July 06, 2019
Thoughts on the Border Crisis
Timothy Birdnow
I was on Facebook this morning when an old schoolmate (my, how many years ago that was!) posted an essay by James Dobon about the border crisis, and I wound up having to interject myself.
A woman reader responded:
My reply: Tracy, you asked:
"I'd like to know who told him that the kids are used over and over? Who? A reputable source?"
It was the U.S. Border Patrol. https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/recycling-children-el-paso Even the very liberal Yahoo News admits it is happening. https://news.yahoo.com/migrants-apprehended-border-apos-recycling-180427922.html and here is a local source. https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/immigrato ion/2019/05/04/border-patrol-migrant-caught-using-child-skirt-immigration-process/1104522001/
I'm not sure why you think that is weird; U.S. law allows people in with children, so naturally there would be a black market for children to act as cover. It's what happens whenever you leave a loophole in any law.
Did it ever occur to you to ask who is financing these people? They didn't find the money to come her eon their own. And it is clear lawyers are advising so many of these trespassers on what to say to get in.
There were six million people unemployed in the U.S. in June https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/unemployment-rate, so I suspect finding someone to clean bathrooms is hardly impossible. We do not need to bring in more janitors. You might find what Dobson said offensive, but he was not wrong. I'm not sure how it is evil, as you allege; seems to me it is more evil to bring in foreign settlers to undercut American labor wages. And that is exactly what these people will do. See https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2006/04/plantation_america.html Artificially depressed wages hurt everyone, and that is what is happening in America. Just ask the people living in Michigan, Wisconsin, or any rust belt state how they like it. And what of the countries these people leave behind? They are poor because their leaders are bad, and they will never change because they can outsource their problem to the U.S. instead of having to make real reforms. We have created a machine which will overwhelm us.
America is the third most populous nation on Earth, behind China and India. We are the second largest Spanish speaking country behind Mexico. Our immigrant population is higher than the entire country of Canada. We simply cannot keep bringing foreign peoples in. No nation can survive such a massive influx. This is especially true at this time, when America no longer believes in her own culture. We are simply bringing in our replacements (which is what many in our ruling class want.)
You say:
"This. This right here is why I don't go to church. Because it's full of leaders like him. Shamefull"
What of "Judge not lest ye be judged"?
Oh, and since you want to quote the Bible, perhaps you missed John 10:1
"Jesus said, "It is certainly true that when a man enters the sheep pen, he should use the gate. If he climbs in some other way, he is a robber. He is trying to steal the sheep."
These people are not entering through the sheep fold. Christianity is not a suicide pact.
One final thought; Rome fell because of unrestrained immigration, what future historians called the "barbarian invasions" were in fact massive illegal immigration by non-Latin peoples into the empire. Rome couldn't absorb it all. If we continue on this same trajectory we will have no different fate. I wrote about that here. https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2005/06/barbarian_invasions.html
I ask a final question; if someone opens your window and climbs into your house, sits down at your table and starts eating your food, what are you going to do? I suspect you would be quite quick to call the police, especially if they smile at you when you tell them to get out. Strange how that is an acceptable response from most people but not acceptable for the nation.
End excerpt.
She replied:
Timothy Birdnow Hello Timothy. Thank you for your very, very long and detailed response. It is obvious that you have incredibly strong emotions regarding this topic. You and I disagree for sure. "America no longer believes in her own culture" - that part of your message I sincerely don't understand and would welcome an explanation. I am not Native American. My family came here from Europe. I am assuming you are of Indian or Native American descent and I respect that. Is that correct? Also, it seems that this post has been tearing people farther apart rather then bringing them together for a humane solution. That, I'm sure we all can agree on, is unfortunate
To which I replied:
Hi Tracy!
No, I am not Native American although my name sounds like I could be. It's a corruption of the French Bourgogne. I rather suspect our ancestor wanted to stay out of the Civil War, and since Native Americans weren't subject to the draft, he changed his name.
You ask why I say America no longer believes in her own culture. One need only have watched the Democratic debates the other night to see that this is the case. There is a full frontal assault on free enterprise, on the Founding Fathers (recently several universities have removed statues of Thomas Jefferson, for instance. See https://www.foxnews.com/us/students-urge-hofstra-university-to-remove-thomas-jefferson-statue-over-racism and this goes along with the attacks on Washington.) Christopher Columbus has been expunged to a fair degree. America is accused of being a detestable place by so many of our young people and cultural icons, and the universities are full of people promoting revolution and radical reform. Where once we all agreed this country was a wonderful place now we have people like Colin Kapernick kneeling when teh national anthem is played Recently Nike killed a line of shoes that were going to have the Betsy Ross flag on them, at Kaepernick's insistence. That is clearly an example of how America no longer believes in her own culture.
I could go on and on with this (and am prone to such things as you noted!) but you get the idea. Immigrants are coming by the millions at a time when we are not much inclined to make them actually BECOME Americans.
You are correct; this post - and this issue - is dividing the country. We do need more unity. But this is a stumbling block issue because it is such a critical one for the survival of the country and our ultimate destiny.
I absolutely agree; it is most unfortunate what is happening, and how we are not able to work to fix this problem.
Thanks for a politte response.
Her response:
First: Your last name is beautiful! I mean that sincerely. My maiden name and married name are both Sicilian. My maiden name derives from a translation of "Kiss of God".
Your sites referenced are all Fox. I make sure to follow a wide variety of news sources, because just as Carolynsaid above, the truth lies somewhere in between. I can tell you that I
teach at a college and am confident our curriculum does not match as
you described. Both sides can reference radicals on the other side and
say they accurately represent the entire group, but I can tell you are
smarter than that. Me too. I am what you would call a "liberal" and I
LOVE my country. I'm proud of my country. My heart breaks for all the
human beings suffering in this situation. I'd love to see more
conversation on how to solve this crisis than a "preacher" pulling up
with a cart full of stones. Thank you TOO for the polite response! How
refreshing.
And my reply:
Thank you Tracy ; your name is beautiful, and I love the translation.
No, my sources were not Fox. In case you missed it, I posted a Yahoo News source - which is known for having a liberal slant, as well as the border patrol itself, as well as the El Paso Times. I also referenced Trading Economics, myself at the American Thinker, and the Gospel of John. Only once did I reference a Fox article, but I could have found that story other places (it was about Hofstra University plans to ban Thomas Jefferson.) I hardly think that makes me a one-sided partisan hack. I simply posted sources that came up on a search.I would like to point out that you could have made the same effort. Truth can lie in the middle, but it can lie on one side, too. Ever heard of the Fabian Society? They advanced socialism through incremental steps by promoting the idea of searching for the middle ground, which they defined by promoting radicals on the Left. It was equally true of the entirety of Marx's use of the Hegelian dialectic, in which they would push a thesis (two steps forward) followed by an antithesis followed by a synthesis (one step back). In the end they advanced their radical agenda inexorably by convincing people to occupy the middle. Cute trick.
That's not to say you are necessarily wrong, but I am making the point that yes, sometimes the edge is correct and the middle is being played. I don't know what college you teach at, so am unable to speak to that point. My brother has taught at several universities over the years and he certainly has seen his share of anti-American radicalism. Also, St. Louis University's President Pistello promoted the Ferguson riots, allowed the radicals of Occupy SLU to demand a monument be built to them, and he took down the statue of Fr. Desmet because of claims it was somehow "racist". That bespeaks a culture on campus that is heterodox and disdains tradition. Just another example.
Tracy, I am puzzled by your "cart full of stones" view of what Dobson said. From my reading of it he was quite compassionate and concerned about the situation. He also (rightly, in my view) worried about perpetuating this movement of people by keeping the border open. I saw very little in the way of belittling or disdain. I appreciate your concern for these people and share in it, but I also understand the desperate need we have to stop them from coming. This is not a sustainable thing. We do have to provide relief for them, but we simply cannot let everyone who wants to come her do so. I have no doubt you love your country - there are many liberals who do. But there are many on the left who do not, and they are growing in influence and authority. Certainly the young people in America are getting their ideas of America-as-hell
I was on Facebook this morning when an old schoolmate (my, how many years ago that was!) posted an essay by James Dobon about the border crisis, and I wound up having to interject myself.
A woman reader responded:
I'd like to know who told him that the kids are used over and over? Who? A reputable source? That part seemed so weird to me. Like, that's HUGE- at least tell us where you got that info. Also, they have no marketable skills. Really? Holy crap... that seemed pure evil to me. I'm pretty sure they could scrub a toilet. You know, the jobs that the US has a hard time filling. He really made my stomach turn with that one. Go to the border, say you are praying for suffering people and then say all of these things... This. This right here is why I don't go to church. Because it's full of leaders like him. Shameful. He may need to go back and read the story of Emmaus in Luke 24. Those true followers of Christ took in a disheveled stranger and gave him comfort, food, a place to stay. He turned out to be Jesus himself, risen from the dead. How about Matthew 25:31-46? So tightly does Christ identify with the suffers that their faces reflect his. THAT is real Christianity.
My reply: Tracy, you asked:
"I'd like to know who told him that the kids are used over and over? Who? A reputable source?"
It was the U.S. Border Patrol. https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/recycling-children-el-paso Even the very liberal Yahoo News admits it is happening. https://news.yahoo.com/migrants-apprehended-border-apos-recycling-180427922.html and here is a local source. https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/immigrato ion/2019/05/04/border-patrol-migrant-caught-using-child-skirt-immigration-process/1104522001/
I'm not sure why you think that is weird; U.S. law allows people in with children, so naturally there would be a black market for children to act as cover. It's what happens whenever you leave a loophole in any law.
Did it ever occur to you to ask who is financing these people? They didn't find the money to come her eon their own. And it is clear lawyers are advising so many of these trespassers on what to say to get in.
There were six million people unemployed in the U.S. in June https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/unemployment-rate, so I suspect finding someone to clean bathrooms is hardly impossible. We do not need to bring in more janitors. You might find what Dobson said offensive, but he was not wrong. I'm not sure how it is evil, as you allege; seems to me it is more evil to bring in foreign settlers to undercut American labor wages. And that is exactly what these people will do. See https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2006/04/plantation_america.html Artificially depressed wages hurt everyone, and that is what is happening in America. Just ask the people living in Michigan, Wisconsin, or any rust belt state how they like it. And what of the countries these people leave behind? They are poor because their leaders are bad, and they will never change because they can outsource their problem to the U.S. instead of having to make real reforms. We have created a machine which will overwhelm us.
America is the third most populous nation on Earth, behind China and India. We are the second largest Spanish speaking country behind Mexico. Our immigrant population is higher than the entire country of Canada. We simply cannot keep bringing foreign peoples in. No nation can survive such a massive influx. This is especially true at this time, when America no longer believes in her own culture. We are simply bringing in our replacements (which is what many in our ruling class want.)
You say:
"This. This right here is why I don't go to church. Because it's full of leaders like him. Shamefull"
What of "Judge not lest ye be judged"?
Oh, and since you want to quote the Bible, perhaps you missed John 10:1
"Jesus said, "It is certainly true that when a man enters the sheep pen, he should use the gate. If he climbs in some other way, he is a robber. He is trying to steal the sheep."
These people are not entering through the sheep fold. Christianity is not a suicide pact.
One final thought; Rome fell because of unrestrained immigration, what future historians called the "barbarian invasions" were in fact massive illegal immigration by non-Latin peoples into the empire. Rome couldn't absorb it all. If we continue on this same trajectory we will have no different fate. I wrote about that here. https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2005/06/barbarian_invasions.html
I ask a final question; if someone opens your window and climbs into your house, sits down at your table and starts eating your food, what are you going to do? I suspect you would be quite quick to call the police, especially if they smile at you when you tell them to get out. Strange how that is an acceptable response from most people but not acceptable for the nation.
End excerpt.
She replied:
Timothy Birdnow Hello Timothy. Thank you for your very, very long and detailed response. It is obvious that you have incredibly strong emotions regarding this topic. You and I disagree for sure. "America no longer believes in her own culture" - that part of your message I sincerely don't understand and would welcome an explanation. I am not Native American. My family came here from Europe. I am assuming you are of Indian or Native American descent and I respect that. Is that correct? Also, it seems that this post has been tearing people farther apart rather then bringing them together for a humane solution. That, I'm sure we all can agree on, is unfortunate
To which I replied:
Hi Tracy!
No, I am not Native American although my name sounds like I could be. It's a corruption of the French Bourgogne. I rather suspect our ancestor wanted to stay out of the Civil War, and since Native Americans weren't subject to the draft, he changed his name.
You ask why I say America no longer believes in her own culture. One need only have watched the Democratic debates the other night to see that this is the case. There is a full frontal assault on free enterprise, on the Founding Fathers (recently several universities have removed statues of Thomas Jefferson, for instance. See https://www.foxnews.com/us/students-urge-hofstra-university-to-remove-thomas-jefferson-statue-over-racism and this goes along with the attacks on Washington.) Christopher Columbus has been expunged to a fair degree. America is accused of being a detestable place by so many of our young people and cultural icons, and the universities are full of people promoting revolution and radical reform. Where once we all agreed this country was a wonderful place now we have people like Colin Kapernick kneeling when teh national anthem is played Recently Nike killed a line of shoes that were going to have the Betsy Ross flag on them, at Kaepernick's insistence. That is clearly an example of how America no longer believes in her own culture.
I could go on and on with this (and am prone to such things as you noted!) but you get the idea. Immigrants are coming by the millions at a time when we are not much inclined to make them actually BECOME Americans.
You are correct; this post - and this issue - is dividing the country. We do need more unity. But this is a stumbling block issue because it is such a critical one for the survival of the country and our ultimate destiny.
I absolutely agree; it is most unfortunate what is happening, and how we are not able to work to fix this problem.
Thanks for a politte response.
Her response:
First: Your last name is beautiful! I mean that sincerely. My maiden name and married name are both Sicilian. My maiden name derives from a translation of "Kiss of God".
Your sites referenced are all Fox. I make sure to follow a wide variety of news sources, because just as Carolynsaid above, the truth lies somewhere in between. I can tell you that I
teach at a college and am confident our curriculum does not match as
you described. Both sides can reference radicals on the other side and
say they accurately represent the entire group, but I can tell you are
smarter than that. Me too. I am what you would call a "liberal" and I
LOVE my country. I'm proud of my country. My heart breaks for all the
human beings suffering in this situation. I'd love to see more
conversation on how to solve this crisis than a "preacher" pulling up
with a cart full of stones. Thank you TOO for the polite response! How
refreshing.And my reply:
Thank you Tracy ; your name is beautiful, and I love the translation.
No, my sources were not Fox. In case you missed it, I posted a Yahoo News source - which is known for having a liberal slant, as well as the border patrol itself, as well as the El Paso Times. I also referenced Trading Economics, myself at the American Thinker, and the Gospel of John. Only once did I reference a Fox article, but I could have found that story other places (it was about Hofstra University plans to ban Thomas Jefferson.) I hardly think that makes me a one-sided partisan hack. I simply posted sources that came up on a search.I would like to point out that you could have made the same effort. Truth can lie in the middle, but it can lie on one side, too. Ever heard of the Fabian Society? They advanced socialism through incremental steps by promoting the idea of searching for the middle ground, which they defined by promoting radicals on the Left. It was equally true of the entirety of Marx's use of the Hegelian dialectic, in which they would push a thesis (two steps forward) followed by an antithesis followed by a synthesis (one step back). In the end they advanced their radical agenda inexorably by convincing people to occupy the middle. Cute trick.
That's not to say you are necessarily wrong, but I am making the point that yes, sometimes the edge is correct and the middle is being played. I don't know what college you teach at, so am unable to speak to that point. My brother has taught at several universities over the years and he certainly has seen his share of anti-American radicalism. Also, St. Louis University's President Pistello promoted the Ferguson riots, allowed the radicals of Occupy SLU to demand a monument be built to them, and he took down the statue of Fr. Desmet because of claims it was somehow "racist". That bespeaks a culture on campus that is heterodox and disdains tradition. Just another example.
Tracy, I am puzzled by your "cart full of stones" view of what Dobson said. From my reading of it he was quite compassionate and concerned about the situation. He also (rightly, in my view) worried about perpetuating this movement of people by keeping the border open. I saw very little in the way of belittling or disdain. I appreciate your concern for these people and share in it, but I also understand the desperate need we have to stop them from coming. This is not a sustainable thing. We do have to provide relief for them, but we simply cannot let everyone who wants to come her do so. I have no doubt you love your country - there are many liberals who do. But there are many on the left who do not, and they are growing in influence and authority. Certainly the young people in America are getting their ideas of America-as-hell
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