The Border

Like many people I have been watching the "debate" about our handling of illegal immigrant families at the border. It is heartbreaking.

I have read a good deal about the goings on from both left and right. As I have mentioned before, one of the many differences between residing on the right and left is that we on the right are constantly exposed to the arguments of those on the left and forced to defend our own. Those on the left are not often exposed to arguments from the right which explains why they are often poor at discussing issues. Their knee-jerk moral superiority does not help.

I have noticed a disturbing trend on the right in this case. Too many of us are mischaracterizing the issue. The issue is not, as so many on the right assert, whether or not the Obama administration detained and/or deported illegal immigrant families or how minors were quartered.

The issue is whether, during their detention, after having been arrested at the border children were separated from their families.

Photos of detention centers taken during the Obama administration, particularly in 2014, are all over the place.. That was when huge numbers of unaccompanied minors were cynically sent by their parents to the border. Since most were unaccompanied the separation of families was not a big issue.

I really hate it when our side adopts the disgraceful debating tactics of left but we appear to be doing it here. It is a bad idea.

We must have the courage of our convictions. I am terribly sorry these kids are being separated from their parents. It is their parents, the cynical governments of  Central America, and the morally bankrupt Mexican government, which are responsible.

These illegal immigrants must be stopped. One way of stopping them is to make things uncomfortable so that future illegal immigrants might be persuaded to do the right thing.

If you are really an asylum seeker fearing persecution in your country of origin go to the American Consulate or Embassy in the first country in which you are safe. Usually Mexico in this case, and file an asylum application. That is how the international asylum system is set up. It is entirely unnecessary to cross our border illegally. In fact, doing so suggests that you, like about 40% of your cohort, are not serious about making an asylum case. That is the percentage of "asylum seekers" from Mexico and Central America who, once admitted to the USA do  not show up for immigration hearings.

If you are an economic migrant do not attempt to cross the border illegally. If you think you must, do not bring your children with you. Problem solved.