A National Shame

Posted on by under Election 2024, Global Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Friends … I don’t even know where to start with this post.  It’s rather like a Rubik’s Cube or a maze or some other puzzle that boggles the mind.  I think maybe the best way to start is with a listing of some of the facts of the matter … the matter, by the way, being the situation at the Texas-Mexico border and the responses to it.  So, here are the facts as I understand them:

  • The number of migrants entering the U.S. from Central and South America has grown and poses significant problems for border states such as Texas. 95% of these migrants are simply fleeing danger or extreme poverty, hoping to provide a better life for their families – they are not coming here for any nefarious purposes.
  • Texas Governor Greg Abbott approved stringing razor wire along the banks of the Rio Grande River that separates Texas and Mexico in order to keep the migrants from reaching the U.S.
  • Migrants were getting injured … shredded, as it were, by running into the razor wire while trying to swim across the Rio Grande.
  • On January 12, the Texas National Guard blocked the Border Patrol from assisting migrants in distress, resulting in the death of a woman and two children.
  • The federal government asked the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling that allowed Abbott et al to continue placing razor wire in the river. On January 22nd, the Supreme Court sided with the federal government, giving federal agencies the authority to remove the razor wire.
  • Per the U.S. Constitution, the defining authority, it is the federal government, not the states, that has the power to regulate immigration.
  • Governor Abbott has refused to abide by the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court, is refusing to allow Border Patrol agents access to remove the existing razor wire, and is installing still more razor wire in the river.
  • Every Republican governor except one, Vermont’s Phil Scott, has publicly said they support Texas’s right to defy the federal government, with a few even hinting they might send their own state’s National Guard to help Abbott.

  • The U.S. Senate is very close to coming to terms on a bipartisan bill to enhance and repair border security, something that has been considered critical and demanded by Republicans.
  • Donald Trump told his minions in Congress that he does NOT want the border security bill to pass because, a) its passage would help President Biden, and b) he wants to be able to use the “crisis” at the border as a campaign issue this year.
  • Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, said that he will abide by Trump’s wishes and that any bill regarding border security would be “dead on arrival”.
  • A truck convoy called “Take Our Border Back Convoy” is heading toward the border from around the nation and is expected to arrive sometime this week.

Those are the facts of the matter.  Media persona like Charlie Kirk and Jack Posobiec are adding fuel to the fire saying such ridiculous things as this is the beginning of a new civil war and that the Supreme Court Justices who sided with the federal government “deserve to be executed as traitors.”

This is a frightening situation, to say the least, my friends.  With tempers running high during this very contentious election year, and with more guns than people in the nation, the potential for violence on a large scale is high.

There is so much wrong with this situation. Governor Abbott is a fool who obviously either didn’t study or failed to pass Constitutional Law 101.  The Republican governors who are supportive of his perfidy also don’t understand the Constitution and are in violation of their oath of office.  Speaker Mike Johnson has just proven that he is naught more than a Trump toadie who, when told by Donald Trump to “jump”, bends over and asks, “How high, your majesty?”  We no longer have a Congress that works for the best interest of the people … we have a group of highly paid people, half of whom work only for the interests of one Donald F. Trump.

But the biggest thing wrong with this whole thing, in my humble view, is that nobody seems to care about … life.  The people coming across our southern border are not, with very few exceptions, criminals or druggies … they are just people trying to escape a bad situation and make a life for their families.  They are hard-working men & women, they are mothers, fathers, grandparents, and children … babies even.  And they are dying.  Governor Abbott and all those in support of his cruelty are killing these people!  WHERE IS THE HUMANITY???

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76 thoughts on “A National Shame”

  4. The people you forgot to mention coming across the border are the thousands of sex traffickers, terrorists, not to mention spys or soldiers from other countrys. Also its just happens to be called illegal immagration because it illegal. If these people are truly just “innocent” then they should enter our country legally. These people as a whole do not care about our country. Biden is only letting them in so he can get more votes.

    Like

    • Grow up, young man. Stop listening to Fox ‘News’ and Margie Greene before you turn into just another viper in the den of ignorance. You claim to read a lot … apparently you’re not reading factual accounts of history.

      Like

  5. The people you forgot to mention coming across the border are the thousands of sex traffickers, terrorists, not to mention spys or soldiers from other countrys. Also its just happens to be called illegal immagration because it illegal. If these people are truly just “innocent” then they should enter our country legally. These people as a whole do not care about our country. Biden is only letting them in so he can get more votes.
    These people who are coming from south America and Central America had better wake up and figure out that what’s happening in like down there with socialism, is happening here with Biden.
    So, do you think that just anybody should be let illegally across the border?
    P.s. The Muslims coming across the border believe that all of the lgbtq+ mafia should be thrown off of buildings and killed.

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  6. I see many migrants [a.k.a. ‘illegals’] new and old in my home city, which comes close to bordering Washington State.

    I know that growing numbers of people, regardless of their origin, requiring housing only increases the market-value pressure on the rent rate I pay for my old one-bedroom apartment unit. I also know there’s greater pressure on the publicly-funded health services here that are already stretched thin.

    Still, it would be wrong, if not hypocritical, of me to criticize often-desperate people for doing what I [and many others] likely would do in their dreadful position and if brave enough. But, of course, all of that no longer matters when they die in their attempt at arriving.

    Migrants and refugees in general don’t willfully and contently become permanent financial/resource burdens on their host nation(s). Quite likely they desire to pull their own weight via employment, even if only to prove their critics wrong. I know I’d very much want to if I was in their shoes.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Yes, that is exactly how I feel! We are the lucky ones … we may not like paying more in rent or for food, let alone taxes, but we are able to. We have a warm home, food to eat, and our lives are not in danger every moment of every day. We can share what we have … this nation has enormous wealth, but sadly much of it is held by greedy capitalists who won’t share, so it is left up to us. As you say, we could be in their shoes someday and I know I would appreciate any sort of help I could get. And they do pull their weight in employment … often willing to do the jobs that many here think are beneath them. We are made richer in many ways by our immigrants … the bigots wear blinders and cannot see the benefit over their own fear.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Dear Jill,

    What’s worse is that I truly believe that the development of an effective, better managed border control measure was a red herring all along. I’m suspicious that the GOP MAGA ex-president with his congressional House cohorts came up with the supposedly brilliant idea to nix US funds being sent to Ukraine by tying this issue to that of the U.S. developing a tough border control bill to better manage the record flow of migrants entering the U.S. via the southern US border with Mexico. For decades, both democrats and republicans under presidents from both parties have failed to deliver on legislation to fix this problem and so this was a way to kill funding to Ukraine without highlighting their true intent.

    But oops! After decades of failing to develop a comprehensive border control/ immigration bill, U.S senators got together to write the most conservative border control bill ever which President Biden promised to sign, at his own political peril. But since the GOP MAGA ex-president never truly wanted this bill, his sycophants in the House of Representatives led by Speaker Mike Johnson have said the bill is DOA.

    This is what comes from House “freedom caucus” republicans who are acting under the direction of the GOP MAGA ex-president whose intent is to keep on currying favor with Russia’s President Putin.

    I’m so furious over this story that I think I’ll also be blogging on this story.

    Hugs, Gronda

    Liked by 1 person

    • Agreed! I’ve always thought there was something nefarious about tying funding for aid to Ukraine to the border security. But then … such is to be expected out of the current batch of unconscionable Republicans who are exploiting their slim majority in the House. Like you, my friend, this entire situation makes me furious. They are playing games with peoples’ lives AND with our hard-earned tax dollars. Another enraging issue is their wasted time and effort on impeachment of both President Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas … they have zero evidence, know that even if they succeed in the House, the measures will die in the Senate, there are looming shutdowns on the horizon they should be addressing, but they play their silly games! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr … Hugs

      Liked by 1 person

  9. This situation is become a humanitarian crisis. Human beings are dying from razor wire, is Gov Abbott at war with migrants, and resulting death is simply casualty of war??
    Shouldn’t Abbott be tried in Federal court for disobeying a Supreme Court Ruling, does Federal law not apply to states anymore? Also he’s responsible for murder!
    Breaking news: NYC to begin evicting migrant families. Where are these ppl suppose to go in the middle of winter with no money and resources?? This country is going insane!!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaGWeRo7wO4

    Liked by 2 people

  10. My family was discussing this and that was my question exactly.  However points were made that these small border towns are being overwhelmed and I feel for them too.  Where is Mexico’s responsibility lie? I have no viable answers.

    Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

    Liked by 2 people

    • Oh there is no doubt that the small border towns are overwhelmed and a much better solution needs to be found. But nobody is working on that solution … instead, they are playing these foolish games with people’s lives! The bulk of the immigrants are not from Mexico, but rather from Central & South America … Mexico is just a pass-through for them, so I don’t see Mexico as having a responsibility here, apart from those who are migrating directly from Mexico. But while we cannot let the border towns be overwhelmed, the U.S. DOES have sufficient resources to find places for these migrants, if only Abbott and others would come together, stop playing games, and work on real solutions.

      Liked by 3 people

  11. That’s exactly what came to my mind when I read all the “administrative” reasons you listed here: what about the actual cause? What about being human, and helping other humans?

    Liked by 3 people

  13. Yes this is just awful. Glad I won’t be around too many more years…who will they pick on next..they’ve already started with women too and gays..so who is next.
    And o. A side note..if Texas can defy the Supreme Court, then it doesn’t matter what they rule on trump, because he will defy it and his growing angry fools will follow his lead. We will be a country without rules and laws. But basically for the wealthy only. I still think the master plan under all of this is to thin out the population…

    Liked by 2 people

    • I’m with you on that, Mary. I don’t mind at all that I’m old and in the last years of my life, though if I thought I could be an integral part of solving the world’s problems, I might wish I could stick around longer.

      You have a good point there. This has to be the line in the sand, Texas must be shown that they ARE, whether they like it or not, part of this country and WILL abide by the laws of the land. Thinning the population wouldn’t be a bad thing, for the world already has more people than it will soon be able to provide for. But I don’t think that’s the goal of the high and the mighty, for if it were, why would they be so adamant to stop abortion? No, I think the goal is to have a few people owning all the wealth, while the rest of us are basically slaves.

      Liked by 2 people

  14. Pingback: A National Shame | Filosofa’s Word | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

  15. I am reading a book called ‘Nomad Century’ by Science writer and broadcaster Gaia Vince. She points out that large swathes of the Earth will soon be uninhabitable and vast numbers of people will need to move. For now it is mostly people from the Global South but between drought, floods and Sea level rise plus increasing heat much of the US will be affected too. Those people trying to stop Mexicans coming may soon find themselves trying to escape and being denied. She also points out that on balance immigration is good for a Country and with an aging demographic even more so. It doesn’t make an easy read but very interesting.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Thanks for mentioning that book … it sounds very interesting. I just checked it out on Amazon and requested a ‘free sample’ … after I read that, I’ll probably download the Kindle version. It is frustrating that we are rapidly approaching a ‘climate crisis’ and yet rather than working together to try to solve the problems and save the future on planet Earth, we have multiple wars around the globe, and people are more divided than ever before, wasting their time on some of the most ridiculous things imaginable. Sigh. Thanks again for the book suggestion!

      Liked by 2 people

  16. Trump is probably gloating over the title of your post — or would be if he knew of it — it doesn’t matter who is committing the violence, for him it only mstters thwt it is gappening on Biden’s watch.
    Then if he “accidentally” becomes president again, he will decree the national law to allow razor wire, or sharks, or whatever.

    Liked by 4 people

    • I would love for him to see my posts … all of them … but he likely couldn’t understand some of the bigger words, and frankly wouldn’t have the patience to get past the 2nd paragraph. Dr. Seuss is even beyond him, I hear. I sincerely hope he is buried six feet underground before the election in November. Cruel? Yeah, probably. Sadly, there are many more who are equally horrible people just waiting in the wings. Frankly, I’m ready to go be a wolf and say f*ck the human ‘race’!

      Liked by 1 person

      • We all want Trump in a grave, I think, and the way he lives he should already be there. But there is s phrase my sperm donor used to use, one thst he was very proud of. Luckily it was not true. He often said, “I’m too mean to die!”
        Well, Trump is too __________ to die.
        I’ll start with the word “stupid.”
        You and your readers are free to add whatever word they think should go there..

        Liked by 2 people

      • Robert Reich’s essay this week speaks of the danger in letting despair and cynicism creeping in. Inviting vampires to come in is a bad idea. Stop it! 😢I hope my last words will be funny.

        Liked by 1 person

        • Yeah, I read Reich’s piece, and I do try not to invite the vampires in, but sometimes they slip in through the cracks in the shell. I hope your last words, spoken in another 50 years or so, will be funny, too!

          Liked by 1 person

  17. The question of humanity doesn’t arise in the minds of racists and bigots Jill. The people attempting to cross the border are not whiteand therefore not entitled to be treated as human by those who can fill ariver with corpses or bus a number of inadequately dressed migrants to Blue states which are cold and covered with snow. When push comes to shove, The Federal Government are responsible for the borders and if needs be they must deploy troops to ensure the Bully Boys of the Convoy and the National Guard cannot prevcent the removal of the razor wire. At the irst sign of trouble, troops should be used to arrest and contain Abbot and the leaders of his supporting states on the grounds of Treason and see how they like that.Thwey can sit out their arrest time dressed in fatigues in a very cold place surrounded by Razor wire. Cwtch

    Liked by 5 people

    • I know you are right in all you say, but I just don’t understand the “why” of it all. I never will. There are so much more relevant things to a person than skin colour … there’s character, humour, honesty, integrity … all of those and more are far more important than the colour of a person’s skin. Sometimes I almost wish I did believe in religion, for it would be nice to envision all these bigots spending their forever in a fiery hell. Sigh. Cwtch

      Liked by 4 people

    • Just to note, future generations are not dying (and I sure hope they won’t be). It is people in 2024 who are dying violently and cruelly. Putting razor wire is a crime against humanity and should be treated as such. If Abbott, etc., are not stopped now other rich nations which border on poor nations will do likewise, or worse!
      I repeat Jill’s question: WHERE IS THE HUMANITY???

      Liked by 4 people

    • I will never understand. And yes, those who are left to repair and rebuild this nation after it destroys itself from within SHOULD point fingers of accusation, but there will likely be nobody left to point them at.

      Liked by 2 people

      • They have been warned enough, but then they never read their histories; the harsh ones that give you the tough lessons.
        Or pay attention to the old adage:
        “No plan survives first contact”

        I’ve stopped reading and listening to 20th / 21st history books. Hearing the long litany of death and destruction raising its head over and over again, and too many folk saying it’s all someone else’s fault.
        Is it me, or are recent protests starting to sound more like are Wrestling Match audience
        (only the latter are have greater depth)?

        Liked by 1 person

  20. Drifting back to the, isolationism, of the, post Cold War era, and, people are, totally becoming, xenophobics, fearing and hating those who don’t look like them, and, there goes, the, diversisty of cultures of, Uncle Sam…

    Liked by 4 people

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