America’s Response to a Modest Spike in Refugees Is Downright Shameful

[xchrom]

https://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/07/11-5

Those seething with so much rage and xenophobia that they’d hurl ugly epithets in the faces of children fleeing bloody violence in Central America bring shame to the whole nation. But the response of mainstream America hasn’t been much better.

The media’s characterization of what’s going on at our southern border as a “crisis,” politicians pointing fingers at one another and Washington’s refusal to provide the resources necessary to care for a small wave of refugees — not to mention the bipartisan push to send them back home — is just as shameful when one considers the context.

In June, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that in 2013, the global population of refugees from war and persecution hit 51.2 million — exceeding 50 million for the first time since World War II.

Half of them were children.

The vast majority were “internally displaced persons,” homeless people within their home countries. Many live in fetid refugee camps run by underfunded NGOs, where they face continuing privation and abuse.


***i've see a 'ship' them back' response here on DU.

[daleanime]

1. K&R....

if I may ask, who?


I'm long over due for my second ignore.

[xchrom]

3. we're really not supposed to do that - so i'll refrain. nt

[daleanime]

11. I hear you...

still think it disgusting.

[geek tragedy]

7. go into some of the longer threads, you'll see people calling it an "invasion"

and how most of the young children coming here will wind up in prison, etc etc.

It's appalling.

[daleanime]

12. hummmnnnn.....

maybe I'll just go do some fishing.



That's always relaxing.

[Viva_Daddy]

2. Heartwarming to see how America is such a "Christian Nation". LOL

[libodem]

4. This has been blown up to Bengazi style proportions

To simulate a crisis. How many times are the Republicans allowed to cry wolf to create their fantasy narrative?

Smoke and mirrors. They have a playbook. And they will create the news to make it fit.

We are being duped by Faux Snooze.

[leftstreet]

9. GOPers need midterm fuel

They know Hillary will be the next Prez

Same as it's always been

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. "Bring me your tired, your Poor...." has been replaced by "I Got Mine".

[Louisiana1976]

13. Exactly. Many have lost sight of the fact that they themselves are descended from

immigrants and the fact that America is a nation of immigrants in order to show their opposition to these new immigrants who are actually refugees.

[geek tragedy]

6. we have people here calling them an "invasion"

smh

[kentuck]

8. And the Democratic Leadership should be ashamed....

..for the way some have spoken and acted. These people are looking for a better place to live. America has always been the beacon for such people. We need to rebuild our infrastructure and these new "citizens" would be more than willing to help us. Yes, they can help us.

[Louisiana1976]

15. That's right. I'm sure their ancestors were looking for a better place to live when they

arrived in America. And the adults among these current immigrants can help us rebuild our infrastructure.

[Fred Sanders]

10. It is primarily a media generated crisis, the number going up for a couple of months by 50% is

not a flood. Do not buy into the propaganda, and the solution to the actual problem is passing the Senate immigration bill and funding current law.

Fact and Reality Check: The so-called immigration border crisis is neither.


http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/10/the-so-called-immigration-border-crisis-is-neither.html

[Half-Century Man]

18. Flood, or Crisis labels don't matter.

These are children, the least among us. If we, the much vaunted "Strongest On Earth", do not have mercy for children....

Mercy is not now or never was a statement about the value of the receivers; It was and is a statement about the value of the bestowing party.

[JDPriestly]

14. I don't think you understand the burden that the influx

of maybe 100,000 parentless refugee children into the US means. These children do not have the autonomy or ability to take care of themselves from a legal point of view that adult refugees or immigrants have. In our legal and social services system, an additional 100,000 children is a big hit financially and in terms of personnel and facilities.

30 children to a classroom. Over 3000 new classrooms, teachers, administrators, etc. Then medical care. Then each child gets a lawyer. And housing.

It's a big burden. Then if some of them are gang members already . . . .?

If some of them are ill . . . . ?

If some of them are disabled . . . . ?

It will all cost a lot of money and the money has not been allocated for this purpose. It was another Bush program that was never funded.

This is a serious crisis. It isn't about being mean. It is about taking responsibility. The parents are irresponsible to send their children here. That conduct is scandalous. But once they are here, the program needs funding.

I am suggesting that Obama designate this as a national security crisis and use military funds to help the children and take care of them on military bases. The juvenile justice system or foster care systems would be more difficult to organize to care for these children.

[xchrom]

22. that is some serious, serious right wing bullshit right there.

i would hated being a jew and looking to you for help in WWII.

[tritsofme]

23. Do you have nothing else to offer besides ad hominem attacks?

Responding to a well thought out post that makes substantive points with nothing but nonsense attacks sure makes your argument look small.

[JDPriestly]

24. In WWII, the British took in Jewish refugee children.

It was an organized effort. Families volunteered their homes. Before the children were offered asylum, the housing, etc. was arranged. They were spread out over the country.

These refugee children are not coming in under an organized program. They are just being brought here and dumped into nothing.

Have you ever been in a juvenile detention center in the US? Have you ever sat through the hearings in which children are taken from their parents and placed in foster care? Are you aware of the crisis in foster care in the US today?

If Democrats want to organize a program, religious or secular, to take care of these children, to find proper homes for them where they can be fed and clothed and educated, then maybe that is what we should do, but the children cannot be emancipated (yes there is a legal process for that) and sent out into the population to fend for themselves and eat from dumpsters or hang out in front of a Home Depot hoping for work. They need a pretty sizable welfare system to take care of them.

It may feel good, but it is irresponsible to encourage families to send their children to the US with no programs or people or family to greet them and care for them.

These are minors. That is a very big problem. A lot of DUers seem to think that those who are ringing alarm bells about this problem are fascists. How many of those same DUers are willing or able to take one or two of these children in as foster children? Because that is what would be needed if we are to keep them in the country.

My solution is to set up classrooms and housing on military bases. That would be about the only place they could go and be safe. This is not at all like adult immigration. These underage children cannot enter into enforceable agreements all on their own without someone to take responsibility for them. That means housing will be hard to get unless someone vouches for them. This is a complex problem. Each child will probably need all kinds of evaluation -- level in school, physical health and capacity (do they have disabilities, etc.? eyes, teeth, hearing, etc.)

This influx requires some kind of organization to handle the logistics. You cannot just send these kids out on their own and expect them to earn their living and take care of themselves. Either Congress has to allocate a lot of money for these children or Obama should take the money out of the military budget.

Maybe we could take it from the NSA's surveillance programs. That would be a good place to get it.

[gvstn]

16. We are very good at creating refugees, see: Iraq and Afghanistan

We created at least two million+, but when it comes to taking care of them--not so much.

[dem in texas]

17. Yes, some Americans are acting like bigots.

America is huge country with a huge population and plenty of wealth and resources to help these children. What would it hurt these griping, hateful people to show a little compassion and give these kids some help? What about all the bragging about American being a nation founded on Christian ideas? Have these people ever read the teachings of Jesus? I am proud that Dallas County has pledged to help. A few other cities have also, but most are refusing to allow them in their city limits or offer them any help. Shameful!

[davidn3600]

19. We have the money, but not necessarily the resources

We barely have enough schools, teachers, and healthcare professionals for our own population.

And is it fair that our population has to pay for healthcare and education while immigrants get it for free?

[xchrom]

20. freerepublic is over that way. nt

[Skidmore]

21. Koch Bros. Inc. have invested quite a bit of green into

getting these bigots to have the vapors on a regular basis. They respond in the same manner every time the whistle goes out and in a very Pavlovian way.