Yesterday I reached my limit. I'm so tired of hearing the same old tired complaints and non-solutions to our country's problems. It's time to move on.
Reality check #1 -- more jails and prisons doesn't stop crime. My county is pushing for a jail tax to build more jails, and threatening increased property taxes if we don't approve the sales tax. Putting criminals behind bars with other criminals only creates better criminals. When people come out of jail, they come out with no better skills, no further education. Instead, give inmates the option to train in skilled trades or take online courses -- the inmates would have labor assignments if they don't choose productive training. Once inmates have done their time, provide them with the means to have their records expunged or reduced to misdemeanor records for less severe crimes after a period of time, so felons can gain housing and work and actually move on with their lives.
Reality check #2 -- housing the homeless is less expensive than ignoring the problem -- by a factor of two to three times. Face it, very few people actually want to remain homeless. Given the option between living under a roof and living in a car or a tent, most people will choose a home. But many people have barriers to housing. Records. Substance abuse. Mental and physical disabilities. And they end up costing society in medical, criminal justice and other community challenges. Housing First is a model that allows people to become housed, gain case management to get back on their feet and receive the services they need. In many cases, people gain stability, jobs and reduced substance use.
Reality check #3 -- national hot button issues are resolvable. How long are our country's citizens going to believe that issues like health care, immigration, poverty, living-wage jobs, climate change and other issues are going to stay with us forever? I'm tired of watching the people in the spotlight spar and never bring the issues to a conclusion. When you sit down to talk with another citizen, even one on a different part of the political spectrum, we all have things in common. A family ought to be able to find a job that pays enough so they don't need benefits to get by, if they are truly working. People shouldn't have to sneak into our country -- we should have a process that is meaningful but reasonable to assure citizenship. Not having health care costs the American public more than everyone having a basic level of health care. We can do more environmentally to assure our future generations of a safe, livable world. There is so much more our country could be doing if we weren't wasting political energy on the fringes of these basic agreements.
Showing posts with label immigration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label immigration. Show all posts
Friday, August 8, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Bless the beasts and the children
Bless the beasts and the children. The name of a movie that made me cry, and a Carpenters song. Children and animals. The vulnerable ones. The ones needing protection. Often caught in the middle of strife.
How children and all baby animals tear at our heartstrings. Who doesn't have the image of a naked child running through the streets during Vietnam seared into their mind's eye? Some picture of Iraq or Afghanistan service members holding a dog?
Perhaps you've seen the recent image of someone aiming a gun at a cat. Or heard about feuding, divorcing adults battling over children, or even their pets. Occasionally the stories turn tragic.
Today, I ran into a friend. She has had a rough go of things for years. Her adult children are troubled addicts. I rarely go where I ran into her today, especially at that time of day. I'm sure that He was in control of that meeting. The "what's new in your life" small talk quickly turned into the information that she is now caring for three grandchildren. The kids needed stable adults in their lives. She and her husband were it.
No matter how crazy you think your life is, when given the choice over caring for your family's children or letting them go into state care, you set the other issues aside and care for your family. They are family. Ohana, to choose the Hawaiian word that explains the concept better.
Tonight in several border states, children are receiving minimal care in makeshift facilities as adults war over their next moves. Political refugees? Political pawns? Depends on where you stand. But look at those faces, and unmistakably, these are children. Frightened children. Desperate, scared kids who don't know what's next. But they expected whatever they were running to was better than what they were running from.
Some of the politicos are holding out for a "send them back" strategy. In their minds, it's not America's fault that these children's countries are torn by strife, drug running, gangs and other power struggles that put children in the middle. They don't see the kids as refugees, wanting a safe life. They see them as property -- property that got shipped here illegally. Get rid of it. Get rid of a problem.
Problem is, it's not a cargo container. It's a vulnerable child, caught in the middle.
Before you sleep tonight, get the image in your head of a child. Your sibling, your cousin, your child, your grandchild. The child in your waiting room or your Sunday School. And thank God for his or her safety. Then add one more prayer -- that other children, one day, will be blessed with peace.
How children and all baby animals tear at our heartstrings. Who doesn't have the image of a naked child running through the streets during Vietnam seared into their mind's eye? Some picture of Iraq or Afghanistan service members holding a dog?
Perhaps you've seen the recent image of someone aiming a gun at a cat. Or heard about feuding, divorcing adults battling over children, or even their pets. Occasionally the stories turn tragic.
Today, I ran into a friend. She has had a rough go of things for years. Her adult children are troubled addicts. I rarely go where I ran into her today, especially at that time of day. I'm sure that He was in control of that meeting. The "what's new in your life" small talk quickly turned into the information that she is now caring for three grandchildren. The kids needed stable adults in their lives. She and her husband were it.
No matter how crazy you think your life is, when given the choice over caring for your family's children or letting them go into state care, you set the other issues aside and care for your family. They are family. Ohana, to choose the Hawaiian word that explains the concept better.
Tonight in several border states, children are receiving minimal care in makeshift facilities as adults war over their next moves. Political refugees? Political pawns? Depends on where you stand. But look at those faces, and unmistakably, these are children. Frightened children. Desperate, scared kids who don't know what's next. But they expected whatever they were running to was better than what they were running from.
Some of the politicos are holding out for a "send them back" strategy. In their minds, it's not America's fault that these children's countries are torn by strife, drug running, gangs and other power struggles that put children in the middle. They don't see the kids as refugees, wanting a safe life. They see them as property -- property that got shipped here illegally. Get rid of it. Get rid of a problem.
Problem is, it's not a cargo container. It's a vulnerable child, caught in the middle.
Before you sleep tonight, get the image in your head of a child. Your sibling, your cousin, your child, your grandchild. The child in your waiting room or your Sunday School. And thank God for his or her safety. Then add one more prayer -- that other children, one day, will be blessed with peace.
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