Obviously, the deployment of razor wire along the
Rio Grande is a political stunt being performed by Texas’ Governor Greg Abbot
in order to provide political ammunition for Donald Trump, whose presidential campaign
Mr. Abbot champions. If you can’t see that, then consider this your personal
invitation to wake up to the reality that kicking human beings around like political
footballs is sinful and wrong. And the Democrats are far from guiltless, their indifference
and irresponsibility has drastically escalated the humanitarian crisis at our nation’s
southern border. The behavior and attitudes of both Republicans and Democrats
have been sinful and shameful with regard to this matter.
Now, the Rio Grande will run dry before I vote for
Joe Biden or Donald Trump again. Decades of foolishness and neglect from the federal
government have created a massive crisis at the border with Mexico. I fully
support the right of Texas to attempt to solve the crisis, but must it be done
with RAZOR WIRE? I don't even like using Barbed Wire to keep cattle in/out. I
bear the scar on my own lip from an encounter with such a fence and several of
my peers growing up were similarly marked. Using razor wire to keep human
beings OUT and/or trap us IN is madness to me.
There is a clear and indisputable Biblical
principal to apply to this issue.
Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner,
for you were foreigners in Egypt. -Exodus 22:21
Make fair judgements. Show kindness and
compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the
sojourner, or the poor. -Zechariah 7:9
The Bible is full of admonitions for God’s people not
to abuse or exploit people from other nations or cultures who choose to live
among them. Different translations of the word ger, describe such people
as foreigners, resident aliens, or sojourners. When you see those words in your
Bibles, know that it is referring to immigrants, people who came from somewhere
else, like all of our own ancestors. To not oppress them, yanah, means that
anyone who claims the name of Christian may not maltreat, suppress or throw
them out.
In fact, the tithe was a tax established among God’s
chosen people in Israel to provide food for widows, orphans, and wait for it…sojourners,
immigrants living among them. The basic moral principal still applies.
At the end of every three years, bring
a tenth of all your produce for that year and store it within your city gates.
Then the Levite, who has no portion or inheritance among you, the resident
alien, the fatherless, and the widow within your city gates may come, eat, and
be satisfied. And the LORD your God will bless you in all the work of your
hands that you do. -Deuteronomy 14:28-29
Now, These United States of America do not comprise
a Christian nation. Far from it. America does not have a special covenant with
God as Israel did, but His principles of justice and righteousness apply to all
nations at all times. God revealed his desire for how we should treat people. It
is astonishing to me that the very same people advocating for so-called “Christian
Nationalism,” can be so cold-hearted and xenophobic when it comes to the way
our country treats immigrants desperately seeking a better life. This episode
is just one of many that highlights their outlandish hypocrisy.
I would add, that, despite their assertions, such
individuals are actually lacking in the very patriotism to which they so boisterously
lay claim. Inscribed upon the Statue of Liberty are these words:
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied
pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired,
your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Either Lady Liberty is a Liar, or our beloved country has far gone
astray. The message being demonstrated to the huddled masses at our southern
border is the very opposite of that displayed on a plaque at Ellis Island. Perhaps
it is time to resurrect the sentiment of the above poem by Emma Lazarus.
Over the past two decades, I have had many students who were the first
English language speakers in their families. I frequently interact with people
who possess limited English language skills. They are lovely, hard-working, conscientious
human beings who are a valuable part of our community. My first-generation American
students are bright, talented, respectful and responsible, translating for
their parents and often working to help support their families. The first time a
child enters my classroom with razor wire scars, I’m likely to purchase a pair
of pointy toed cowboy boats and head on down to Austin to kick some butt
(figuratively speaking of course).
Texas has spent BILLIONS of dollars on Border Security. I do not know
how every dollar was spent, but in recent years the focus has been on fences,
patrols and keeping people out. Perhaps if that money had been targeted to
improving infrastructure and staffing for interacting with and helping human
beings seeking to enter this country, to welcoming and assisting those who wish
to make this country their home, as opposed to just keeping them out, they
would be able to better handle the humanitarian crisis we are now witnessing on
the Rio Grande. Perhaps if immigrants knew they could be dealt with
compassionately and efficiently at legal points of entry (as opposed to being
herded around like cattle, tossed around like a political football, caged, or trapped
in a web of red tape) they wouldn’t be so desperate to enter illegally. Both Republicans and Democrats have gotten their hands filthy. Both are guilty.
If politicians were more concerned about doing their jobs instead of
scoring political points this crisis could have been solved long ago. They must
come up with a better plan to deal with migrant workers in the Rio Grande
valley. If I can have a passport card to easily cross into Canada or Mexico,
then surely such a system could work from the other side of the border. And our
country must become more efficient in processing requests from those who wish
to become citizens.
The ugly truth is, that the border problem is much too juicy of a
political tool for them to let go of it. It is in the selfish interests of
politicians to rail about the problem and never solve it---because it keeps the
political donations coming in. Rage fuels the money machine. They will milk
this issue for all of its political worth until we the people make them stop. What
we are dealing with is a fundamental lack of responsibility toward the safety
of Americans on the part of the Democrats, a lack of compassion for Immigrants
on the part of the Republicans, and ulterior motives on the part of BOTH
factions.
Democrats think that immigrants from Central and South America will
vote for them and they want to give, even those here illegally, the right to vote.
I’ve got news for them. The immigrants I know and love, greatly value family
and maintain a dedication to traditional Christian morals and values. They don’t
want to vote for the blatant immorality of the democratic party, but they don’t
want to vote for a party that appears to hate them because of the color
of their skin or their country of origin due to the callous attitudes that have
been so frequently directed toward migrants.
Nobody in their right mind wants to allow drug dealers and human
traffickers to come streaming across the border, though it seems to be occurring…but
stereotyping every immigrant and establishing policies for dealing with immigrants
under the assumption that they are all harmful criminals is functionally
racist. Some have gone so far as to call this an “Invasion,” at the southern
border. This isn’t Red Dawn, these people aren’t attacking us with guns and
tanks. They are coming here to work. Hateful, de-humanizing political rhetoric
is sinful and harmful. If you cannot distinguish between immigrants and migrant
workers seeking to provide a better life for their families, vs. drug dealers
and human traffickers, then you need to remain silent on the matter. Also—if
our southern border was more welcoming and efficient, fewer people would be willing
to subject themselves to traffickers in order to get here.
I do not have the answers to solve this governmental crisis. What I do
know is that both Republicans and Democrats have been derelict in their duties. Both of have failed this country miserably. Both have treated human beings, created in the image of God, as lesser than.
Meanwhile, sojourners continue to be neglected at our southern
border. Human beings are being mistreated. This is sin. It falls to Christians
to be the voice of reason, the moderators of rational thinking and compassion,
calling both parties out for their sinful laziness, callousness, and apathy
into righteous action.
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