Monday, September 19, 2022

Governors Abbott and DeSantis and the practice of Dehumanizing

        Who would have ever thought that two governors of Border states would spend the money to bus or fly immigrants from their states to other jurisdictions? Especially two governors who are so in lock step with the Christian right. 

    You know Christianity, that religious idea where Jesus Christ preached Love for one another? Who knew that it could be interpreted as putting the hungry, needy and poor on a bus and shipping them to Chicago? Or putting them on a plane to Martha's Vineyard? The bus to Kamala Harris's official residence was an interesting twist. 

      Put all the political intrigue aside for a minute, and think about this on a human scale. That is right, consider the humanity of those immigrants who likely, in some way, shape or form, risked their lives and came to America in hope of a better life. How do you think most of us not native Americans got here? I am sure the Africans on the Slave ships had quite a journey, but that is another issue, even as they were treated just as inhumanely, if not worse than the immigrants. 

      Abbott of Texas and Desantis of Florida saw these members of what the inscription on the Statue of Liberty as describe as "wretched masses" as nothing more than political pawns to be exploited for gain with their racist leaning Trumpublican base. It made good theater for these two would be Presidential hopefuls, Christian principles be damned. 

      Christian principles stress giving love and comfort to others, not taking advantage of them. Feed them, clothe them, and offer them a hand up. That is what true Christians do. A few lies and a plane flight to Martha's Vineyard? I don't think that is quite what Christ had in mind, dropping a scared immigrant in a strange new place far from where they thought they were. 

        Kudos to the people of Martha's Vineyard for stepping up and taking care of those abandoned there. That is more than they got from the Trump wannabe Governors who willingly dumped them there. There is a special place in Hell reserved for people like that. Yes they are immigrants, but they are also humans, and they come here in search of a way to build a better life like many before them. They don't deserve to be treated like stray animals from an overcrowded shelter, yet, that is exactly what happened. God help us as Americans if we come to accept this as standard procedure. We can't let them be categorized as less than human just because they are immigrants. It would be a sin on us all.

     I want to make it clear here that I differentiate between Trumpublicans and Republicans. My Mother was a lifelong Republican who would be aghast at what a large chunk of her party has become aligned with.

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