Its interesting how people in these parts hear a story like the one about Fort Sill housing immigrant children, and immediately jump to the conclusion that these children are arriving here because of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival), and because our borders arent secure. DACA, actually, only grants a temporary stay of deportation to those who were brought into the U.S. as children more than 7 years ago. And, regarding border-security -- well, most of these children were picked-up as they were crossing the border, by our border-guards, and then taken into custody to figure out the hows and wherefores of returning them to their home countries. So, neither popular assumption is true. It doesnt help matters that Oklahomas newly re-elected governor, Mary Fallin, and our ever-popular conservative senator Jim Inhoffe, have consistently mis-represented this issue in the media -- either through ignorance about the issue or through a purposeful distortion of the facts for political purposes. Im guessing theres a little of both in the mix. Something needs to be done about this influx of kids, and about our illegal immigration problem in general. But if we are to arrive at a solution that is at once effective, practical, and humane -- a solution befitting a nation that holds itself to the highest standard and still considers itself to be a beacon among first-world countries -- then we have to stop mis-representing the issue, and start considering how to deal with the facts as they truly are.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 15:33:05 +0000
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