Bean is old enough now that she’s paying attention to our conversations. Last night I was talking to my spouse about bad headlines. Specifically, the headlines surrounding SCOTUS’ recent decision to keep T****’s Title 42 in place, effectively closing the border to asylum seekers.
Some context—my grandfather was a newspaperman and he was always very clear with us about the duties of the 4th pillar. That an informed public is a requirement of a healthy democracy. Well the headlines yesterday were so convoluted, it was hard to determine WHAT the heck it meant.
Title 42 closed the border under pandemic conditions. Family separation, the cruel ice boxes, the forced sterilizations of women, all this came together with the criminalization of those seeking asylum.
Biden challenged this, saying we now have vaccines and are no longer living under pandemic conditions, travel has resumed and so should asylum (TBC we still have a pandemic but our society is no longer functioning under those early restrictions).
Republicans challenged THAT (Funny when they decide to acknowledge the virus), and SCOTUS sided with them (no surprise there but lots of disappointment).
So last night, I’m talking to my spouse about the lack of clarity in reporting on this. In that conversation I mentioned something about how TFG wanted to keep people out, people who need help.
This is the moment our child chimed in. “That’s not right!” Bean declared from the living room, “When people are cold and need help, we should let them in and help them!” (Someone was paying attention to the Innkeeper’s story at Christmas).
Y’all. Times are hard but that moment really lifted me up. My first grader has a good heart. A really good heart. And I’m proud AF.
Pretty Good Ugly 