The Migrant Caravan

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. 

​    The other day President Trump held a rally in Houston, Texas in support of Republican senator Ted Cruz. Whilst the crowds of supporters lined up to see him, I wonder about the crowds. Which population segments attended more? And also the chants of "Make America Great Again". Could this slogan be wrapped up in the words "Make America White Again"? While I dislike to evoke racist ideas, I am left to think this when we think of his rhetoric, and made up stories as he responds to the migrants caravan heading to the USA. While of course there are borders to cross, and regulations to pass - how are these migrants going to be treated at US entry ports?

     Whilst President Trump has said he will send the military to the borders, I do think that humanitarian groups, and officials should also be making thier way to these parts to ensure the equitable, just treatment of vulnerable individuals and groups. Who are escaping in desperation. Honduras is a country that has been entrenched with violence, from gangs to murderous plots. Whilst the USA has supported the nation with monetary aid, these sources hardly reach the people who need it. Corrupt Governments feed of this, it is the poor who suffer, with none, to limited livelihoods, especially those who are dependant on agriculture and farming. 

    A better solution could be to allow these individuals to reside in the USA, and utilize some of the same aid that would have been sent to the country, for the migrants who have escaped. And if President Trump is thinking that these migrants are going to be taking American jobs, maybe they will, but they will also be a source for creating jobs for professionals and service providers including: Social Services, Health Care, Settlement Services, Legal, Immigration, Social and Emotional community supports. So in fact while they will try to find survival jobs, the migrants themselves will create jobs for the various professional fields.

     Nothing is ever lost. Something is always gained. President Trump's rhetorics once again evoke fear of others, and the myth go scarcity. Not everything is always about money. Although money is integral to survival. When lives are at risk, then we have to see past the monetary aspects. The response of course from a USA perspective does involve financial aspects, but the response also evokes moral duties, and questions the moral consciousness of an administration and nation. How one treats the vulnerable ultimately reveals characters or the individual or a nation.  

    President Trump's responses , particularly to the Hispanic / Latino/a/x citizens and immigrant populations within America and now Honduras make us wonder if the "Make America Great Again" slogan is really saying, "Make America White again", with the enforcement of immigration policy as a form of modern colonial policy. 

     While we take the time to think about his response, we have to remember that America is not the only country that individuals from Honduras are trying to escape to. I also write these words with a sense of urgency, hoping that these individuals do not experience brutal treatment at the borders, at the hands of Customs and Border Patrol. Instead of showing the worst treatment, why not take a stand for the values of compassion and care? Reveal what the best of America can truly be, when in fact America should consider it an honor that individuals have sought to find safety in the nation of America. 

My thoughts to share with love & Kindness! :) 

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand written on October 24th, 2018.
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