Reality is a funny thing. I look at three year old children and think of what they might grow up to be, you know, that sort of thing. But some people apparently view migrant toddlers as criminals or a national security threat. The distance between these two points of view is breathtaking. The Grand Canyon is minor puddle by comparison. These tiny individuals seeking asylum in the United States are being separated from their families and kept in despicable conditions on the grounds that somehow they pose a threat to the nation.

One of the things about ethics and morality is that they really require a good strong grasp of reality. And if you’re seeing a three year old child as a prospective security threat, your imagination has run away with you in truly Olympic class style.

The United States is a wealthy country by any standard and at the very least we should be able to treat children with kindness, and kindness means regular showers, soap and gentle supervision. And if the government doesn’t want to do this, there are many charitable services willing to help.

Now, I am not a young man and I understand what’s going on here. We have a deliberate policy of cruelty and public nastiness against these small children to make the President’s backers feel that action is being taken against what they consider a horde of invaders.

The cruelty is the point.

Back in the 1930’s this nation closed its doors to those fleeing tyranny. Many were killed, tortured and imprisoned. And now we are beset by immigrants desperately fleeing horrifying conditions in central and south America. Morally and ethically we should be providing asylum to these sufferers. It is doing what is right.

And that is what we should be doing.

Because Great Nations do what’s right.

James Pilant

Top CBP Officer Testifies He’s Unsure if 3-Year-Old Is “a Criminal or a National Security Threat”