Immigration SNAFU

I get it. Protecting our borders is an elemental step in defending our nation. BUT another element of who we are as a nation is welcoming immigrants to our nation. It is in our blood and DNA. Always has been.

Politically much gaming has been done over this issue through the years; none more so than during the recent presidential campaigns. But the Statue of Liberty – Lady Liberty – is our monument to acceptance and assimilation of all newcomers.

Yes, it is true that there are times when open doors is inconvenient. Yes, there are times when open doors is even dangerous. But people of faith will and have taken risks to keep our national reputation and DNA alive. We are an open society and welcome all comers.

In the 1500’s explorers came to North America to explore the lands. They were looking for many things – freedom, new lands to ‘conquer’ and settle, deposits of minerals and ores to make them and their sponsors rich, and just to learn who was already here.

They found Canadian Indians, North American Indians, and southern tribes of Indians or Mayan peoples in the southern region of the continent. Finding them friendly, they began trading with them. In the northlands of Canada French/Indian traders shared animal skins, furs, salt and other goods. Less than 100 years later the rush was on to settle North America and English and French settlers arrived.

American Indians are the only native peoples to our lands. Even they came thousands of years earlier via land bridges with Asia far to the north. But for all intents and purposes, America was home to the Indians and the European immigrants ‘invaded’ Indian territory to set up the colonies of what became the United States.

The Melting Pot began then and has continued ever since. To claim anything other than this fact is a bald attempt to rewrite history. We are sorely used to such attempts, but we reject them eventually. History, after all, is our story of the why, when and wherefore of our earliest beginnings.

So, where does this leave us today? A pickle, I say!

As young kids we were told ‘you can’t have your cake AND eat it too’. Of course we claimed otherwise and somehow got the cake and ate it on the sly.

It is more difficult today to accept immigrants and immerse them into our society and make them one with us. The laws and legal/political forces are stacked against us. Clearly the intent of the American people, however, is to welcome newcomers to our shores. That is why we have 14 million undocumented immigrants living among us today. That’s a helluva SNAFU. But we let it happen. Several presidential administrations attempted to address the situation even as it was already out of hand; but Congress would have none of it. They simply turned their backs on the problem. The why most likely has to do with alienating key political supporters and voter blocs.

American agribusiness relies on foreign labor to harvest crops, especially delicate ones and individually picked fruit and vegetables. Without these laborers willing to stand under the hot sun in a stooped position, the crops will wither and die or rot on the trees and vines. Simple facts of life.

Another stumbling block is the sheer size of repairing this problem: 14 million people is an enormous population to settle and/or resettle. So, for the meantime, the problem was allowed to fester. There are politicians and leaders who did try mightily to solve the problem, or at least attempted to address the problem. One such leader was John McCain; he worked with George W. Bush to do something about it, but the Congress shut them down unceremoniously.

This problem is a Congressional one. But it also is an American Values problem.

Who we are as a people must resonate with what we do. Our actions speak much louder than our words. And so it must be.

The so called illegal immigrants are here to stay and should. We simply must find a way to document them and finish the job of actually welcoming them. They are good and productive people. They have much to offer America, and in most cases, already have. Their cultures have already enriched our culture and we appreciate all of that.

So let’s make it official. Immigrants are welcome in America. Stop deporting them unless they are felons of the highest order. The rest we can sort out. And need to.

DACA should not be rescinded. Jeff Sessions and donald trump should be rescinded.

Sooner rather than later, please.

Welcome, immigrants. You are loved. We want you here.

September 14, 2017