Don't we all agree that children, regardless of where they come from deserve all that life has to offer them???
As I read post after post about mothers sending their kids back to school, or in many cases sending their youngest to school for the very first time I’m reminded of how fleeting it all is. We carry them for nine months, we deliver them, and if our bodies and babies are compatible, get to nurse them. After that we raise them up, and then we send them off into the world to become all that they can be. But, today as I look around at our world I don’t know how much I would want to send my girls out into the world anymore. In fact, I find myself wanting to draw them even nearer to me, as the world becomes increasingly more unstable. I can’t imagine not doing everything to protect them, to support them, and to walk this journey called life side by side with them should they request that.
I’m all in.
I went from being the girl who didn’t think she wanted any children to not being able to imagine life without them; not for a minute. We instinctively want to give our children more than we ever had; in education, in opportunity, love, and hope. Most of us parents work tirelessly so that our kids don’t have to suffer/sacrifice much during their lifetimes. But there are no guarantees of how easy their life paths will be. Whether it be their health, their choices, or countless unknown challenges that life throws at them, we can’t protect them from everything. But Lord knows we parents will always try to shelter them from every single storm, and even live our lives giving other children who might not be as fortunate as our own a better kick at this can called life. Innocent children bring out the best in all of us. We want them all to have blessings, safety and opportunity. They’re pure and awesome, and so very deserving of it.
Which is why this entire DACA thing is blowing my mind. #45 is a father, one who evidently gave all his children every advantage that his station and wealth could afford them. He is the son of immigrants and married an immigrant. Twice. Shouldn’t he above all others have the compassion and the knowledge of what a life of freedom and opportunity in a country like America can give to a young person? Especially a young person immigrating to America?
I don’t understand what’s going on with this current Republican Administration. It doesn’t add up. The stats don’t support what he’s saying; that immigrant youth have a higher chance of becoming criminals. In fact it is quite the opposite. “In fact, DREAMers have lower incarceration rates than native-born Americans of the same age and education level.”
(Alicia A. Caldwell, “15 Immigrants Protected from Deportation Arrested in Sweep,” Associated Press, March 13, 2015, https://apnews.com/c21ea7a60a7f46aba7749e869ca2e4b9/15-immigrants-protected-deportation-arrested-sweep; Ronald W. Mortenson, “DACA: Granting Amnesty to Dreamers Committing Crimes While Abandoning Their Victims,” Center for Immigration Studies blog, March 10, 2017, https://cis.org/Mortensen/DACA-Granting-Amnesty-Dreamers-Committing-CrimesWhile-Abandoning-Their-Victims; Jenny Jarvie, “Deportations of ‘Dreamers’ Who’ve Lost Protected Status Have Surged Under Trump,” Los Angeles Times, April 19, 2017, http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-daca-deportations-20170419-story.html.)
I know I keep asking this over and over and over, but what are they all so afraid of?? Like me, like you, like anybody you know who doesn’t have a family tie to slavery, why should these children who are not criminals be convicted for the sins of their parents? Or be treated as a criminal before they actually are one?? I mean, let’s look at ALL American children then, of all races and social standings; if they’re parents have ever committed a crime, or hell even if they haven’t. Perhaps we judge natural born American youth by the neighborhoods they live in, or the income bracket their parents are in and then do some math, crunch some numbers of probability and send them away too. I mean if we’re going to do it for some, then shouldn’t we do it for all?
Especially since from what I’ve ever seen from any news clippings of mass murders committed in the United States of America almost every single shooter was a white male. Which tells me we’re chasing away the wrong boogie man.
Just saying.
