We should welcome immigration
Something that gets overlooked in all the rhetoric related to immigration policy is the fact that immigration has made America great (and that predates Donald Trump, by the way).
America has been at its best when it has been generous, especially when dealing with people displaced by poverty, war and other forms of violence. The immigrants who have come to America have contributed greatly to the vibrancy of our society, economically and culturally.
The madman who killed 11 people simply because they were Jewish was specifically angry with Jews because of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.
The HIAS has a long history of supporting immigrants — not just Jewish immigrants. In fact, they helped the grandparents of Jared Kushner — Jews fleeing oppression in Russia. But they have helped countless other people, including Muslims.
Now we have a large group of people from Honduras who are fleeing their country because of violence and poverty.
Trump has treated this migration as if it were an invasion. In fact their intention is to request asylum, which is their right under international law.
It is the right of the United States to deny asylum to anyone determined to be unacceptable. Certainly there is no need for our military to be deployed at the border under these circumstances.
At a time when our unemployment rate is low and job openings are going unfilled, we need immigration, if only for economic reasons. But there is an even better reason: Immigrants help make America great.
Unfortunately, the author of the main editorial titled, “We cannot let the extremists divide us” omitted two prime instigators of the divisiveness.
Specifically and firstly, much of the main stream media’s choices of words in how they convey news. Too often they lack impartial objectivity.
Secondly, widely watched TV shows such as Saturday Night Live and Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show incessantly, negatively, and derogatorily lampoon the current administration.
They are both encouraging and inciting violent divisiveness.