"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
--Abraham Lincoln
No one decides to pack a handful of his/her belongings and risk his/her life (and possibly the lives of loved ones) while sneaking into a foreign country, on a whim. This is a decision that is come to after a hardship that most of us can never imagine. When you have a roof over your head, a full belly and you do not fear for your life, it is easy to differentiate between legal and illegal. When your children are sleeping soundly in their beds, it is easy to say, "this is our country, and we must strictly adhere to immigration laws or we will be overrun by those who don't belong."
I have established long ago that I am a rule follower, but their is not a rule I can imagine that would stand in the way of me doing what I would need to do to safeguard my children. If my country did not afford me the means to feed and protect my loved ones, then I would use any means to get them across the border of a country that did. Once I arrived in this foreign land, I would teach my children to work hard and be respectful of a land that offers so much to them, and tell them to educate themselves so they can become contributing members of society.
Through the years, millions of people entered our country legally and were shown the hospitality that they searched for when they gave up all that was familiar to seek refuge. Millions more lived a life of starvation, torture and murder while they waited to legally cross our borders. Kidnapping, drugs and untenable punishments were everyday occurrences, and they brought their children here without waiting for their invitations. I know that they broke the law and must face the consequences, but I believe those consequences must be meted out with an understanding of extenuating circumstances.
Our country was built on the premise of freedom from oppression, and we must not forget that without the bravery of our own ancestors taking chances so their children could live a better life, very few of us would be here today. We must also remember that most of these young people came here without a choice, when their parents brought them as children. This became the only home they knew, and as the years passed, the line between legal and illegal blurred. President Obama established DACA so these young people could work towards legalizing their status, allowing them to continuing being contributing members of our society.
Over seventy-five percent of Americans believe that these young people should be allowed to stay in America without fear of deportation. I understand that by the numbers, this means almost twenty-five percent of Americans believe otherwise, but it is the responsibility of our politicians to represent the majority of us. If the majority of Americans voted for one candidate, and an antiquated system allowed her opponent to win, and then a strong majority believe in a policy that can be wiped out by the stroke of a minority favored president's pen, than instead of making America "great again," we are losing the very essence of what made us great in the first place. I was happy to see that Senator Paul Ryan believes that DACA will now be incorporated in an end of the year deal. A great responsibility is placed on the shoulders of the American President and those who represent us. They must use their powers wisely and represent the best of us at all times.
To continue on the political road this week, I read and reviewed Elizabeth Warren’s book, A Fighting Chance. This memoir told the story of a woman who never stops fighting for what she believes in, and she believes in making life better for the working class in America. It was an easily read book that gave me a bit more insight into Washington dealings.
As always, a complete review follows this blog.
Happy reading,
- Beverly
--Abraham Lincoln
No one decides to pack a handful of his/her belongings and risk his/her life (and possibly the lives of loved ones) while sneaking into a foreign country, on a whim. This is a decision that is come to after a hardship that most of us can never imagine. When you have a roof over your head, a full belly and you do not fear for your life, it is easy to differentiate between legal and illegal. When your children are sleeping soundly in their beds, it is easy to say, "this is our country, and we must strictly adhere to immigration laws or we will be overrun by those who don't belong."
I have established long ago that I am a rule follower, but their is not a rule I can imagine that would stand in the way of me doing what I would need to do to safeguard my children. If my country did not afford me the means to feed and protect my loved ones, then I would use any means to get them across the border of a country that did. Once I arrived in this foreign land, I would teach my children to work hard and be respectful of a land that offers so much to them, and tell them to educate themselves so they can become contributing members of society.
Through the years, millions of people entered our country legally and were shown the hospitality that they searched for when they gave up all that was familiar to seek refuge. Millions more lived a life of starvation, torture and murder while they waited to legally cross our borders. Kidnapping, drugs and untenable punishments were everyday occurrences, and they brought their children here without waiting for their invitations. I know that they broke the law and must face the consequences, but I believe those consequences must be meted out with an understanding of extenuating circumstances.
Our country was built on the premise of freedom from oppression, and we must not forget that without the bravery of our own ancestors taking chances so their children could live a better life, very few of us would be here today. We must also remember that most of these young people came here without a choice, when their parents brought them as children. This became the only home they knew, and as the years passed, the line between legal and illegal blurred. President Obama established DACA so these young people could work towards legalizing their status, allowing them to continuing being contributing members of our society.
Over seventy-five percent of Americans believe that these young people should be allowed to stay in America without fear of deportation. I understand that by the numbers, this means almost twenty-five percent of Americans believe otherwise, but it is the responsibility of our politicians to represent the majority of us. If the majority of Americans voted for one candidate, and an antiquated system allowed her opponent to win, and then a strong majority believe in a policy that can be wiped out by the stroke of a minority favored president's pen, than instead of making America "great again," we are losing the very essence of what made us great in the first place. I was happy to see that Senator Paul Ryan believes that DACA will now be incorporated in an end of the year deal. A great responsibility is placed on the shoulders of the American President and those who represent us. They must use their powers wisely and represent the best of us at all times.
To continue on the political road this week, I read and reviewed Elizabeth Warren’s book, A Fighting Chance. This memoir told the story of a woman who never stops fighting for what she believes in, and she believes in making life better for the working class in America. It was an easily read book that gave me a bit more insight into Washington dealings.
As always, a complete review follows this blog.
Happy reading,
- Beverly
Click on the book cover to order the title mentioned in today's blog
