Kids In Cages...

[Cow Poke]

Completely agree.

Of course you do. Bless your heart.

[Charles]

Are we talking about those who are here legally, or those who have broken our laws to get in?

They would all be human beings, right? In your understanding they would all be created in the image of God, right?

[oxmixmudd]

This brought back happy thoughts.

Our favorite such situation was when we hosted 4 young women - one from Mexico and three from Central America - and they were thrilled to death to share one bedroom in our home. (we had two of our own daughters in their own bedrooms) They all got their green cards, and eventually, three of the four got their US Citizenship. One of the Central American girls decided to go back home. The only one of that group with whom we still have regular contact was the young lady from Mexico, "Chely", who not only got her US Citizenship, but went on to get her Master's degree, and runs a Hispanic Christian Radio Station.

When we found out that the annual tuition for Chely was only $540 -- ANNUAL TUITION -- our church decided to fund her education. We keep up with each other on Facebook, where she is known as "My Favorite Mexican Daughter".

That is truly a wonderful story CP. So I am even more perplexed by your attitude towards the border situation. How can republican vs democrat politics silence the great compassion you obviously have and which you extended to them?

Jim

[Mountain Man]

They would all be human beings, right? In your understanding they would all be created in the image of God, right?

The question is not "Are they human beings?" but "Are they criminals?"

[JimL]

Are we talking about those who are here legally, or those who have broken our laws to get in?

We are talking about all those immigrants who are taken into U.S. custody at the border.

[Teallaura]

We are talking about all those immigrants who are taken into U.S. custody at the border.

That would be detainees, almost all here illegally.

[Teallaura]

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.

Name a current Democrat party position being actively touted by any Democrat leader that doesn't result in less enforcement and therefore more open borders.

[oxmixmudd]

The question is not "Are they human beings?" but "Are they criminals?"

Consider:

Is a starving child that steals a loaf of bread to survive the sort of 'criminal' that deserves the full wrath of the law and your personal disdain and judgement?

Are you Javert?

Jim

[Mountain Man]

Is a starving child that steals a loaf of bread to survive the sort of 'criminal' that deserves the full wrath of the law and your personal disdain and judgement?

No, but considering I've not advocated this, I can't help but regard this as a flimsy straw man.

[Teallaura]

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

And causing mass starvation improves this how, exactly? Compassionately throwing cinder block to a drowning man instead of a life saver is just as bad in outcome as deliberately throwing the blocks. You are advocating for humanely making things worse while demonizing anyone who doesn't take your high minded, destructive approach.

I see people who wouldn't be so darn desperate had we done the hard part years ago. Using the US economy to try and make up for decades of political stupidity at home like this will result in just sinking the life raft - everybody drowning is not a solution.

Prodding, pushing, cajoling, bribing and sometimes forcing these countries to address and fix their internal problems is what we can do that will work - but not if we take the internal pressure off by letting people come here.

As their countries improve, they have far greater opportunity than even we can offer - someday, they'll give us a run for our money. But not if we don't stop the nonsense now.

[Teallaura]

Consider:

Is a starving child that steals a loaf of bread to survive the sort of 'criminal' that deserves the full wrath of the law and your personal disdain and judgement?

Are you Javert?

Jim

Starving children cannot walk 2500 plus miles through a country already offering them shelter to climb a fence into yet another country. Children are usually smarter than that. We've seen child deaths from parents and traffickers alike dragging the children into dangerous areas to cross the border when they already have a sanctuary - that's not desperate masses vying for a crust of bread.

We feed them anyway - no one opposes that.

[rogue06]

Starving children cannot walk 2500 plus miles through a country already offering them shelter to climb a fence into yet another country. Children are usually smarter than that. We've seen child deaths from parents and traffickers alike dragging the children into dangerous areas to cross the border when they already have a sanctuary - that's not desperate masses vying for a crust of bread.

We feed them anyway - no one opposes that.

We really need to drop the con that these are political refugees fleeing for their lives when they turned up their noses at offers of sanctuary when they crossed Mexico's southern border. That act proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were NOT interested in sanctuary since they rebuffed the offer.

And starving doesn't seem to be an issue when you see just how many of these folks are more than a little overweight. Remember the picture of the mother supposedly running with her kids away from the wall when the border guards started using pepper spray against those throwing rocks (while everyone else is standing around calmly, even posing for pictures)?

00000000000000ab000-00b.jpg

Obviously she hasn't missed any meals along the way. And the feet of those children show no signs of callusing which would definitely occur if you just walked barefooted for several thousand miles. Can you say "staged photo"?

[rogue06]

And causing mass starvation improves this how, exactly? Compassionately throwing cinder block to a drowning man instead of a life saver is just as bad in outcome as deliberately throwing the blocks. You are advocating for humanely making things worse while demonizing anyone who doesn't take your high minded, destructive approach.

I see people who wouldn't be so darn desperate had we done the hard part years ago. Using the US economy to try and make up for decades of political stupidity at home like this will result in just sinking the life raft - everybody drowning is not a solution.

Prodding, pushing, cajoling, bribing and sometimes forcing these countries to address and fix their internal problems is what we can do that will work - but not if we take the internal pressure off by letting people come here.

As their countries improve, they have far greater opportunity than even we can offer - someday, they'll give us a run for our money. But not if we don't stop the nonsense now.

When those doing the most complaining about the situation on the border also refuse to do anything to make it better -- or in the case of Wayfair, work to keep things bad in hopes of making Trump look bad -- I have to take their demands for and claims of compassion with several 5 lb. bags of salt.

00000000000000ab000-00b.jpg

[oxmixmudd]

Starving children cannot walk 2500 plus miles through a country already offering them shelter to climb a fence into yet another country. Children are usually smarter than that. We've seen child deaths from parents and traffickers alike dragging the children into dangerous areas to cross the border when they already have a sanctuary - that's not desperate masses vying for a crust of bread.

We feed them anyway - no one opposes that.

When they already have a sanctuary - you mean the death threats from the drug Lords in their country of origin?

And you will persist in assuming these are irresponsible and selfish people with little or no regard for their chidren rather than desperate people who see no alternative?

Why?

Jim

[Leonhard]

or in the case of Wayfair, work to keep things bad in hopes of making Trump look bad -- I have to take their demands for and claims of compassion with several 5 lb. bags of salt.

The detention centers aren't even run by the government, they're privately owned for-profit detention center?