by Diane Lopez Hughes,
Pax Christi Illinois
In light of the current humanitarian crisis at our borders, each of us would do well to think like a parent.
Fleeing from hunger and violence in their home countries, we can only imagine how frightened the children must be, leaving behind everything they know to make the harsh and dangerous journey across Mexico to the U.S. border.
Imagine the terrifying conditions that must necessitate parents sending their children into life-threatening circumstances for the possibility of safety, security and a better future. How demoralizing it must be for some of the parents not to have the resources to feed their children or insure their safety, For their parents who already are here, how hard it must be to make the decision to send children on this grueling journey.
The problem is not new. In June 2008, during the Bush administration, I had an opportunity to travel to Guatemala with Witness for Peace for the purpose of learning about the roots of migration from Central America to the United States.
One 13-year-old teen shared his story of detention. It sounded similar to the conditions we hear about today: a lack of health care and only minimal food and water offered to those detained. At that time, many of the detention facilities were run by the same private mega-industry that warehouses U.S. prisoners today…
As a compassionate conservative, I wonder why so many are willing to enable the destruction of the family unit. Why do we not only encourage but also enable the separation of children from their mothers, fathers and siblings? Why do we find it acceptable to place them in foster homes or orphanages rather than reunite them with their family?
Where is the compassion in the destruction of the family unit?