Politicians love to keep things murky, it makes rallying people to a cause simpler.
It is why in the current Border Crisis there is confusion over who these people are. Are they: illegal immigrants, undocumented workers or asylum seekers? They all get lumped into one big group.
For clarification, these are asylum-seekers. These are families leaving violent regions of the world seeking safety for their children.
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Those who know me know I read a lot of history and I recall a story I read about some asylum seekers.
They lived in a region of their country where lawlessness existed. Children as young as 14 and 15 were gunned down in cold blood. Women were raped. Livestock was stolen. Houses were burned. Children was shot dead in front of their parents and parents killed in front of their children.
Some of the atrocities was committed by gangs. Some of it was committed by the local law enforcement community.
The asylum seekers were Alexander and Polly (Hull) Beaty my maternal grandparents of the Civil War era. They left their belongings in northern Tennessee and headed north with their children to save their lives.
But, like many asylum seekers, their story is not a happy one. Three of their sons, and a nephew, were captured by the CSA. One of the men escaped with his life — the other three starved to death in a CSA prisoner-of-war camp. Those men are buried in graves with only a number to identify them. Their parents were never able to properly grieve their deaths.
The current Border Crisis is about parents trying to protect their children, something any decent person would do. The United States is abusing the situation for political aspirations. The kids are human shields in some ill-conceived negotiating tactic by Mr. Trump to fund a border wall (that he promised Mexico would fund).
Call the Department of Justice at 202-353-1555 and demand they end this state-sponsored abuse. Let your elected official know — this is not acceptable.
For Genealogists
- A more complete telling of the Polly and Alexander story can be found here.
Charlie R. Claywell 
Granted separating the families is rough, but who can afford to feed and house everyone? Where are these people going to live permanently, find jobs, etc?
If they turned on the cartels as organized as they attacked the US, they’d be in better shape.
It’s more than just tough according to the experts, separating children from their parents can cause long-term problems. We are a nation of immigrants and these are asylum-seekers escaping violence. If we are the Christian Nation, that many say we are, God will supply the manna.
Legal immigrants. There’s a difference – just as a rich man Legally has money – a thief Illegally has money.
Asylum seekers can legally enter the country at certain ‘ports’. We are intentionally closing those entry points (a deviation from national/international norms). This forces them to ‘illegally’ enter so then we can prosecute them criminally…. some parents are being lied to when separated from children (we’re just taking your kids for a bath)…
In some cases it appears the intent is to permanently separate the kids from parents (as a deterrent).
Many of the children held in temporary shelters are not accompanied by an adult. (i.e. one detention control officer per group of kids) a deviation from what U.S. kids processed through courts experience.
It’s inhumane (and immoral) to treat these humans this way. It’s reminiscent of turning away ships of Jewish refugees in WWII. Granted, Americans — a nation of immigrants – has always treated the next generation of immigrants poorly, and politicians have always created laws to adjust the flow, but it’s a matter of ethics and morality and treating humans, humanely.
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/whats-really-happening-asylum-seeking-families-separated/
And it’s unfair to make us support them. We “feel obligated” to police around the world. Yet we have a volunteer military that is forced to get deployed 3, 4 and 5 tours and then wonder why we have a wounded and PTSD problem. Try taking care of our own homeless, poor, persecuted by gangs, etc here in our own country and then maybe we can afford to take on the world.
I would disagree with you on the ‘feel obligated’ to police a world that’s more of an issue of our own economic interest. We have a long history of being imperialistic and have a need to create new markets. We could also cut into the military budget to do some humanitarian work. I’m a believer that the Asylum Seekers should be treated humanely.