I wish I had a solution. I wish I could speak with authority about the subject. I wish I felt more confident about writing this blog on immigration and the current policies of the Administration. But I don’t (have a solution) and I’m not (confident).
This is what I know. Something is wrong – radically wrong, from the inside and the outside. Tearing children away from their parents as families cross our southern border asking for asylum is cruel and unusual punishment to me. I wonder what is happening on our northern borders? I don’t read of similar policies in airports on either coast. How much of this is an extension of selective immigration from what are perceived as national population pools that will benefit a narrow America First agenda fueled by politicians who quote the Bible?
I am at a loss to understand how this Administration lives with itself. Yes we need to have a coherent and comprehensive immigration policy. Yes we need to have border security. Yes we need to stop the flow of drug, human, and whatever else traffic into our country. AND Y ES we need to live up to basic human values of caring, of love, or compassion, of acceptance. There are lots of verses in the Bible. I’m not averse to quoting them myself. But lets be honest. You can probably find one that fits whatever political mood or flavor you are trying to promote. You can definitely find stories and verses that need a lot of contextualization and interpretation and taking them on face value raises more questions than answers. But in my mind the overarching sense the Bible imparts (both Hebrew and Christian) is caring for the downtrodden, compassion for the stranger, justice for the widow, love and kindness for the orphan, looking forward to a world redeemed, participating in the work of salvation, finding a place in your heart for those on the margins.
And I could go on. What is mind blowing to me is that instead of trying to solve this problem, the leadership we elected is playing a blame game. (At least today.) It’s the previous presidents’ fault. It’s the legislation enacted by the Democrats. It’s sad and it’s shameful. That’s what it is. Even his wife is embarrassed. Fix it. Separating families, children to the right, adults to the left isn’t making America great again. It’s making America complicit. It’s making America callous. It’s making America cruel. If you are like me you feel powerless. It is all too complicated. Sometimes you don’t have to consider all the intricacies of every situation. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut feelings: Shame.
But don’t stop there – call congress; connect with your representatives and senators; vote, vote vote.
rabbiunplugged 
Well said!!
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You express the anguish that many of us feel. Tom
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👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
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It’s not complicated. It’s always about getting elected and reelected. For power and money. This time, the rump has miscalculated. Vote. Vote. Vote.
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Thank you for putting words to my frustration so elegantly and concisely. I pray that voting will bring sense back into public discourse.
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Is this country becoming the next Nazi Germany??? My whole being cries out for this families. We must band together and vote these Bullies, Arrogant self-serving individuals bastards with superiority complexes out of office. If we don’t who among us will be next ??????
Thank you for allowing me to express my fury, your article as always tells it beautifully.
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Excellent. Thanks for expressing my feelings.
Jules Lasnick >
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Thank you for your wise words. That is precisely what I feel – shame. Shame that our great, generous, courageous country has been reduced to this. We are better than this. We must do better than this.
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Thank you for expressing your feelings on this subject. This has to be one of the worst human rights abuses fostered by this country since the war on Native Americans, and as grievous as those ever allowed against African Americans. What is wrong with this country when anyone perceived as “different” is persecuted? “As you do for the least of us, you do for me.” I may not have quoted that accurately, but I believe that is in the Bible. But of course our administration also has Biblical quotes… I am so angry, so frustrated. I pity the parents, but those poor traumatized children will never be the same. This is a terrible crime perpetrated by a horrid administration. .
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And if you really want to get more outraged, sad, etc. read “What’s really happening when asylum seeking families are separated”.
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/whats-really-happening-asylum-seeking-families-separated/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits
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you said so eloquently what is in my head every minute. I heard today that a democratic senator said to a republican senator, “Dont you think this is terrible?”
The republican said yes. Then he went on to say, “I’m going to whisper in the ear of the people who made this decision. I hope it will change something.”
We can’t whisper– we all need to scream. This is a travesty of all that we believe about the U.S.
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You are so right. We cant whisper. They are using these people for their own political ends – sad
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Suppose we have no empathy. Suppose we have no compassion. Suppose we have no souls. Even beyond the humanitarian failure, even beyond violating the principals that are the backbone of America, even beyond the disgrace of using infants and children as extortion fodder, doesn’t anyone in congress realize we are creating a new generation of terrorists that will hate the USA?
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I think they are afraid of Trump and the democrats just cant get their act together -I think there is little courage in congress
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This should be shouted from the pulpits and bimahs all over the land!
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My thoughts and feelings exactly……expressed so beautifully by Rabbi Shapiro!!
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How long has it been since our country was looked up to because our anthem to the world was… “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free…..”
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