In both the film and stage versions of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" there is a scary character called The Child Catcher. The Child Catcher is employed by Baron Bomburst and Baroness Bomburst to snatch and imprison children on the streets of Vulgaria.
In the past week I guess we have all become aware of what has been going on at the US/Mexico border with regard to the tightening of immigration controls. For the past six weeks as would-be immigrant parents have been arrested, their children have been taken separately to glorified internment camps. It is estimated that some 2300 children suffered and are still suffering this traumatic separation.
Who is looking after these children? What are they eating? What are their sleeping arrangements? Who is counselling them? Are the adults who are charged with detaining the children suitably trained? What qualifications do they have?
When all is said and done, it is not the children who decided to up sticks and travel to the US/Mexico border in search of a better life in the land of milk and honey now led by Trump. The children are innocent so why should they be imprisoned in such dubious and ill-considered circumstances?
I think of those children - confused, in a foreign land - not knowing where their parents are or when they might meet again, far from the homes they knew back in Guatemala or Nicaragua or Mexico or Colombia or... The children are surrounded by other children - themselves strangers from other lands. I think of children sobbing themselves to sleep or frozen with terror.
One of the worst things about this cruel mess is that it appears the US authorities do not have clear documentation to link all the children with their parents with regard to current locations, family names etcetera. It is possible that some of the children may never see their parents again unless much more strenuous efforts are made to bring families back together.
It's a shameful business, really shameful and even Trump now seems to realise that he has gone too far. It's one thing imprisoning illegal immigrants but it is another thing entirely taking away their children and putting them separately into secure encampments.
You wonder what the world is coming to when things like this can happen right under our noses. America is meant to be about liberty and huddled masses, a land of opportunity and hope - not a country where innocent children cry themselves to sleep in bunk beds because of The Real Life Child Catcher.
I read somewhere that these policies were inspired by Australian policy. We do shameful things in the name of border protection but I haven't been aware of separating children. I really hope that bit is a mistake.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that the more we have, the less willing we are to share
Seen from outer space, The Earth is just one unit - a beautiful ball turning in the darkness.
DeleteWe in the US are horrified and ashamed. Those of us with two brain cells to rub together, at least.
ReplyDeleteAnd the thing that most people don't realize is that all of this is happening in a situation where the outcome for 90% of the people who are held and have a hearing is that it's a misdemeanor. Like a speeding ticked. Which they do not take your children away for.
It's terrifying to live in a country where this is happening. Not just for those to whom it's happening but for all of us. We feel powerless which, of course, is exactly how the government wants us to feel.
Like Jennifer below you are a representative of all right-thinking Americans.
DeleteI can't stand it. Every time I hear about this mess I have to fight back tears. I'm afraid of what we're becoming in this country. And ashamed.
ReplyDeleteLike Ms Moon above you are a representative of all right-thinking Americans.
DeleteMany Americans "with two brain cells to rub together" support the laws and policies we have in place. Clinton and Obama supported them as well but it's easy to forget that when you are trying to push your own anti-Trump narrative. Your (generally speaking) bashing, bullying and hatred for our current President saturates all your thoughts and words.
ReplyDeleteHow do you justify the imprisonment of children?
DeleteClinton and Obama did not separate children from the adults who accompanied them over the border unless there was suspicion of harm for the children. And yes, I will push my anti-Trump narrative whenever and however I can. His ACTIONS are saturating our country with hate.
DeleteSorry, Mr. YP. I'll shut up and go away now.
It's not brain cells these people lack, it's common decency and empathy for other human beings.
DeleteLike Ms. Moon I WILL push my anti-Trump narrative whenever and where ever possible.
Blog Author....go back under your rock and keep drinking that Fox news Kool Aid. If you don't like YP's views nobody is begging you to read here.
It is a right of sovereign countries to protect their borders and that is what the policies under Clinton and Obama supported; however, Trump and Trump alone brought in the policy which made crossing the border illegally into a crime instead of a misdemeanor, thus forcing the separation of children from parents. I do wish that Trump supporters would get all the facts and not just the ones they wish to be true.
DeleteMs Moon, Jennifer and Jenny-O are absolutely right on all counts. This situation is not comparable to any policy pursued by Obama and Clinton (or George W. Bush, for that matter). It's an outrage and an international disgrace.
DeleteTrump did not realize anything, he was forced to abandon his policy after the Republicans in Congress explained the harm it was doing to their party with elections just a few months away. No one was concerned about this policy being immoral, disgusting, heartless, and shameful; decisions were made for purely political reasons. It looked bad. No Republican gives a crap about those kids, and never will.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it handy that "Blog Author" hides behind a fake name? Just shows you how spineless there Trumpers are.
The jacket Melania wore to go visit the separated children says everything you need to know about Trumpers..."I Really Don't Care, Do U?"
DeleteAt least she was honest.
Blog Author is entitled to his or her views - even when he or she says that all my blogging thoughts are saturated with bashing, bullying and hatred for Trump. Clearly, he or she has not been for any peaceful country rambles with me when I am happy to say that the furthest thing from my mind on such days is the 45th president and his innate badness.
DeleteTrump has brought much shame upon our country and our people. Yes, there may be a few that support him but the majority do not. There has been one shameful action or statement after another but this is the worst by far. Innocent children. It breaks my heart. I can protest, I can write my congressman and I can vote. Still it is not enough and it breaks my heart. My only living brother has left this country and settled in another. I have children and grandchildren and I'm not willing to leave them. So I do those few things I can do and I pray. And I cry.
ReplyDeleteYou are a true patriot Bonnie.
DeleteLife imitates fiction . . . but with real consequences. It seems Trump lacks any kind of conscience, or at least he is able to outshout it, out-lie it, and out-namecall it.
ReplyDeleteThough the word Truth begins with the same first three letters as Trump, the two words are miles apart.
DeleteChild catcher is a good term to use for this business and it is a despicable process to be carried out bay any government. Child snatcher would also be a good term to use.
ReplyDeleteI might be wrong but I suspect that you are mot a Trump fan Red.
DeleteHeartbreaking
ReplyDeleteIndeed
DeleteWe seem to have learned very little over the years, if a loud mouthed bully is allowed to treat innocent children in such a callous manner, and get away with it.
ReplyDeleteAnd he is The Leader of The Free World! Ha-ha-ha-ha!
DeleteFree ?? - what's free about it !
DeletePrecisely my dear CG!
DeleteI can't believe this is happening in 2018! Shocking, disgusting, shameful!
ReplyDeleteGreetings Maria x
It's reminiscent of some of the terrible things that happened in World War II.
DeleteThese are very interesting times. In WW2 we could plead ignorance. But to be able to get away with this behavior in 2018 when we all walk around with android phones, is very disturbing...
DeleteYou are right Debdor. Keeping nasty things secret is far more difficult these days.
DeleteI can tell you don’t like Donald Trump much but that’s to be expected. American’s have had their say and voted. It really IS time we took notice of what most Americans want.
ReplyDeleteDid Americans vote to have children put in internment camps?
DeleteAlso, the electoral college gave Trump the presidency. He LOST the popular vote.
DeleteAs an American, let me just call BS on this line of thought. When any leader in a Democracy is in the wrong, it is the moral obligation of their citizenry to take them to task, and Trump has been in the wrong on SO MANY issues -- this perhaps most of all. In fact I would argue that criticizing Donald Trump is the patriotic thing to do -- a step toward restoring normalcy and sanity to my home country. I'm not about to just roll over and say, "Oh well, the majority wanted this" and leave it at that. (Because, as YP says, I'm pretty sure most Americans are in fact horrified by Trump's policy in this case. Even his fellow Republicans were calling him out.)
DeleteOh, and I'm not saying only Americans have the right to criticize him. We all live on this planet, we're all humans and we all should speak up for what matters.
DeleteAnd Jennifer is right, too -- it's a misnomer to say "most" Americans wanted Trump. That isn't the case at all.
The whole situation turns my stomach.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thoughtful remarks Steve.
Delete