The pen is mightier than the sword
I am so frickin’ sick of the MAGA cult.
Back in 2016, we were at the Oscar Tango and a certain person asked us a bunch of questions. One of them was “Do you agree with open borders?” I answered no.
Mind you, this was waaaay before we ever thought Trump could or would win a presidential election. I wasn’t crazy about Hilary as a choice but jeebus. The Bad Orange Man cannot even string a sentence together without making it into chopped salad. He’s a “biznessman” and reality TV show “star” (and a frickin’ idiot) and how could he ever win… You know what happened next.
Tonight, that stoopid piece of paper was brought out once again. I STILL do not believe in open borders. But that’s where it gets complicated. First… What is the definition of “open borders”? I don’t think we actually have them in this country although I will acknowledge that many people manage to get in illegally.
So. I believe what we need are laws and rules and procedures for dealing with the folks who want to join the “land of the free and the home of the brave”. And I think we have those in place but from what I am hearing, it is very difficult to enforce them and we won’t even talk about getting these people’s cases through the court system in any kind of timely manner. Is this the fault of any one president? No president can solve these issues alone.
I have many issues with Trump’s immigration “policies” but the one that rankles me the most is the zero tolerance child separation thing. YES, I KNOW IT WAS AN OBAMA POLICY!!! Stop telling me that. Obama did NOT institute it with the intention of using it in a brute force way to separate EVERY child from their parent(s). It was intended to be used in a discretionary way when a child seemed to be in danger. TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP used it like a HAMMER. Every kid no matter what the circumstances. This is not a way to treat children and their families in any circumstances. And to those who have tried to liken it to AMERICAN children torn from their parents as they (parents) are being arrested, that is bad too but it is apples and oranges.
What bothered me most about tonight’s “conversation” or whatever it was because I ended up being angry and walking away… Was that I was not given a chance to talk. I was not given a chance to explain my 2016 answer to the question and I was not given a chance to explain why I haven’t changed my stance. I was not given a chance to talk AT ALL! Talked over every time I opened my mouth. Me, a *literate* and highly paid tech professional. Not that my pay grade matters. All people should be given a chance to talk and be heard!
As for immigration in general, I would remind people that probably an overwhelming majority of our citizens’ ancestors immigrated, if they themselves are not immigrants. I wish for more compassion for those who try to leave horrible circumstances for the “land of the free and the home of the brave” or whatever the United States of America is nowadays. We seem to have more idiots than not. Where are your ancestors from? How did they get here and what kind of travails did they endure on their journey?
And to whoever needs to hear it, STOP TRYING TO MAN ‘SPLAIN ME! JEEBUS KEE-REIST.
June 26th, 2024 at 10:17 pm
It sounds like you were treated disrespectfully, and your opinions and explanations ignored. I would have been angry too and at some point would have walked away. People must be desperate to get into this country these days; I would try for Canada myself. I might even try soon, like in November.
June 27th, 2024 at 8:31 am
I’m angry on your behalf. Of all the many issues that divide our citizens right now I think (southern border) immigration is the most complex. And like all complex problems it’s very hard to have a meaningful conversation with anyone about it. Which makes it perfect for oversimplification, trump’s most powerful tool in his bag of tricks. It’s also the hook he used from Day 1 — 9 f’ing years ago when he glided down that stupid golden escalator in Trump Tower — and he saw how well it worked so he’ll use it to the day he (oh happy day) dies.
I’m in the camp that says bring in those young, able-bodied people. They want to work? we have work for them. Actually, we employ millions of them now. How do we get much of our food? From “illegals” (a terrible word) who work in farms and meat-processing factories. Immigrants, legal usually, care for the sick in our hospitals, clean hotels and homes, cook in thousands of restaurants, mow lawns, build our roads, repair our bridges, and on and on. At least that’s what my eyes see in Maryland. I’ve been hearing about immigration problems across our southern border all my life. American agri-business gets the most blame (if that’s the right word — some might say “credit”) for increasing the demand for Mexican farm workers.
Now, as is my habit when you put an idea in my head each morning when I read your blog, I’ll have to check out a few library books, do a bit of online sleuthing, and see if I can come up with a few pithy facts that will help me understand the issue better.
Grrrr.