Nancy Bailey reminds us how important dads are. A perfect message for Father’s Day.
They help their children at home and in school.
Some flee their native land and take risks to bring their children to safety in the home of the brave and free.
She has these words for them, at a time when national officials are citing Scripture to justify family separation.
“Parents Fleeing to America
And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
~Mark 10:13-16

I just read in the Guardian that the child detainees are being held in cages with foil blankets for beds. Make America disGraced Again.
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That is very likely true, but the pictures that have been circulating actually showing children sleeping in cages with foil blankets were taken in 2014 during the Obama administration when we had thousands of unaccompanied minors arriving from war- and gang-violence-torn areas of Central America.
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I don’t doubt that, but the article said it was based on recent visits and that no photos or interviews were allowed by the agents. It also said there was no plumbing, round the clock overhead lighting, and that some children were seen changing other detainees’ diapers. I am no fan of Obama. I am no fan of Trump. The two opinions are not mutually exclusive.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/17/separation-border-children-cages-south-texas-warehouse-holding-facility
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Agreed with all. I’m just reacting to the hyperventilating viral pictures that have been flying around the internet lately with the idea that this is something entirely unheard of until Trump. I agree that Trump is making things substantially worse, but he didn’t start the fire. I will say that it is appalling that very few have been granted access to these facilities and that We the People are not able to see pictures. That alone strongly suggests it’s as bad or worse than is being reported. If there’s nothing to hide, why not bring in reporters, camera crews, Congresscritters, hell, anyone who wants to visit?
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BTW, thanks for the link. Heartbreaking.
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We are in complete agreement as usual.
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Of course, as Dienne so stated, this has been going on for a very long time; that is, in terms of unaccompanied minors coming over from other countries, & being placed in detention centers; I personally worked with the Haitian unaccompanied minor population in Miami from 1980-81 (so occurred during both Carter & Reagan admins.).
I could write a book about the horrors that occurred in terms of attempting to reunite the children with family members who were, in fact, legalized U.S. citizens. It took a press conference–w/the New York Times writing a piece–for the FL Dept. of HHS to finally sign a contract w/a social service agency to complete the home visits needed to certify that the families were, indeed, blood relatives of the children & that the homes were suitable, headed by relatives who were gainfully employed.
In fact, I was horrified to hear that, recently, ICE had arrested an NYC immigrant activist & sent him to…Krone (where we were, in FL); I thought it had been closed long ago.
Having said all of this, nothing, NOTHING that has gone on prior to this administration involved wrenching babies & children from their parents arms. This being Fathers Day has me, of course, thinking of my own father (o.b.m.) who fought in WW II, both to serve his country but also, as a fierce Jew, to stop Hitler & the Nazi atrocities against humanity…against children, parents, families.
With tears in my eyes for his service, his courage & his conviction that we must do what’s right in this world (&, no, the Bible–nor any other religious work–says that it’s okay to take children from their parents, Jeff Sessions), I know that my father would roll over in his grave if he could know what is happening in what is NOT America now.
But WE, the people, WILL stop this atrocity…despite Trump, despite Susan Collins, despite the finger-pointing.
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Obama promised to only go after criminals, but many parents, who were not criminals, were deported. Sometimes the US did not allow children to return to their parents’ homeland, for whatever reason. Are you aware that there are many children whose parents were deported that ended up in foster care and some were even put up for adoption, because they “had no parents”?
And this is America. This has always been America. Babies ripped from their slave mothers’ arms. Native children taken from their communities and sent to boarding schools to “kill the Indian.” Should I go on?
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Thank you, Retired. Like you, I am stunned, shocked, saddened, and repulsed by what is happening daily on our borders. Every major religious group has condemned it. We will soon be condemned by the UN Human Rights Commission if it hasn’t already happened.
Meanwhile the pompous fool who is president blames it in the minority party.
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I actually prefer what Jesus said in Matthew 25:31-46. This is an excerpt 41-43:
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’”
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