Separation of Parents and Children at the Border
When the reports of parents being separated from their children at the border spread throughout America's media, and therefore the people, many were horrified. Many expressed confusion at why such a horrible policy would be used. Many expressed anger that a country built upon immigration and taking in the "huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore" (New Colossus, Emma Lazarus) would be this heartless and separate parents from their children, causing emotional devastation and harm.
However, we once again see the Trump administration defy the public's opinion. Sure, while the government cannot accurately reflect the American people's opinions all the time, they can at least sit down and talk with us to understand if we are satisfied with the government's decisions or express distaste to them. With this administration, though, there have been no apparent efforts to talk with the American people about the issues, but what has been shown through their actions is that they have a complete disregard for what the American people have to say. One example in December of last year was the 3-2 vote -- along party lines -- by the FCC in favor of repealing the net neutrality rules that keep our internet fair and open. In a poll conducted by the University of Maryland's Program for Public Consultation, 83 percent of the American people supported the rules put in place under net neutrality -- including 75 percent of Republicans and 89 percent of Democrats. When there is such bipartisan support for a certain piece of legislation, but it is still overturned by the government, we can for certain know that the government did not listen to us. According to a poll by Quinnipiac University, 66 percent of those polled are against the administration's policy of separating parents from their children. However, once again, we are seeing that the government and Trump administration are ignoring the opinions of the American people on the issues that matter.
The reasons that the Trump administration have given for "enforcing the policy" -- even though this specific policy of separating parents from children is completely on their part -- have no clear logic behind them. One official, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, has even gone as far as quoting the Bible in support of the policy. "I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained them for the purpose of order (Jeff Sessions)." If the Attorney General had read just a few verses ahead, he would have read "'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." No explanation would be good enough to justify the horrid policy of separating parents from their children, especially a quote from the Bible -- a religion that is viewed nearly universally as a religion that preaches peace and tolerance.
Even if the claims that the President and his administration have falsely spread that Democrats crafted the policy of separating parents from their children, he would have the full power to stop it. The President's job is to be the "enforcer," as it has been dubbed, of legislation and policy decisions. Since he has the full authority to enforce policy, he also has the full authority to refuse to enforce policy and has the full authority to stop enforcing policy by direction to his cabinet, or he himself taking these actions.
However, these claims are not true in any way. The policy is a so-called "zero-tolerance" policy that has been incepted by the Trump administration, so it is in fact even easier for him to stop this policy by instructing his cabinet to do so.
Even more sickening than the policy, the President has no intention of ending the policy -- by method of signing legislation into law -- unless it has funding for the border wall. While the President has expressed "distaste" with separating parents from their children, the fact that he won't end the policy unless he can build his border wall shows us that he is using the children, much like the DREAMers, as political pawns to get what he wants. This shows us that he doesn't actually have any empathy for the children, instead he is playing a political game to get what he wants -- showing us the only thing that matters is his wall.
Even though the policy is disheartening, we cannot let it phase us and prevent us from stepping up to let our Congresspeople and the Trump administration know we demand this policy to end. We can fulfill our basic duties as Americans: call and write our representatives. Every letter, phone call, and email counts in our fight to end this sickening policy. We can also attend protest events, like the Families Belong Together events being held in Washington and across the country (held on June 30th).
The American people elect their representatives, and while our representatives do have the power to craft laws and are the ones in the halls of Congress, we, as the people, ultimately have the power in our government. We have the power at the polls, and we not only have the power but the responsibility to step up to the plate to end policies like this one that we find gut-wrenching.
However, we once again see the Trump administration defy the public's opinion. Sure, while the government cannot accurately reflect the American people's opinions all the time, they can at least sit down and talk with us to understand if we are satisfied with the government's decisions or express distaste to them. With this administration, though, there have been no apparent efforts to talk with the American people about the issues, but what has been shown through their actions is that they have a complete disregard for what the American people have to say. One example in December of last year was the 3-2 vote -- along party lines -- by the FCC in favor of repealing the net neutrality rules that keep our internet fair and open. In a poll conducted by the University of Maryland's Program for Public Consultation, 83 percent of the American people supported the rules put in place under net neutrality -- including 75 percent of Republicans and 89 percent of Democrats. When there is such bipartisan support for a certain piece of legislation, but it is still overturned by the government, we can for certain know that the government did not listen to us. According to a poll by Quinnipiac University, 66 percent of those polled are against the administration's policy of separating parents from their children. However, once again, we are seeing that the government and Trump administration are ignoring the opinions of the American people on the issues that matter.
The reasons that the Trump administration have given for "enforcing the policy" -- even though this specific policy of separating parents from children is completely on their part -- have no clear logic behind them. One official, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, has even gone as far as quoting the Bible in support of the policy. "I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained them for the purpose of order (Jeff Sessions)." If the Attorney General had read just a few verses ahead, he would have read "'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." No explanation would be good enough to justify the horrid policy of separating parents from their children, especially a quote from the Bible -- a religion that is viewed nearly universally as a religion that preaches peace and tolerance.
Even if the claims that the President and his administration have falsely spread that Democrats crafted the policy of separating parents from their children, he would have the full power to stop it. The President's job is to be the "enforcer," as it has been dubbed, of legislation and policy decisions. Since he has the full authority to enforce policy, he also has the full authority to refuse to enforce policy and has the full authority to stop enforcing policy by direction to his cabinet, or he himself taking these actions.
However, these claims are not true in any way. The policy is a so-called "zero-tolerance" policy that has been incepted by the Trump administration, so it is in fact even easier for him to stop this policy by instructing his cabinet to do so.
Even more sickening than the policy, the President has no intention of ending the policy -- by method of signing legislation into law -- unless it has funding for the border wall. While the President has expressed "distaste" with separating parents from their children, the fact that he won't end the policy unless he can build his border wall shows us that he is using the children, much like the DREAMers, as political pawns to get what he wants. This shows us that he doesn't actually have any empathy for the children, instead he is playing a political game to get what he wants -- showing us the only thing that matters is his wall.
Even though the policy is disheartening, we cannot let it phase us and prevent us from stepping up to let our Congresspeople and the Trump administration know we demand this policy to end. We can fulfill our basic duties as Americans: call and write our representatives. Every letter, phone call, and email counts in our fight to end this sickening policy. We can also attend protest events, like the Families Belong Together events being held in Washington and across the country (held on June 30th).
The American people elect their representatives, and while our representatives do have the power to craft laws and are the ones in the halls of Congress, we, as the people, ultimately have the power in our government. We have the power at the polls, and we not only have the power but the responsibility to step up to the plate to end policies like this one that we find gut-wrenching.
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