Suffering or Survival?

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect. 

     My grandfather arrived in the U.K. where he worked, through this arrival many more members of our family arrived in the U.K. During the 1950's there were labour shortages, many individuals migrated to fill the need for factory and steel workers. Many migrants also came to the U.K. during / after the completion of the Mangla Dam in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. Villages were completely destroyed, the displaced people emigrated, as they were given legal rights from the British contractors who built the reservoir / dam. Through the assistance and also voluntary migration, individuals were able to take advantage of making a better life for themselves, and the family that they left back home. Our grandfather left for the U.K. leaving behind our grandmother, and five children to take care of. While our grandmother had five children to look after, they were young, and so was she as she married at a very young age (12). But the migration offered it's benefits, where a few members of our family who did end up working, were able to help the family back home.

     This type of migration is not uncommon, but we rarely hear of countries assisting and opening up immigration to a specific country for workers anymore. We see individuals seeking immigration, or working in other countries other than their birth country. The reason I would say is for the purposes of opportunity, and we even see and hear of a family, a mother / father deciding to migrate / immigrate  for the purposes of job opportunities. This type of separation from family is not uncommon, I would not classify this as forced, but rather a way where individuals are seeking a means for survival for the sake of their family. Families, family units, and the situation of families is not heterogeneous, in other words the traditional nuclear family which is the accepted norm, is actually the case anymore. Individuals try all sorts not only for the sake of their survival, but also for self-actualization. Individuals seek this growth, while it is intended or not, the desire for continued growth does not seize while we continue to breathe.

     Through this familial example we can see that family separations do happen, these are voluntary and are done for the purposes of the greater good, survival, personal fulfillment and growth. What we are seeing in the U.S. / Mexico or America's Southern border is quite different from voluntary migration. We are seeing families who want to stay together, but are being forcibly separated, more so because of the latest zero tolerance immigration policy, enforced from the Trump administration. This policy is another example of how laws or policy are being manipulated to hurt and harm the very vulnerable of society. An example of a racist enforcer, who wants to force his ways. A form of pressure to get his fellow politicians to act. The justification for the zero tolerance policy is as disgusting as the policy itself. 

    And then we have a First Lady Melania Trump who has launched a Be Best campaign to focus upon the well-being of children. Where is this campaign, or advocacy for the children that are migrating to American territory and lands? A simple tweet does not cut it. You can't just simply say that we need to govern with heart, when the gruesome policy is being enforced by the very man you sleep with. Forgive me for my brutal honesty, but this is modern day genocide, happening in a first world country. I have said it before, and I will say it again -  This is an example of racism working to dehumanize the hispanic / latino populations who are fleeing already harsh circumstance, to only experience much more. 

     And on another note, to justify he is not racist he'll call up his buddies: the Kardashians, and other media popularities that he's got under his belt. He does have bias towards specific minorities, if he decides to admit to these or not. Then he wants world peace - but if you want world peace and don't have it in your own back yard, what's the point? Do you see the irony / contradictions? He tells Kim Jong Un about the beautiful potential of his country, but what about the beauty of America? What about the potential of Puerto Rico? What about all the lands that were affected by Hurricane Maria, what about all the homes and people that were displaced, and still waiting for assistance? What about the conservation and protection of American lands?

     Somedays we do feel like we want to change the world, but the real change begins with loving those closest to you at home, regardless of where we are taken for the purposes of survival or growth. Isn't is time to look within a nation? To look beyond the divides that stem from political opinion? Just like our grand-father who risked it all for the betterment of the family, so too are these migrants. Everyone has to start somewhere. Heart breaking is an understatement of what we are seeing and hearing through the reports. This is a human rights concern, where the very dignity of the most vulnerable is being taken away. 

Further Reading:
CNN News: Laura Bush pens scathing letter on child operation as part of immigration policy  

CNN News: These Republicans have criticized Trump's 'Zero Tolerance" immigration policy. 

My thoughts to share with love & kindness. 
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Notes: These thoughts were originally hand-written on June 18th, 2018.
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