This beautiful image says it all, yes? Well, not quite all. This 5-year old little girl named Sophia Cruz, somehow made it through the barricades in Washington DC, as Pope Francis was going by. An officer was taking her back into the crowd when Pope Francis reached out to the little girl and told security,
"Let her come to me." An agent lifted the little girl up to the Pope and she handed him a note that tells more of the story:
"Quiero contarte que mi corazon esta triste por el odio y la discriminacion haicia los immigrantes de este pais."
"I want to tell you that my heart is sad about the discrimination of the immigrants in this country."
"[Immigrants] are good people, they work hard in the fields...like my dad, who I barely get to see. I ask that they stop deporting our parents because we need them to grow and be happy."
"I have hope that this pain will come to peace."
Read more ABC News.com
Sophia Cruz has the fears many immigrant children and families have, always wondering if they or someone in their family will be deported. There is no doubt young children are hearing the hateful, anti-Hispanic rhetoric spewed in the media by presidential candidates like Donald Trump. And there is no doubt these children are also hearing from bullies at school, who learn from their racist parents, who listen to the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Fox News and Hate media. Children from both sides hear, "Send them all back," and "We'll build a massive wall!" How would that not strike fear in an undocumented adult much less a small child.
Here is a video posted by Daily Kossack 'dnhit 66,' who also posted the note and drawing above from ABC News. (Thank you.)
It's a very moving story in so many ways. The issue of immigration must remain in our national discourse, but let those throwing hate speech around, know that our children are listening. And let media be responsible enough to address the language and let parents do their best to monitor what is happening and explain it to their children.
On a lighter note, reporters say when Sophia was asked if she thought she would meet Pope Francis on Wednesday, she said:
“Yes.”
Well, of course she did.
Special thanks to Andy Newman/New York Times and Alex Brandon who took this lovely photo in the meme.