Years ago, I had a summer job as the take-out guy in my local deli. One of the older gentlemen I worked with was a man named Leon, who was German Jew that survived the holocaust: He was liberated by the allied forces as they moved across Germany.
Leon told me — in extraordinary detail — how it all happened. How the Nazi’s went through a series of cruel and humiliating actions before they killed you: All of the cruel and demeaning behavior that utterly demoralized him. Rights gone, possessions gone, and he and his family stuffed into a cattle car until they arrived at the concentration camp. They sent him into a line with other tweens and teens (boys and girls separated), and then they told them his parents were going off to shower and they would see them later.
He never saw them again.
The racism and cruelty of the immigration policy is bad enough, the lying and dissembling provided by the Trump administration makes it worse — but showers? Seriously? Did these idiots miss the World War II unit in high school? Or is this another one of those really loud dog whistles to the racist filth that Trump seems to continue to coddle? Is Trump drumming up this issue to help turnout during the midterms and distract attention from the Mueller investigation?
Now I certainly don’t think that the government intends on the systematic mass murder of those seeking asylum on our borders. But this is disgusting. INHUMANE. UNAMERICAN.
Un-American. My late friend Leon came to this country after his liberation because of what it represented: The complete and utter opposite of what he had survived. We founded America on the principles of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Sure — we argue about the details, such is democracy — but we have learned over time and progress brings more rights to more people.
Until now. This entire episode is one hell of a backslide into bad social behavior. Where is “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” in this government?
If Leon were still here, I wonder what he would be telling me right now.
I wonder what Leon would be saying right now? Would the morons in the White House even listen?
Cruelty like this and the blatant use of it as a political tool — alone — is a complete abdication of constitutional oaths elected officials and employees alike take. That would be the Republicans.
And it now makes victory in the November midterms absolutely urgent.