There are deeper, darker dynamics that are bubbling to the surface here as well. There is a mean-spirited strain of American consciousness more willing to watch people die than to help people live, and no it is not an accident that drowning migrants are brown and not white.
And much of this is simply election year theater anyway. The situation at the border must be dealt with decisively, that is true. And the infrastructure exists to enable us to do that. It simply needs to be funded. Republicans in Congress are blocking the President’s ability to act decisively to control the border, wanting to deny him an election year win.
As I have frequently stressed, in order to permanently solve the problem we must address root causes of the crisis at the border. Among other things, we should help re-stabilize Latin America economies that we ourselves helped destabilize over a period of many years. Also, by decriminalizing drugs we will help disempower the drug cartels.
But nothing, absolutely nothing, justifies transgressing our most basic human values as a nation. I have been to Eagle Pass. I have seen the concertina wire. I have seen the buoys that when put in the water make people drown. It is a radical humanitarianism, not a draconian cold heart, that is our salvation at such a time as this. It is definitely appropriate sometimes to say “No, you cannot enter the country.” But it is never appropriate to simply watch innocent, desperate people die when they are trying to.
Please give what you can to our campaign so that, as President, I can end the crisis at our Southern border fairly and humanely.
