Immigration reform is once again headline news.
And it continues to divide our country.
I
tend to refrain from weighing in on such political hot topics, but I think too
many of us are overlooking some important facts.
I,
like those fighting for unrestrained immigration, empathize with the plight of
those who arrive on our shores tired, alone, afraid, and impoverished.
My
heart’s compassion dreams of a world where everyone is loved and clothed and
nurtured and folded into the arms of those who want them to flourish.
And
I differentiate not between stranger and friend when reaching out with a
helping hand.
Last
week I read a blog post by the beloved, bestselling author, Glennon Doyle
Melton.
I
have a great respect and regard for her work in inspiring others and helping
make a difference in the lives of so many, and yet, I could not deny some other
great realities as I read her musings on this very topic.
Glennon
prefaces her piece by saying that she does “not know what the future of
immigration should look like,” and encourages us to remain mindful of a few
things.
In
her lyrical voice, this influential woman quotes these words associated with the
Statue of Liberty, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning
to breathe free.”
Let
us remember that those words were not decreed by our forefathers who declared
our independence, or by those who invited people into “the new land” via Ellis
Island.
They were words written by poet Emma
Lazarus, commissioned as part of a fundraiser to secure the financial resources needed for the pedestal
upon which this monument sits.
Following
Lazarus’ death, and decades after the statue was put in place, a friend of the
author discovered the document and, as a way to memorialize the poet’s
significant contribution to the event, pushed to have the engraved plaque
installed on those inner walls of history.
In
her beautifully written prose, Glennon reminds us that Jesus, himself, was an immigrant. She quotes a line from
scripture and reminds us that, as Christians, the Bible mentions often the need
to care for those around us.
Let
us recall the many, many charitable organizations, like the CWS she mentions, and
government aid dedicated to helping citizens from other countries.
And though
there is always more that can be done, we Americans spend billions of our own
monetary, emotional, and time currency in improving the lives of those outside
our borders.
In
doing this, we are the helpers she references in this Fred Rogers quote: "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping."
College students and doctors and teachers and ordinary citizens are spending their own hard-earned dollars to help others, to teach them how to better provide for one another; they are crossing racial and gender and spiritual borders, all in the name of compassion and caring.
College students and doctors and teachers and ordinary citizens are spending their own hard-earned dollars to help others, to teach them how to better provide for one another; they are crossing racial and gender and spiritual borders, all in the name of compassion and caring.
Let
us remember that the best way to help another often comes in the form of
helping them help themselves.
Many
years ago I read an article about The
Dream Act, a piece of legislation that would allow illegal immigrants who
meet certain criteria and followed specific procedures to be allowed to stay in
these United States and eventually receive citizenship.
The
law takes into account those children, the innocents who were born in our land,
to parents who had entered this country without permission or authorization.
The
law took into account illegal adults and sought to address as many of them as
possible.
And yet, it has yet to be passed and implemented.
And yet, it has yet to be passed and implemented.
Let
us remember that even when we first opened the waterways into freedom’s door,
we did so with boundaries and guidelines.
View of Ellis Island from the Hudson
Travelers
were required to pass through medical and legal and mental health screenings.
And
though most were allowed to stay, many were turned away.
If
one carried with them certain health risks or had broken laws in their native
lands, they were denied entry.
Let
us remember that the term illegal immigrant bears one simple, unabashed truth:
Laws were blatantly ignored.
Regardless
of the reason, laws were broken.
When
we choose to break rules set forth, we are in essence choosing to accept the
consequences assigned to the infraction.
If
we are caught breaking the speed limit, we pay a fine.
If
we are caught drinking and driving, we lose our license.
If
we are caught committing fraud or perjury, we go to jail.
When
parents fail to feed and clothe their children, they run risk of losing
custody.
One
of my Mama Mantras, something my children probably grew tired of hearing me
say, was this, “You always have a choice. And Choice comes with consequence.
Sometimes that result is in the form of reward and sometimes it’s in the form
of penalty.”
When
parents enter a country illegally, they are making choices that put themselves
and their children at risk of deportation.
One
of Fave’s fellow athletes tells the story of competing in a foreign land where
she was instructed not to look any male in the eye, for such an action was not
tolerated and could result in punitive and harsh consequences.
Let
us remember that America is not alone in establishing codes, commandments they
expect everyone to follow.
There
is a series of tweets going around with the hashtags #TheyAreOurChildren and
#TheyAreChildren, where people are tossing out the Golden Rule “Do unto
others,” they are arguing that we should grant children who have fled their
homelands permission to stay.
These
people argue that it is our obligation to care and provide for these
individuals at any and all cost.
Let
us remember that failure is imminent for any group that operates without
boundary or rules or regulations.
We
cannot govern without fair, firm, and consistent directive.
Without
form, any structure will collapse.
Witnessing
the plight of so many is heartbreaking, indeed, but we cannot let it cloud our
judgment, we cannot allow it to destroy the fundamentals that allowed this
nation to grow and become a global leader.
Let
us remember that our achievement was born on the backs and bloodshed of all
those who chose something different for America, men and women who came
together to stand up for what they believed in.
Countries
are born and evolve out of choice, sacrifice, and love.
Let
us remember that love without boundaries is not love at all, but rather an enabling
that leads to confusion, opens the door to corruption, and creates resentment.
Let
us remember all the helpers who are rolling up their sleeves and working hard
to share their knowledge and time and inspiration with those less fortunate,
helping them to grow their own nations into more sustainable communities…
Let
us remember that tough love is often hardest on those with the biggest of
hearts…
Yours
in healing, hope, and happiness,
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