7/21/22
By Josh Rubin
It makes me feel crazy sometimes. The contortions of thought we have to go through to justify not doing the obvious. What’s obvious?
People will do what they have to in order to survive, in order to see their children and families have a good life. A life that gives them a chance to have those moments of joy that are possible when they have enough to eat, a place to shelter. And there are people that find that they need to migrate to make that happen. As people have done for as long as there have been people, starting long ago in a place in southern Africa. Where we all came from, to move, to find better sources of food, better climates, less war. And those moments of joy that humans are apportioned in their short sojourns.
What do we do with that simple, obvious truth? One choice would be to recognize those needs and the vagaries that interfere with those lives, and to work on ways to mitigate those needs, improve conditions. And allow people ways to deal with those vagaries.
People come to our border. They are trying to solve the problem that they face where they come from. Could be hunger, violence, lack of opportunity. They think that if they get across that border, they and their families will do better. And it’s true. They will. It won’t be perfect, but it will be better. Why? Because there is a need for workers, and that demand means they can get jobs, earn a living, and have a shot at those moments of joy.
They want to come in. The solution is obvious, isn’t it? But the obvious is not what we do, as you know. It seems that some of us fear that we will lose what we have. Others exploit that fear, and turn these seekers into enemies. Enemies that will hurt us. Enemies that carry disease. Enemies that speak a language we don’t understand.
Making them enemies is how certain people get power. Power to pile up wealth, and to make us feel that we won’t have enough. All because these enemies want something we are afraid we might have to surrender, we are told. And when we believe this distortion, as Stevie Wonder sings to us, we suffer.
And so do those at the border.
Here is my modest proposal: Let them in.