A quick recap to clear the air a bit:
The law under
which Children are being taken from their families and “quarantined” (for want
of a better word) was signed into law by George W. Bush, a Republican President.
Was it “W” being mean spirited? No; in fact, its intent was quite the opposite,
and it had bi-partisan support (remember that?)
The act, (lengthy
name, I’ll just call it the act) had, as its primary purpose, the protection of unaccompanied
undocumented children from the threat of being trafficked. At the time, some
parents were sending their children alone across the border (in desperation,
hoping for a better life for them) and being under age and alone, they were
easy pickings for unscrupulous (such as Russian mob, Latin gangs) groups to
seize on the opportunity to push them into human slavery. The Act was intended
to provide that such unaccompanied children be protected. At the time of the enactment
of the law and for years before, extending as far back as the mid-1990s, if family
groups were apprehended at the border, the parents were given a date to appear
before officials to be dealt with appropriately (sent back, admitted for
sanctuary, whatever) depending on circumstances. Families were, by intent, not
separated.
This continued until the current
administration, when a former Klansman and a current malignant narcissist became
AG and POTUS respectively. Seizing on the existing law, they have opted to
apply it in a manner totally unintended by the previous three administrations,
by declaring the parents to be felons, incarcerating them, thereby forcing their
children to become “unaccompanied minors” subject to impoundment. I have seen
some describe the conditions under which these kids are held as “concentration
camps,” and others (Trump sycophants) just as vociferously deny that, comparing
them to Nazi death camps and pointing out that these kids aren’t being killed
(physically). As usual, there is ignorance afoot.
The term “concentration camp”, in the modern
era, was used to describe the herding, interning and forced “concentration” of
Boers (Cape Colony and Transvaal Dutch descended persons) into camps in South
Africa in the period 1898-1902, The Spanish did the same thing in Cuba, in
almost the same time frame, The United states did it to more than 100,000 persons,
many US citizens, of Japanese descent in the 1940s. In the case of the Boers
and Cuban rebels, many died due to poor sanitation and the resultant disease,
while much of the world expressed their dismay. The Germans, as most sane
people acknowledge, elevated the concept to genocidal proportions. So, in these
four cases two resulted in deaths from illness, not intentional brutality, one
resulted in 6 million deaths, and the one we did ourselves resulted in the loss
of property, dignity, and Constitutionally guaranteed (but ignored) civil
rights and remains a national disgrace.
Today we are, in fact, placing these children
in concentration camps by the very definition of the term. They are
concentrated, isolated as a group, separated from their parents and their mobility
is restricted. In this sense, they are in about the same circumstance as the
Boers and the interned Japanese Americans…except that they don’t even have the
solace of family.
As it is a Republican administration who is
responsible for this, it’s not surprising that “anchor baby” Michelle Malkin, also
a frothing at the mouth Trump supporter, thinks it’s ok. Of course, Malkin also
is the author of “In Defense of Internment: The Case for Racial Profiling” a
defense of US treatment of its Japanese citizens in WWII.
Could this be changed? Sure, if the current
administration actually gave a shit about anything other than playing to the basest
emotions of its fan base as exemplified by Malkin and her ilk. One word from
Trump to little Jeffy Sessions, if he can get away from Bible study to take the
call, would do it. Don’t hold your breath. Doing the right think is in very
short supply these days in DC
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