Where Is Your Humanity?

Two weeks ago, reports began coming out of Yuma regarding a detention facility there.  As so much of the concentration-camps-at-the-border news had been focused on the Texas-Mexico border, it was a revelation to many to hear about another state involved in the horrific treatment of those they caged.

The news?  More children, more hunger, more filth, more neglect, more sexual abuse.

And then, like all the other reports, and the Epstein pedophilia revelations, it faded into the ever expanding black hole of the Trump racist tweet scandal-rally chant news.  I give them this much - they do know how to throw a good distraction, and we are always stupid enough to follow the next shiny thing.

Last night, however, more reports began emerging from Yuma.  And if you are not sickened; if you are not feeling pain in your heart; if you are the least bit bored with the stories, I have to ask:  Where is your humanity?

Highlighted was a 17 year old boy named Abner who had been held for 11 days late May to early June.

Before I go further, I want to say to anyone who immediately equates a 17 year old with brown skin as sinister, an MS-13 member, a drug mule, or a rapist - STOP.  Pull your head out of your goddamned ass, and look around you.  Millions of 17 year old boys - gangly, uncertain, hungry all the time, scared of the future yet trying hard to front bravado.  Maybe you have one in your own home.  Maybe you are an aunt or uncle.  Maybe one cuts your grass each week.

Abner, just like your 17 year old, is a human being.  The difference being yours won the birth lottery and was born here.  Abner was born in Guatemala.  He fled the extreme poverty and danger - and despite his treatment here, his thoughts are with his four sisters still in Guatemala who he would desperately love to rescue.

When he was taken into custody, he was thrown into a holding cell with far too many other boys of all ages.  Cramped, the stench inescapable.  In fact, for the first FORTY EIGHT HOURS, he was standing and awake as there was simply no space to lie down.  He finally began trying to sleep on a pile of garbage in the corner.  He was, like all these children, freezing.

"I had to stay almost two days like this, standing. I didn't sleep. And they didn't treat me well because I would ask for at least food or water or something to cover myself with and they would deny it."

Pause.  Put yourself in those conditions.  Actually, screw that.  Put YOUR CHILD in those conditions.  Heart hurting yet?  Anger rising at the thought of your precious cherub being treated thusly?

He was subjected to cruel taunts by guards, watched as they punched another 16 year old boy in the stomach.  This was always the response to innocent questions like "What time is it?" (He had no idea if it were day or night as the lights were always on.) and requests for food.

In the cell were smaller boys - 8, 9, 10 year olds - that the older boys took to protecting, caring for.  They let the smaller boys sleep on the floor, giving them the space, choosing to stand themselves.  When the little ones cried because of hunger, they would give them their food.

Angry yet?  Remember, we're playing make believe and the 8 year old covered in filth, freezing on a concrete floor, and relying on the generosity of older boys to stave off hunger IS YOUR CHILD.

Drinking water was available by cupping their filthy hands together under the faucet in their cell and using them as a cup. 

Makes you all warm inside to think about your little Chad or Brendon, hands covered in dirt, grime, excrement, weeks of filth and no soap, using their hands to try to stay hydrated, huh?  You'd be ok with that, right?

Let's get back to hunger.  A 17 year old boy?  An eating machine.  Abner and these children were fed minimally twice a day - roughly around 10am, then again around 5pm - that's it.  I don't give a shit how cool you think you are for jumping on the Intermittent Fasting Train in the burbs, these children are hungry.  Abner details that they decided to give their food to the smaller children because they figured they did not understand what was happening to them, and at least the older boys could handle the pangs better.

Boy, those MS-13 fellows are brutal, huh?  Caring for smaller kids, giving up some of the only food they see each 24 hours.

When he was finally processed on to Health and Human Services (a fucking joke of a title if ever there was one) - he was still detained, but able to kick a soccer ball around and make some friends.  Abner finally was reunited with his father in Chicago and is waiting to hear from his lawyer as to the next steps that will happen to him.  He would love to be granted asylum, but the emotional dye has been cast.  He is scared.  He will never forget what he endured.

Which is the case for all of these people being caged like animals.  They are treated worse than animals.  They are mocked, they are neglected, they are sexually assaulted, they are subjected to torture (sleep deprivation, hunger, dehydration, cruel treatment by guards) - all for the crime of trying to escape the realities of where they were born.  Realities we, as we meander the aisles of WalMart - carts and asses overflowing with Cheetos, Pepsi, Pop Tarts, buffalo wings, beer, ice cream, and privilege - will never begin to comprehend.

But I know, I know - there you go kneejerking the whole "Well, they shouldn't have brought their kids here" as defense for how they are being stolen by us and mistreated.

New flash, Bubba - being born here does not make us better.  It makes us lucky. That's it, that's all.  In terms of global horrors endured by countless people, this is called being born on third base.  I don't care if you live in a mansion or a single wide with a chemical toilet - you still have it better than these people.  They are trying to escape monstrous poverty.  They are trying to protect their daughters from being raped daily.  They are trying to protect their sons from being kidnapped and ending up in gangs and dead.  They are trying daily to escape the realities of dying.

In terms of immigration law and the varying views on it, it is fine to differ in how you think the borders should be handled.  We can debate all day whether crossing illegally should be more or less than the misdemeanor it is.  We can wax crapsodic till the cows come home about our divergent thoughts on the millions already here.  And those arguments are valid.  We should have those debates.  Because we don't have solid answers, plans, goals.

But what we should not differ on is how we treat those who come here.  And that is where the fork in the Humanity Road divides us.

There are those of us who see these conditions, read these stories, see the pictures of dead bodies in the Rio Grande, of children freezing and alone in cages - and our hearts physically hurt.  Calling us bleeding heart liberals is fine with us.  That means we see the humanity in people, we see ourselves in other people no matter their skin color, their accent, their country of origin.  Yes, my heart bleeds for all of these people.  I am proud to be a human being who knows they are no different than me; proud to be a human being who can easily envision my own children subjected to this treatment and know how it would feel;  proud to be a human being who is angrier than I have ever been to be represented by a government of fascists, bigots racists - all who are tickled at their power to treat other humans like garbage.

Then there are people like YOU.  If blood actually runs through your veins, it is cold indeed.  You are devoid of compassion.  You make sick jokes about the desperate and the dead.  You take joy in seeing cages of brown people, dirty, hungry, desperate.  You feel glee as these stories come out.  And you LOVE that your government reflects what is inside you - hate, greed, racism, sadism.

You profess to be followers of Jesus, but would cage him in a heartbeat were he to show up today.  And here's a thought.  You always preach about Him coming back, right?  You all seem to yearn for it.  What if He already has?  What if He is in one of those cages right now?  Hungry, hurting, filthy, demoralized? 

What's that?  Doesn't fit your narrative?

How convenient.

Whether He is here now or not, you are being judged.  Your cruelty, your complete disconnect from the Bible you hold so dear.  Your pathetic joy at "doing to the least of these" - hunger, fear, pain, discrimination, marginalization - yet you blow off the last part of "You did to me." 

Again, you can disagree with them coming here, but were you a true believer, a follower of the Word, a decent human being - you would be standing shoulder to shoulder with the rest of us - horrified at what is being done in your name.

Where is your humanity?

Rhetorical question, we all know you sold it for a cheap red hat and the chance to worship an orange outhouse who allows your black soul to shine.  Good luck with that. 

Because right now,  a scared 17 year old immigrant has shown more compassion, more decency, more kindness, more understanding of sacrificing and helping others than all of you rolled together.

Comments

[Nikki in NYC]

If we aren't ashamed we should have our heads examined. Murderers in prison are treated better. This entire administration, and the politicians who allow this to go unchecked should be brought up on charges of human rights violations at The Hague.