Citizenship Values

When refugees and immigrants take a test to become U.S. citizens, they must demonstrate a certain level of English proficiency and a basic knowledge of U.S. history and civics. All applicants are asked to learn the answers to 100 questions. Question #58 is: What is one reason colonists came to America? The answers accepted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are:

1) freedom
2) political liberty
3) religious freedom
4) economic opportunity
5) escape persecution

That being said, the Pilgrims were the first “undocumented” immigrants. Did they arrive with Permanent Resident Cards or green cards? No. Did they arrive with passports or visas? No. Did they try to assimilate? No. Did they learn native languages and embrace native cultures? No. Did these immigrants rape and murder large numbers of the indigenous populations? Yes.

Today, courageous souls are fleeing horrendous violence and abject poverty in their home countries. They are not “animals” as Trump likes to call them. They are human beings. Most come here to escape persecution, poverty, and likely death (as did the Pilgrims) … not to commit crimes.

Humpty Dumpty Trumpski had a great fall from what used to be America’s moral high ground. He has made our country a pariah in the eyes of civilized nations that value democracy, freedom, and human rights. We now separate children, toddlers, and infants from their parents and put them in cages! What will our descendants think when they learn that we once had something called “tender age” detention centers in the U.S.? This, undoubtedly, is not our finest hour.