Photo by Bri Erger, Denver, CO
They can be seen here at the border at Annunciation House’s
non-profit refugee welcome centers in El Paso, TX, shoe-tongues flopping as
they walk in from the CBP detention wagon drop-off — everyone’s shoes are
loose, from adult to small children. Our
group of volunteers helps welcome them, most from Central America, and make the
next step in their journey, to the security of friend and family.
We in the US have made them a shoelace-less people, uprooted
them from their homelands. When they come to the border our government detains
them, unlaces them, and slaps an [soon dirty from forced sleep outside under a
bridge] all-inclusive type bracelet on their wrists. The authorities don’t want
them doing suicide while in their custody, with a lace around their neck. What are the chances they’d want to do that--finally
at our border after having risked their lives surviving bad conditions a month
or more to get here! We’ve contributed
mightily to their desperate journey north from Central America, cutting them
off from their traditional work and family surroundings. We have done this.
Photo from El Paso Times
ID bracelets removed--free to continue search for asylum
Photo by Ande McCarthy
It was our Guatemalan, Salvadoran, Honduran, Nicaraguan wars
of the 1980’s, White House engineered and illegal, that destroyed by
assassination, military death squads, and paramilitary raids, the fabric of
their societies. Our government was
running drugs and helping create drug cartels to finance their fight against “communism.” The majority of our "red enemies"
were just peasants trying to form more just and inclusive governments. The dictators we supported killed many
priests, nuns and labor organizers --and we paid for it. We’ve since run off to the bigger wars of
Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, leaving those trained in this Central American violence
to form ever more vicious gang and crime enterprises.
he violence we taught has left them and their societies run by drug lords, with compliant police and government authorities, economically exploited and unlivable, and left us with refugees, as in need as any of those fleeing the tragedies of many past wars in Europe. We raised the torch of the statue of liberty for those coming from Europe then. Will we drop and extinguish it now with refugees coming to us from the South, and now from our wars in the Middle East as well?
Our government has a responsibility to help these people get
back on their feet, either here or back home. General Colin Powell said, “If
you break it you fix it.” Jesus says love
these neighbors as ourselves, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger. They would be a valuable asset to our
workforce. They are leaving El Paso for all parts of the USA with their
families and friends, already gainfully established, paying for the plane and
bus trips. No cost to U.S.
taxpayers.
The persistent,
self-reliant, resilience they are demonstrating should be encouraged, not
disparaged. Go volunteer to help at one
of Annunciation House’s facilities at the border and see for yourselves. As the U.S.
population rate goes negative, [see WSJ article] we need their help to
make America great again. We will all be
better off for their presence.
Volunteer Ande McCarthy, 66, comforts Jose, a six-year-old boy from Guatemala before he leaves with his family to the El Paso International Airport.
Photo by Aaron Montes, El Paso Times
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-population-grew-at-slowest-pace-in-more-than-80-years-11545240620?mod=article_inline
More references
Photo by Aaron Montes, El Paso Times
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-population-grew-at-slowest-pace-in-more-than-80-years-11545240620?mod=article_inline
More references
RESOURCES ON OUR BORDER REFUGEE
CRISIS
No comments:
Post a Comment