I grew up in the time of Vietnam, LBJ, and Watergate. My very earliest memory is of my father crying at the side of the road when they announced on radio that JFK was dead. My default position is to never trust government and never believe a single word uttered by any elected official. I assume always that anyone who actually wants a second term in elected office is either crazy or personally benefiting from their job in public service. No matter what team they play for, red or blue (or green or purple or orange), I verify what politicians say before I accept anything they have told us. That is my default. Please know that is always where I start political discourse.
I believe the groundwork for a complete fascist invasion of our government has been laid by members of every political party that has won an election since Lincoln (maybe before). I believe we saw it coming and failed to stop it. I believe that anyone who did not see it coming chose blindness. The warnings were there and they were clear. Don't bother whining now that you had no idea.
With regard to separation of immigrant families and the detention of immigrant children, please know that I assume all persons in power have allowed this to happen. ALL of them. And, shocked though we would like to be, this is nothing new. The United States has been decimating families since before its inception as a nation. Take a historical walk with me, now. Let's start with native Americans, take a meander through slavery, times of war, child labor, human trafficking, the Japanese interment camps, juvenile prisons for profit, and join me now outside the ICE child detention center of your choice. It's really the same old same old. The difference now is social media. We can't easily look the other way now, not unless we are willing to give up cute kitty memes and pics of our pals' dinners.
I believe the groundwork for a complete fascist invasion of our government has been laid by members of every political party that has won an election since Lincoln (maybe before). I believe we saw it coming and failed to stop it. I believe that anyone who did not see it coming chose blindness. The warnings were there and they were clear. Don't bother whining now that you had no idea.
With regard to separation of immigrant families and the detention of immigrant children, please know that I assume all persons in power have allowed this to happen. ALL of them. And, shocked though we would like to be, this is nothing new. The United States has been decimating families since before its inception as a nation. Take a historical walk with me, now. Let's start with native Americans, take a meander through slavery, times of war, child labor, human trafficking, the Japanese interment camps, juvenile prisons for profit, and join me now outside the ICE child detention center of your choice. It's really the same old same old. The difference now is social media. We can't easily look the other way now, not unless we are willing to give up cute kitty memes and pics of our pals' dinners.
So my take is that you can blame whoever you want. Blame the Cheeto in The White House now or blame his predecessor. Blame Roosevelt or Eisenhower or Charlie the Tuna, if that floats your boat. Just know that we cannot pretend we don't know what is happening to children in detention by ICE in The US. Knowing what we know, we are obligated to take action. We are, each and every one of us, responsible for each and every one of those children held in captivity now by our government. We are obligated as human beings to do whatever it takes to see that these children are well-treated and reunited with their families.
In the coming days and weeks, I'll have more to say on this topic and others. I have never been silent. but now I will use my great big voice to speak out in a more structured way. I hope you will read what I have to say, share it far and share it wide. Then ask what you can do to fix the fascist mess we are in.
Stephanie Mesler is a writer, political activist, and musician who lives and works on Florida's East Coast.
