It’s the meanness that hurts the most

This whole immigration mess - and it is a mess - hurts at a very deep level. Everyone I know is aware that most of the world suffers from the issue of people caught up in wars, people who are trying to escape to other countries where they hope to be safe. And we’re aware that this influx of people is causing stress to the countries not involved in the wars. I don’t pretend to have all the solutions because these issues are very complex. However, I do see something that I find hurtful and below the United States as a country. It’s this.

It’s possible to respond to this issue without being mean. Right now our country is being mean to people and this is not necessary. I have deliberately chosen the word mean because it so expresses what I am seeing - meanness. As a country and as a people, we can uphold our laws without becoming mean and acting in an uncivil manner.

We don’t have to be mean to people. Yes, I know some will immediately counter me with, “But some of these people are criminals who intend to hurt our country and we have to show them our strength.”

My response? “Yes, but most of them are not criminals. Most of them are people just like you and just like me, people who are fleeing their homeland due to wars and violence. Don’t these people deserve to be treated with respect? Do we have to be mean to them?” And all the money we’re spending to build tent cities, couldn’t it be better spent on homeless vets, hungry people, and other worthwhile social issues we face in today’s world.

As one woman who lives on the border between Mexico and the United States said, “Instead of spending the money to build a wall, instead of rounding people up like animals, we need to work with these other countries to create an environment where the people don’t want to come to the United States, not because they fear us but because they can stay in their own country and lead peaceful, prosperous lives.”

This is the long-term solution. We need to approach the issue on a global level. Instead of putting out brush fires, we need to address the fact that the entire forest is on fire and do something about that. And with the right people in power, the United States could be a leader in a compassionate response rather than a leader in being a mean bully.