need is at least as much.

Jim

If we throw open the borders, they will starve, along with many of our own and millions of others abroad dependent on American foreign aid. The scariest thing right now is just how dependent the world is on American prosperity.

But even if it weren't, allowing the US to be Mexico's escape valve for internal economic and political pressure has darn near destroyed it. There isn't enough available unskilled labor market in the US for Central and South America to use us to drive their economies as Mexico does. We're already an enormous brain drain on both the Americas and the Third World - this is bad for other nations, making conditions for those left behind worse.

Destroying our economy won't help. Taking in everyone isn't a viable option. Foreign aid, however...

We can put pressure externally on nations to improve - but not if we alleviate all the internal pressure. That won't help.

We've tried amnesty and understanding - and let Mexico rot in the process. Sometimes, no is the only answer that will give things a chance of getting better, for everyone, and long term.

[JimL]

If we throw open the borders, they will starve, along with many of our own and millions of others abroad dependent on American foreign aid. The scariest thing right now is just how dependent the world is on American prosperity.

But even if it weren't, allowing the US to be Mexico's escape valve for internal economic and political pressure has darn near destroyed it. There isn't enough available unskilled labor market in the US for Central and South America to use us to drive their economies as Mexico does. We're already an enormous brain drain on both the Americas and the Third World - this is bad for other nations, making conditions for those left behind worse.

Destroying our economy won't help. Taking in everyone isn't a viable option. Foreign aid, however...

We can put pressure externally on nations to improve - but not if we alleviate all the internal pressure. That won't help.

We've tried amnesty and understanding - and let Mexico rot in the process. Sometimes, no is the only answer that will give things a chance of getting better, for everyone, and long term.

I don't think that Jim ever suggested that we throw open the borders, Tea. I believe he was saying that ya'll should try and see immigrants, and treat the immigrants, more like human beings. That should be an integral part of immigration reform policy.

[Cow Poke]

If we throw open the borders, they will starve, along with many of our own and millions of others abroad dependent on American foreign aid. The scariest thing right now is just how dependent the world is on American prosperity.

But even if it weren't, allowing the US to be Mexico's escape valve for internal economic and political pressure has darn near destroyed it. There isn't enough available unskilled labor market in the US for Central and South America to use us to drive their economies as Mexico does. We're already an enormous brain drain on both the Americas and the Third World - this is bad for other nations, making conditions for those left behind worse.

Destroying our economy won't help. Taking in everyone isn't a viable option. Foreign aid, however...

We can put pressure externally on nations to improve - but not if we alleviate all the internal pressure. That won't help.

We've tried amnesty and understanding - and let Mexico rot in the process. Sometimes, no is the only answer that will give things a chance of getting better, for everyone, and long term.

I have to wonder, when somebody preaches that "they are our neighbors" speech - how many of these "neighbors" those people have taken into their own homes.

Some of the very politicians who rail against "the wall" live in gated communities with their own walls. But, then again, many of the liberals who are anti-gun have armed guards protecting them...

[Cow Poke]

I don't think that Jim ever suggested that we throw open the borders, Tea. I believe he was saying that ya'll should try and see immigrants, and treat the immigrants, more like human beings. That should be an integral part of immigration reform policy.

How many of them live with you in your house, Jimmy?

[Teallaura]

I don't think that Jim ever suggested that we throw open the borders, Tea. I believe he was saying that ya'll should try and see immigrants, and treat the immigrants, more like human beings. That should be an integral part of immigration reform policy.

So, amnesty and all the liberal policies (yes, yes, I know about Reagan) have hurt the countries - and far more people than we've helped. You and Jim seem to think that we don't see people. In my opinion, you're the ones turning a blind eye to all those ultimately hurt by our leaky borders up until now.

If Reagan had built a wall instead of granting amnesty, Mexico would either be under new management or it would be pushing into First World status in its own right by now. Either way, it and its people would be far better off.

[Teallaura]

I have to wonder, when somebody preaches that "they are our neighbors" speech - how many of these "neighbors" those people have taken into their own homes.

Some of the very politicians who rail against "the wall" live in gated communities with their own walls. But, then again, many of the liberals who are anti-gun have armed guards protecting them...

I disagree -it's the same as 'you can't oppose abortion unless you adopt'.

They see the barn on fire and want to help the horses by throwing open the door, not realizing that some horses will actually run in. We need to put out the fire first, while we can.

[JimL]

So, amnesty and all the liberal policies (yes, yes, I know about Reagan) have hurt the countries - and far more people than we've helped. You and Jim seem to think that we don't see people. In my opinion, you're the ones turning a blind eye to all those ultimately hurt by our leaky borders up until now.

If Reagan had built a wall instead of granting amnesty, Mexico would either be under new management or it would be pushing into First World status in its own right by now. Either way, it and its people would be far better off.

Not that it's relevant to Jims post, but I'm not sure which liberal policies you are talking about. All the crap you hear on conservative media about those in this country who are against a wall and therefore want open borders is just conservative propaganda. There are laws on the books right now which if enforced would alleviate the immigration problem immediately. Regardless, that has nothing to do with the inhumane treatment of already suffering human beings, particularly children, in our custody.

[oxmixmudd]

If we throw open the borders, they will starve, along with many of our own and millions of others abroad dependent on American foreign aid. The scariest thing right now is just how dependent the world is on American prosperity.

But even if it weren't, allowing the US to be Mexico's escape valve for internal economic and political pressure has darn near destroyed it. There isn't enough available unskilled labor market in the US for Central and South America to use us to drive their economies as Mexico does. We're already an enormous brain drain on both the Americas and the Third World - this is bad for other nations, making conditions for those left behind worse.

Destroying our economy won't help. Taking in everyone isn't a viable option. Foreign aid, however...

We can put pressure externally on nations to improve - but not if we alleviate all the internal pressure. That won't help.

We've tried amnesty and understanding - and let Mexico rot in the process. Sometimes, no is the only answer that will give things a chance of getting better, for everyone, and long term.

What Im addressing teal is the tendency to paint the people at the border as objects, as criminals, as a danger to us. In the picture Sparko posted, he attacked the parents. What kind of parent could put their kid through this. He ignored the obvious human question of what kind of horrible conditions are they fleeing that would make parents believe they must endure this for their own and their children's well being.

Sparko's question assumes the immigrating parents are bad people, negligent, selfish. Why assume that? Why dehumanize them that way. Instead I propose ask what could be so bad that a normal parent who loves their children would believe that enduring what that picture shows is the best long term option? Asking that question brings us farther away from judgement and closer to compassion.

Jim