"What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I'd realized it sooner." Colette

Nov 27, 2018

Why Shouldn't They be Stopped?

I'm not a Trump fan, but I don't like what I'm seeing at the border, either. If you didn't recognize the landscape, you might think the people throwing rocks and being tear-gassed were in the Middle East, not along our southern border.  Even if only a small minority are criminals, I don't think throwing rocks is the best way to introduce yourself to a country where you're seeking asylum.

Many of our ancestors snuck into the country so we certainly can't cast metaphorical stones; but if my grandparents started throwing rocks at the immigration agents I'm sure they would have been put on the first ship back to Europe and the horrors they were escaping at the time.

What's wrong with requiring immigrants to enter at designated ports? Why are we being heartless by refusing to allow anyone to enter anywhere?   And consider this: U.S. residents down in those parts are boldly armed. If refugees arrive through the fence Willy-Nilly, do you really think Bubba and Leroy won't shoot? 


Tales of early oceanic crossings by those desperate to flee their homelands were not easy or pleasant, yet (most) came through official ports of entry; were checked for diseases and treated if necessary; documented; asked to identify their sponsors here; and who they left in the Old Country. This took time, but once admitted many opened small shops in their immigrant neighborhoods as they still do today.

Stores in California closed this past weekend in fear of trouble from the protests. This is THE holiday season when small businesses are depending on great sales to carry them through leaner times. No one wants to hurt that.

The DNA identification-craze is disturbing, too, for the commercials claim,

"My ancestors come from _____.  Now I know where I get my intelligence; curiosity; ambition; _______."

We're supposed to be bringing ourselves together; not attaching dubious claims to ethnicities. What's the difference between this and the rise of Nationalism advocated by our President and too many other heads of state? Isn't this a tad hypocritical?

Alright, maybe I'm just selfishly motivated against the rush of people who will join our own rolls of the homeless, the hungry and the poor.
Uh-oh, Trump's rubbing off on me.  I'm beginning to think,

"ME FIRST!" 

P.S. You can discover your ancestor's immigration records for free through the Ellis Island website. Thanks to the Mormons these records have been electronically preserved, and they are currently working on other ports of entry. You will learn so much more if you take the effort to research on your own rather than paying someone else; for these free to view, comprehensive documents identified height, eye and hair color, scars or other unusual marks, occupations and other clues. You can purchase full copies of any document for the family archives. You don't need to swab your mouth, but you will need to be able to read script.

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