I got an email the other day with pictures, all about what a mess Mexican illegal immigrants have made of a particular wash (mostly dry all the time creek bed) that is used as a camping spot as folk are making their way across the harsh desert.
The point of the email was what an environmental mess these awful people had made. And I agree – junk, food wrappers, backpacks, human egestions. And when the rains come, a lot of it will likely end up in the ocean / Gulf of Mexico. Which is already so stressed right now.
But – these humans would not have been making this journey if they could have stayed home and been able to provide for their children. These are not middle class folk on a vacation. These are desperate humans who don’t see any other way to feed and house their kids. A lot are women, leaving those children in the care of their grandmothers. And risking rape and murder to help those kids get an education.
Why do so many people not get this? Compassion would move us to finding a way to meet the needs of these people in a way that did not support so much crime and danger. We might decide to build schools in Mexico, or legalize and tax the heck out of marijuana, or provide visas for folk to come and work and then return home. Lots of potential solutions.
Many of us seem to be very hate-full about this. Surely love can find a way.