I have been appalled by the heartless and ignorant rhetoric from our lawmakers about the refugee children who are in the U.S. seeking safety and asylum. It’s beyond ironic that most of it is being spewed by self-proclaimed pious “Christians.”
It’s bad enough that Indiana’s Governor–presumably playing to the GOP’s hysterically anti-immigrant base–wants these children returned immediately to their families. (Do not pass go, do not collect due process of law….) It’s beyond embarrassing that Republican members of Congress want the Administration to ignore the law, signed by President Bush, that sets out an orderly procedure for determining the children’s status– at the same time they are suing Obama for purportedly ignoring laws.
Now, one of Indiana’s Representatives has joined the reprehensible chorus.
According to the Northwest Indiana Times,
U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita, R-Ind., suggested Monday that immigrant children from Central America could be carrying the ebola virus that has killed some 800 people this year in West Africa.
West Africa. Right next door to Central America. You really know your geography, Representative Rokita. As the newspaper noted,
No human ebola illness ever has been contracted in the Western Hemisphere and none of the 30,340 unaccompanied minors released this year to relatives or sponsors, including the 245 children placed in Indiana homes, have ebola, according to the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement.
The refugee agency notes on its placement reporting website that all children receive vaccinations and medical screenings before being released to a relative or sponsor and no child is released who has a contagious condition.
Rokita said he doubts that claim and suggested the better course would be to keep all the children together in one place — ignoring the fact that infectious diseases spread fastest among large groups.
The story quoted Rokita as warning that “if more children are released to Hoosier relatives, they’ll soon enroll in school and “ultimately your property taxes are going to go up.”
Because god forbid you’d pay a few cents more in property taxes to shelter and educate a couple of hundred frightened, dislocated children.
Now that I think about it, didn’t Jesus say “Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come unto me–but only if their papers are in order, they can prove they don’t have ebola, and they won’t cost me any money”?
Yes, after listening to those good Christians Pence and Rokita, I’m sure that was the quote.
Just when I think my level of disgust can’t get any higher with the GOP, the Party of Nope, it does. Their hypocrisy knows no bounds. What is this country coming to?
These people are called “Dominionists.” This is a cult that believes they can hasten the return of Jesus if they drive the planet to the brink of destruction, while getting rich in the process. These people are eternal fools whose greed has no boundaries. They are both mean and stupid.
Could it be they are BOTH dumb and mean?
Where is the compassionate conservative who will run against Rep. Rokita in 2016? Where is she, a bold Catholic, a 21st century Dorothy Day, who will challenge the Catholic dominionist/advocate of American Exceptionalism? But I contradict myself – a ‘conservative’ Dorothy Day? Silly me.
Rokita was also the driving force behind the voter ID law that our legisalture passed to deal with voter fraud that had never occurred. His rhetoric and record almost makes you think he’s just a shill for an ideology that is pushed by some well-funded interests and that he doesn’t really have any connection to the rest of us. But that never happens in our political system.
WHY HAS THIS ISSUE BEEN ALLOWED TO FESTER FOR DECADES WITH LITTLE OR NOTHING BEING DONE? COULD IT POSSIBLY BE THAT NOW IT IS AFFECTING THE WALLETS OF THE POWERS-THAT-BE WHO HAVE BEEN SITTING IDLE? IN THE MID-1970’s WHEN I WORKED AS MONITOR TO MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS IN MARION COUNTY, THE HISPANO-AMERICAN CENTER WAS BEING BURIED UNDER ALL IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR ISSUES IN THIS CITY, LEGAL AND ILLEGAL. REAGAN CUT FEDERAL RESOURCES TO THESE CENTERS, AND TO SERVICE PROVIDERS AT ALL LEVELS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. HERE WE ARE TODAY; WHERE WILL WE BE TOMORROW – OR NEXT YEAR – WHEN THE MILLIONS OF IMMIGRANTS OF ALL AGES, FROM ALL NATIONS, MULTIPLY TO THE POINT THAT AMERICANS WILL BE THE MINORITY IN OUR OWN COUNTRY?
This puts him in the running against Louis Gohmert for the title of “Dumbest Mammal to Enter a Legislative Body since Caligula’s Horse.”
But yet the Republicans continue to garner votes and excite imaginations. A great number of people straightforwardly approve the Republican positions on vital issues. The disconnect between GOP immigration (and other) policies and the clear teachings of Jesus escape them. Therefore, it could be suggested that Jesus is not the one whom they actually follow in spite of their confessions of faith. Some other power, some other “god,” dominates their understanding of Jesus, giving them a warrant for accepting him or modifying his words to suit their preconceived understandings. Ironically, this is precisely what they accuse liberally-minded Christians of doing.
They do and say this crazy stuff because it WORKS with their base. Their stupid and hateful base.
Posted on Facebook this am.
“Oligarchs are people who feel entitled to run the lives of others. Today, their chief tool is brand marketing in mass media. They have taken over many of the institution that we count on. Political parties, businesses, churches. They use these institutions to their personal benefit rather than our common benefit.
Fortunately we have democracy and free markets. Unfortunately, to use our tools we have to vote, consume, and invest thoughtfully.
We can. We have to. We will. We are America.”
There is nothing wrong with Todd Rokita except that he was elected.
Ain’t God Good to Indiana?
Since when are dumb and mean mutually exclusive?
Here’s what will happen if President Obama acts on his own to change the policies defined in the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008: If this country begins to turn away young refugees and asylum-seekers at the border, regardless of their home country, it is inevitable that many of them will be abandoned without resources in hostile cities; without options, many will turn to prostitution or gang activities to support themselves; families will find themselves extorted for additional funds for safe return; exploitation and trafficking activities will increase. It is also inevitable that some of these young people will be raped, beaten, and killed. And when that happens, you will hear the voices of Mike Pence and Todd Rokita at the top of the mob, yelling that President Obama is responsible for deaths and suffering by not abiding by the law.
Todd Rokita, you are a US Representative: if you believe that the best interests of the United States and Indiana are not being served by the language of the current law, it is your obligation and responsibility to work to change the law. Your current behavior is beyond either simply dumb or mean, it is politically craven and amoral.
I very much like the last paragraph above …
(Todd Rokita, you are a US Representative: if you believe that the best interests of the United States and Indiana are not being served by the language of the current law, it is your obligation and responsibility to work to change the law. Your current behavior is beyond either simply dumb or mean, it is politically craven and amoral.)
Far to many politicians want to site back, point fingers and not make any effort to change the way government is operating. It’s much simpler to identify a suitable scapegoat and throw them to the wolves. Benghazi, would be a suitable example.
The statements under question have nothing to do with the responsibilities of a Congress member. They are meaningful only in the context of brand marketing in support of the failed GOP.
As such, his words, ignorant as they may be, are protected free speech. So, the issue is, what can be done to increase the percentage of the electorate who regard them as only what they are, rather than in any way related to truth?
Responding to JoAnn
All of these refugees are Americans. They are from Central and South America. North America isn’t the only America in this world.
To answer the question I say mean.
If these children enroll in school there’s a slight chance your property taxes MIGHT be affected for certain items, but their tuition support doesn’t come from property taxes. Maybe Mr. Rokita doesn’t realize that. That would lean on the side of dumb, but mean fits, too.
Pam; the children referred to by Rokita are NOT American citizens; yes, there are more Americas than North America but the name does not make them United States of America citizens. They are citizens of Central and South America and if you don’t understand the difference, you need to study the Constitution and Amendments regarding natural born and naturalized citizenship. I was referring to the entire illegal immigration mess in this country which has gone on for decades with only lip-service from both sides of the political aisle. There are many, many illegal immigrants here from all over the world; probably most of them crave U.S. citizenship but, due to the convoluted, unchanging system plus the outrageous costs, they may never achieve their dream. These children who are at issue are victims of their birth country and procedures set down in this America…the United States of America.
How the tides turn. Welcoming Cuban families and children escaping Communistic Castro received quite a different response from conservative lawmakers. In fact, conservative lawmakers tried to ‘barricade the border’ by arguing that Elian Gonzales – whose mother had removed him from Cuba and had died – could NOT be returned to his father in Cuba who was his biological parent and who REQUESTED his son’s return.
We are one of the largest, wealthiest nations on earth. Indeed, if we are as pro-family as we proclaim, bring us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free from fear. We can handle this as a really ‘Christian’ nation would.
The Grand Old Party is no more, the Big Tent Has been burned down, the Great Table where everyone could find a seat has been broken and burned, but worst of all Americas giant Horn Of Plenty that once graced that great table in the big tent has been stollen by the greedy and opprotunity for all has been withdrawn but for a few.
This is not the America or Grand Old Party of Lincoln I once believed in, these are cowards afraid of the fake Tea Party, afraid to stand up for what is right in fear of loosing their fleeting power of today not realizing they have already lost it, it’s just a matter of time till they to will be turned on to from within.
It’s neither. It’s a DISTRACTION FROM GAZA. A ploy to get people enraged or worried about the disease & to forget about the genocide of Palestinians that our tax dollars are strongly supporting. Ignore them. Focus on Palestine.
Steve Smith – “Dumbest Mammal to Enter a Legislative Body since Caligula’s Horse.”
Are you trying to insult Caligula’s horse?