No Good Answers

What do good, compassionate, decent people do in the face of a humanitarian crises?  That's the central question in the current immigration crises, isn't it?  Throw in the fact that there are untold numbers of children involved and the feelings of the need to help, the need to care for them, the need to DO SOMETHING deepens.  Americans are generally described as compassionate people.  We want to help, to do something to make things better.  Most Americans recognize that they've been extraordinarily lucky to be born here and reap the rewards and way of life all of us, even the most downtrodden.  Everyone has a chance.

So what is the problem?  Why is there pushback?  Why aren't people opening their arms and embracing the opportunity to help thousands of children.  The Bishop in my diocese, James Mathes, (yes, I'm Episcopalian.  Probably not a big surprise.) wrote a commentary in the local fish wrap this weekend  in which he implored people to do just that.  You can read it here.  It's a plea you would expect from an Episcopal Bishop.  He implores the reader to open their hearts and minds to help the children.  Not a bad message.  In fact, a great message that should resonate with all of us.

We are a nation of immigrants. Many faith traditions extol the virtues of compassion and hospitality. Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad were all aliens in strange lands. As a Christian leader, I am mindful of the Biblical exhortation to welcome the stranger. That message resonates deeply within the Christian tradition. To welcome the stranger is to welcome Christ himself.
Just last week, we celebrated the 234th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence with the immortal proclamation that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
This proclamation predates the notion of American citizenship. While we must be mindful of security, we also must not lose our great goodness, heart and national soul. As happens in so many troubled places on our planet, the vulnerable and endangered are at our border — our nation’s doorstep — pleading for help.

But he only gets it half right.  He only tells a part of the story...the part he wants to tell.   That's not unusual in an advocacy piece.  But the other half of the story is that we're also a nation of laws.

For many more years than most of us can count we have ignored the problem of illegal immigration on our Southern border.  And it's a massive problem.  Some see easy answers.  Just secure the border. Just deport the illegals back to where they came from.  Just stop the influx!  But there are no easy answers when people are living in desperate poverty and unspeakable violence.  All they want is a chance.  But that doesn't mean that we should not try to implement and enforce reasonable laws.

In recent years our government has had a despicable record when it comes to immigration policy.  This isn't a Democrat or a Republican issue.  They've all screwed it up.  They either cowtow too much to the loudest voice in the political sphere or they ignore the problem.

Okay...you already know all that.  But here's the unique problem now.  This President is quite simply incompetent and not to be trusted.  He pays lip service to the problem.  And then does nothing.  He asks for $3.7B (that's $3.7 BILLION) and doesn't even define very well what the money is going to solve.  It's money that will maintain the status quo and feed the bureaucracy.  He's not willing to roll up his sleeves, reach across the aisle, appoint a bipartisan group (if there is such a thing), reach out to Central American leadership, and get to solutions.  And for me here's the worst thing.  I have come to personally have such mistrust of him, that I really believe he is okay with the situation, and may have even orchestrated it.  I think that for political purposes, he is just fine with letting the crises foment and then figuring out how to gain political capital from it.  I hate, hate, hate that I think that about my President.  But that's what I've come to.  Sad.

So back to what to do.  First, attack the problem.  Take care of the kids.  But that  means everyone pitches in.  Not just the border states.  Not just military bases.  All 50 Governors should be required to take a portion of these folks.  Second, change the law.  Get that law that allows kids in free and clear changed.  That can't stand.  Good intentions gone awry.  Send out the message that the open door is a myth.  Third, secure the border.  I know, I know.  Easier said than done.  But it can be done.  All it takes is funding.  The Customs Service, the Border Patrol, the US Coast Guard are all dramatically underfunded.  In fact, if the average American realized what those agencies are asked to do (and routinely accomplish) with the funding that we the taxpayers give them, they would be shocked.  So up the funding for those agencies dramatically.  We might have to take away from some other place, but trust me, there is plenty of fat to trim.  Fourth, get to a reasonable immigration policy.  Simply put, I believe we have to get to a reasonable policy that allows for a path to citizenship.  This needs to be bipartisan and can be done.  But it will take leadership and trust.  So I don't think Obama can have anything to do with it.  Because he has neither.