The policy of separating children from their parents for the “crime” of crossing the border seems expressly designed to produce a large population of young people who will, in 10 or 15 years, be motivated to seek some sort of retribution against their fellow human beings, and particularly against those who did this terrible thing to them during their childhood: the Americans.
Every child deserves protection, and yet the “Make America Great Again” president seems to take satisfaction from his ability to mistreat others’ children. And his supporters don’t seem to see a problem with it, either ethically today or from the point of view of our future selves. Disgraceful actions have consequences.
My father had an expression: “Plan ahead - you might need one.” Anticipate the consequences, and shift course if need be.
What have we come to?
There are some parallels, perhaps, to the climate change deniers. Even if they honestly don’t accept the scientific evidence (1) that human activity is overburdening the atmosphere’s carrying capacity, and (2) that our country, representing perhaps 5 percent of the world’s population and perhaps 25 percent of the world’s consumption of many goods, including those produced in countries with few regulations on what can be spewed, to produce those goods for us, into the atmosphere over those countries, and (3) that we are thereby approximately 25 percent responsible, the point is that much of the rest of the world does make that connection.
For that reason, if for no other, we must re-evaluate our policies. Those whose lives are endangered or whose lives are disrupted with each hurricane or cyclone, with rising sea levels, would not be unreasonable to hold us responsible for the danger and disruption we are creating in their lives.
And so will those children. There is still time to act, to get this right. We are a large country, and a fairly healthy economy, though the large majority of us are not sharing fully in its growth.
While I’m all for having a strong military to protect us, I don’t think it is in any country or individual’s best interest to create enemies. It seems to me that the current administration’s policies with respect to refugees and with respect to climate change and the environment we will leave to future generations - and live the rest of our lives in - are just plain wrong. Cui bono? - to whose benefit are those policies?
Wyn Achenbaum
Rehoboth Beach
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