I hung a pride flag yesterday. Even though I’ve been “out” for over 20 years, this year was the first time I felt compelled to place a flag outside. It joins the two anti-hate signs I’ve felt compelled to put up since the 2016 election, and the sign for the progressive democrat running in my district on my lawn
The world we live in has become unfathomable. And yet, as a white woman, I can’t sit around and wring my hands about things- because frankly, white women seem to have gotten us here in the first place.
Let’s talk about children. I have a joyful, amazing, wonderful child. His wonder at the world, his knowledge of dinosaurs, and his fierce sense of right and wrong astound me daily. And if I lost him even for a mere minute I would be frantic and worried. Yet our country has decided to enforce a law that separates children- his age, and younger (as well as older) from their parents who are seeking asylum.
What does it mean to seek asylum in the United States? According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services you can seek asylum if you have suffered or fear you will suffer persecution for race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion. If you think that people are swarming the southern US border because life is peachy elsewhere and they think that dragging along their children is an awesome family adventure, you are watching too much Fox News. No one. NO ONE takes their children on a multi-country road trip and illegally crosses a border because they think it’s a good idea. Things have to be dire to risk your children’s lives. Even if you would have risked your own.
Seeking asylum is allowed. However, the current administration has decided to prosecute anyone crossing the border in a brash reinterpretation of policy-including asylum seekers. But let’s stay that you’re onboard with this- you think that if you cross a border illegally, you’re a criminal. Despite the fact that you, US citizen, probably have little to no experience with what an asylum seeker might be trying to escape from. Even if you think criminal persecution is acceptable, surely, you must have some compunction about separating children from their families.
And if you think this is only happening to a few people- know that in a two week period in May, 658 children were removed from their parents custody upon crossing the border. That was two weeks in May, so now, in mid-June? That number could be closer to 3000 children. Today, CNN reported that 60 children were separated from their families in the past 48 hours. Alone. Without their parents. Without an adult to reassure them. Without an adult to help them. Without love. Without comfort. Without structure. How can you think this is acceptable? What makes you think that removing a child from his or her parents is ok? If you let this go by without speaking up, you are complicit in inflicting lifetime harm and trauma on children. Don’t believe me? Dr. Colleen Kraft, the President of the American Academy of Pediatrics talked about it at length in an NPR interview today on The Takeaway.
If you actually believe this is a reasonable policy, nothing I say is likely going to convince you it isn’t. But think for a second about yourself and your kids. What would have to be a stake for you to attempt an illegal border crossing for the safety and welfare of your family? What would push you so far that you would risk a criminal conviction and deportation if it might mean your child would be safe? Do you have that in your mind? I know that I do. And every time I think of that I have compassion for the small kids and the bigger ones who don’t know when they will see their parents again and who are terrified and being kept essentially in dog pound cages while everything shakes out.
So maybe, if you think you’re a good person, do something. Call an elected official- especially if you live in a state where these detention centers are purported to be. Make a donation to an organization that is fighting for immigrant rights and those of children. I recommend this one started by author Glennon Doyle, or Kids in Need of Defense.
But really, get it together. Do better. Kids need to be with their families. For real.
