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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGov. O'Malley discusses humanitarian crisis of young refugees with 'Latino Rebels Radio'
Published on Jul 24, 2014
July 24, 2014: Gov. O'Malley discusses the humanitarian crisis of unaccompanied minors on the border.
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(85,977 posts)Julio Ricardo Varela ?@julito77 10m
Governor O'Malley: Militarizing Border is 'Counterproductive' to Current Humanitarian Crisis http://www.latinorebels.com/2014/07/24/governor-omalley-militarizing-border-is-counterproductive-to-current-humanitarian-crisis/
via @latinorebels
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(85,977 posts)Last edited Fri Jul 25, 2014, 11:59 AM - Edit history (1)
Lis Smith ?@Lis_Smith 6m
SHARE: Highlights from @GovernorOMalley's conversation with @julito77 yesterday pic.twitter.com/WizUTUEHfC @latinorebels
In todays interview, OMalley said that he sees this as a humanitarian challenge, and we must respond as Americans and respond in humane ways.
When asked about whether the White House is sharing a similar message when the Obama Administration is also trying to speed up deportations for recent arrivals, OMalley said the following:
I think that when the White House is most effective is when theyre focused on alleviating the humanitarian crisis, and so conversations that are centered on the well-being of the children who are on our doorsteps I think are the most productive conversations the White House can have. I think that at some portions of the day theyre trying to create those partnerships and other portions of the day they are being less effective. But I think theyre most effective when we look at alleviating the humanitarian crisis and finding safe home placements for children awaiting their due process on their asylum case.
I think were counterproductive when we try to move in the direction of a military response. As Congressman Joaquín Castro said, we shouldnt be militarizing the border, we should be sending the Red Cross. These are children. They are hungry. They are starving. Theyve come across a harrowing trek through the desert, and on top of The Beast, and being muled and used in horrible ways. This is a humanitarian crisis, but its not one thats beyond the capability of our country to deal with.
Right after his comments about the White House, OMalley added:
I mean, were a country of over 300 million people, and I have found in the course of this larger and better dialogue about the humanitarian nature of this challenge that theres a lot of goodness out there and the hearts of people of every political description and every faith, and we believe as a country I am absolutely convinced and I dont care what the temporary polling may show that theres a lot more goodness out there, but it needs to be tapped by our leaders. And so I think the Presidents most effective when he calls us to address the humanitarian crisis here. And in fairness to the White House, I suppose theyre worried that any messages of hospitality will trigger more children fleeing Honduras. I think that greatly overestimates how focused these children and their parents are on the Presidents messaging rather than how focused they are on the murder gangs and the drug gangs that are out of control and overrunning a country, our neighbors just across our front yard.
Earlier in the interview, OMalley talked about what Maryland is doing now to assist these children:
From the outset we have sought to do our part as Marylanders. Were not the largest state in the Union, but we do have a role to play and I think every state and every city has a role to play to alleviate this humanitarian crisis. Many of us here believe that the best setting for children is to reunite the refugee immigrant children with relatives or family members who are already here in our country. We believe that a home setting is best and that the congregate setting is the worst, and should be the very last resort, so we recently pulled together a meeting of all of the faith leaders in our state, and it was very well-attended by men and women who have given their lives in many cases to safeguarding vulnerable children by placing them in safe, caring, and loving home settings.
And so thats what I, we believe here in Maryland we need to do. So weve been encouraging our foster care providers to make sure that they enroll and become part of the network of federal foster care providers, which is separate from what our state maintains. I mean, we already have about anywhere from five to six thousand at any given point in the year who are in part of our state foster care. So we believe that with better partnership with our federal government, that we could all play a role in expanding the availability of the best home placements and home settings for children while they await their due process hearing.
There are some who may well have congregate settings because they already have that capacity, but those things take some time and they have to be properly staffed and in this case, not only with trained adults but with trained adults who also have language skills. And so we believe that the best way is to expand the existing networks of foster care providers and there could also be opportunities for parents that are, maybe they dont meet the federal regulations for being foster care providers for these children because they dont speak Spanish, but there could be opportunities through various churches and faiths to partner with families who taking a child in, and to help them either financially and in other ways to help get the child through this very traumatic period of their lives.
OMalley also shared his thoughts as to how faith has shaped his position:
From the beginning of this humanitarian crisis, Ive seen it as a humanitarian crisis. These kids are fleeing violence and escalating murders in their own home countries. I think it calls upon all of us to treat them with some compassion and the sort of kindness that every world religion says that we should show to strangers, especially if those strangers are refugees fleeing famine or fleeing war, or in this case, feeling death squads. I believe that it, I think, the Pope himself said recently that Jesus was a child refugee, fleeing the slaughter of the innocent. And I might add to that, thank goodness the Egyptian border patrol didnt intercept the flight into Egypt and send the Holy Family back to Herod. So, we need to look at this for the humanitarian crisis that it is. And perhaps even theres something that we can learn from strangers. Maybe theres something we can all learn as Americans from this experience. When it comes to making our being more engaged and more productive in life-giving partnerships with our neighbors here in the Americas.
http://www.latinorebels.com/2014/07/24/governor-omalley-militarizing-border-is-counterproductive-to-current-humanitarian-crisis/