Why discriminate against seekers of freedom?
Do you know where Slovenia is located? It borders Croatia, Hungary and Austria. It was formally part of communist Yugoslavia. The first lady of the United States, Melania Trump, is Slovenian. She moved to the United States many years ago to pursue her career. From all appearances, she is a very pleasant, intelligent, beautiful and resourceful person. Her parents, who now also reside in the United States, are seemingly lovely people having raised such a delightful daughter.
Interestingly, the president’s first wife, Ivana Trump, is also a foreign national. She was born in communist Czechoslovakia, which was a satellite of the former Soviet Union. Like the first lady, she is clever, attractive and entrepreneurial. After leaving Czechoslovakia, Ms. Trump lived in Austria and Canada until she migrated to New York.
The president’s current and former wives are fine examples of someone embracing the ideals of the “American Dream.” They’ve acquired what most people are searching for ... “freedom and opportunity.” Having found the security of American shores, it’s remarkable what they’ve been able to accomplish in terms of wealth, fame and, presumably, happiness. Along their paths to the United States, before they attained status as U.S. citizens, many could have called them “Dreamers.”
It’s curious that freedom and opportunity are not equally available to everyone. Some are entitled, granted or have attained, while others need not apply. There are certainly many smart, talented, beautiful and kind people from all countries around the world who are willing to use their skills and abilities to acquire a better life for themselves and their families given the freedom and opportunity to do so.
Many of these people are in the United States today, either because they were brought here as children or they are escaping the harshness of a dangerous place. These people just want what the first lady, her family and Ms. Trump already have. They’re willing to leave their families, friends and belongings behind in hope that their existence here, a place that provides safety and prospect, will be better. They, too, are “Dreamers,” attempting to live the ideals of the American Dream.
Why discriminate against anyone in search of freedom and opportunity? Safety, perhaps? A valid concern, but don’t we have the resources and information available to properly assess the risk of anyone who’s been here since childhood or who’s seeking sanctuary from an oppressive regime? One would think a country, vast in its knowledge, wealth and industry, makes us capable of these evaluations.
Perhaps it’s diversity we fear. In the event this explains the reason for any level of discontent, the children’s poem, “Sneetches” by Dr. Seuss is called to mind. It reads in part:
“The Star-Belly Sneetches had bellies with stars. The Plain-Belly Sneetches had none upon thars. Those stars weren’t so big.
They’re really so small.
You might think such a thing wouldn’t matter at all ...
When the Star-Belly children went out to play ball, Could a Plain-Belly get in the game? Not at all. You only could play if your bellies had stars
And the Plain-Belly children had none upon thars ...”
Someone offers to put stars on the Sneetches without stars, making all Sneetches appear the same. This is what happened:
“They yelled at the ones who had stars at the start, ‘We’re exactly like you! You can’t tell us apart’ ... ‘Good grief!’ groaned the ones who had stars at the first. ‘We’re still the best Sneetches and they’re the worst.’ ”
The gentlemen then offers to remove the stars from the Sneetches who had stars at first so they might appear different again. Then:
“Changing their stars every minute or two.
They kept paying money. They kept running through Until neither the Plain nor the Star-Bellies knew Whether this one was that one … or that one was this one Or which one was what one … or what one was who.”
“I’m quite happy to say
That the Sneetches got really quite smart on that day, The day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches And no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches That day, all the Sneetches forgot about stars And whether they had one, or not, upon thars.”
All people come without stars, but with freedom and opportunity, some talent and effort, all “Dreamers” can put stars upon thars. Just ask Mrs. Trump and Ms. Trump. Judge Frank Sedillo presides over the civil division of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the judge individually and not those of the court.