Once again our leaders have managed to do what-should-be the impossible. They have managed to politicize a problem instead of solve it (sigh).
Please pause for a moment before throwing the first proverbial stone in yet another ad hominem attack. One of the aspects that most gets my goat or some other colloquial critter is how we say “yeah, but” when justifying our response… “Yeah, but he did it first… Yeah, but it was the President… yeah, but Congress…” “Yeah but’s” are the intellectuals covert, clever means of justifying something within their own response that doesn’t make total logical or compassionate sense. “Yeah but’s” are what allow both our current President and Congress to politicize a problem instead of solve it. We have a problem with illegal immigration — especially now with child migrants.
This is a tough one, friends. I remember as a hope-filled child, proudly singing those words with my elementary peers… “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-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Today there are huddled massed just across the Texas border, masses no doubt yearning to breathe free.
First, a brief synopsis of the facts so we can speak intelligently (and avoid the “yeah, but’s”):
- More than 52,000 children have been picked up illegally crossing the border since October — nearly double last year’s total and 10 times 2009’s numbers.
- Most are from Central America and are unaccompanied by adults.
- Many are motivated by safety concerns in their own country.
- Many believe they will not be deported, due to both rumors and public statements by our government.
- U.S. policy allows Mexican child migrants to be deported quickly.
- A 2008 law calls for all Central American children to be given a court hearing; the purpose of that law was to combat child trafficking.
- Court hearings often take up to 2-3 years to take place; many often fail to appear.
Immigration policy has long been the balance of logic and compassion (…remember the two things the “yeah, but’s” allow our leaders to omit). We can’t allow for total amnesty, as that doesn’t address the very real motive of many in this world, whose chief desire is to destroy America (see September, 2001). We also can’t simply arrest and ship home, as that doesn’t recognize those tired and poor masses that our country was founded upon to serve. So what do we do? While by no means do any of us know exactly the way to solve this problem, let the Intramuralist submit a means of where to — and to not — begin…
We can’t begin by simply throwing more money at the problem. As a whole for years, our government has not acted faithfully with our money — spending too much on political priorities; hence, hiring more agents, judges, etc. means increased debt, and it doesn’t solve the long term problem.
We can’t begin by fortifying the border. That takes time. Securing the border doesn’t solve the short term problem.
What we do first in my semi-humble opinion is semi-simple. We ask the Central American governments to get involved. They don’t have to solve the problem alone, but until they choose to be responsible for a solution governing their own people, we halt their current financial aid. Collectively, the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras receive over a billion dollars annually in military and economic assistance from the U.S. Granted, we need to be sensitive here, as we don’t want to destabilize the drug-infested area significantly more, but it is logical to expect these governments to be part of the solution and not just the problem.
What we do second is less simple. Our leaders need to gather together, with no political strategists or schemers — maybe no cameras — role up their sleeves, and set all political motives aside. That means not adopting any policy motivated by how it impacts a specific voting bloc. Together they must develop a logical, compassionate, cost-efficient short term and long term strategy. No one is king; no one person sets the policy; and all refrain from saying “yeah, but.”
In other words, our leaders would serve us best — and craft solutions best — by not politicizing another problem.
Respectfully…
AR