Only a morally stunted fool could summon the gall to ask, "Does the U.S. Government bear any kind of responsibility toward the plight of Afghan, Yemeni or Iraqi refugees?"
Only a moral reprobate, sick with the degenerative rot of Nationalism, could possibly answer "No" to such a question.
I remember a video, from a few years back, that captured a Cuban refugee boat sinking just off the Florida shoreline. It just so happened that a massive beach party was taking place that afternoon. As the refugees swam toward the shore with all the leftover strength they could summon, near the point of total exhaustion, they were greeted by exuberant, cheering partygoers, who immediately draped them in American flags, put food and drink in their hands, and joyfully lead them into the shade.
That, to me, is an example of an America worth our boundless passion. A place that still remains a repository of people's hopes and dreams, woven into the fabric of the hearts of the people held within her shores. People not just coolly or indifferently accepting newcomers, but welcoming them with energy, with excitement, with an eagerness to share all the things we love about our nation with newfound friends who, inspired by the stories they've heard, have traveled far and endured great hardship to join us.
In the meantime, I'll continue to wonder how my countrymen can cheer for a kid who journeys across the national borders from Ukraine to escape Russian bombardment, while simultaneously cheering for the Biden administration (or Trump/Obama/Bush) as it continues to detain and deport more and more immigrants from the United States. The small "drop" in deportation rates for families and individuals that have lived in this country is not sufficient, until it reaches "zero."
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
