Who are we? It isn’t often we ask that question because most of us take that for granted. We’re Americans. We’re unique in a multitude of ways.
But the foundation of our uniqueness is our history; the fact that, but for the luck of the draw and the daring of our parents, grandparents and great grandparents, we wouldn’t be here at all.
Our original sin of slavery brought many others here, forcibly, in chains. But however we got here, from our beginning, with the exception of Native Americans, we all came from somewhere else.
Our nation and our form of government were formed differently than most. We began with a set of ideals and principles first. The Cato Institute, in the preface to their publication of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, makes the point that the founders outlined their moral vision in the Declaration and it was this that served as the basis for the Constitution.
Morals and principals, standards – there’s “a higher law of right and wrong from which to derive human law” – not political will but a higher moral reasoning, which is the foundation of our political system. If there’s anything that makes America exceptional, it’s that basic moral foundation that set us free from British rule and put us on a path that is – or was – the envy of the world. That’s why we’re here now – that magnetic pull for a better life.
This isn’t to say we haven’t made mistakes along the way. We have. Lots of them. It occurs most often when one or more of the three branches of government doesn’t carry out its responsibilities as outlined in the Constitution.
We are in the midst of making another massive mistake now. This policy of taking children away from their parents at the border – many of whom legally present as asylum seekers, must stop. Congress must do its duty, stop Trump and stop the terror that’s being conducted in our name – yours and mine.
There is no legal justification for it. More importantly, there is no moral justification for it. And just to be clear, this is not an Obama law or a Democrat law and anyone who makes that statement is lying. This is a policy enacted by Attorney General Sessions at the behest of Trump.
To see young children distraught at being torn from their parents is not who we are.
To see children being held in cages and holding pens, like animals, is not who we are.
To see children sobbing in fear and adults being told they cannot comfort them is not who we are.
To see conflating legal asylum seekers with misdemeanor criminal behavior is not who we are.
To see crying, traumatized kids used as leverage for A WALL is not who we are.
What is happening at the border is reprehensible. It conjures up vivid reminders of internment camps for Japanese Americans. It a reminder of what took place in Nazi Germany. This must not be allowed to continue.
Our “leaders” and those who support these awful actions need to review our founding documents to understand why so many Americans of all political persuasions find this behavior so gut-wrenching. This, emphatically, is not who we are and it must stop. It is simply a matter of that higher law of right and wrong. And this is wrong.
Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel said, “That is why I swore never to be silent whenever, wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormenter, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant.”
We are Americans. That’s who we are and that means we won’t stand by and remain silent in the face of injustice and demagoguery.
Marsha Shearer is a Villager and a frequent contributor to Villages-News.com.