Delaware Libertarian Steve Newton has a thoughtful and well-written post that I think outlines one of our national challenges rather neatly. Steve has found a new thing to say about the issue of immigration.
When I see a mass of illegals running for the border on CNN, that’s one thing.Exactly. We don't want uncontrolled immigration, but how can we not find fellow feeling with families who only want to live, work and worship here?
When I see a fellow parishioner hold up a baby for christening, that’s another.
Meanwhile, Reverend Tom Starnes has a sad piece posted on the News Journal's Delaware Talk Back site. Tom had long resisted the often-repeated thought that "9/11 changed everything." But our nation's use of torture, of domestic spying, of imprisonment without trial have changed his mind.
So, yes, I concede the point: 9/11 has changed us, and not, I fear, for the better. My hope, and, yes, my prayer is that we haven't crossed too far over that line that has, except for a few blotches on the record, distinguished us as a free people and a moral leader for the whole world.As for me, I will confess that the news of late out of Pakistan, where military ruler General Musharraf has recently suspended democracy and imprisoned his rivals, has me wondering "could that happen here?" I think not. I think that that would be fairly unlikely to happen here, and I take some comfort in that thought.
But a few years ago I would have said that the idea of that happening here was completely absurd. Now, I think, it is just unlikely.
And that change, from "absurd," to "unlikely," is a sad measure of how we have changed.
2 comments:
I was moved by Steve Newton’s post as well. It sure is a dilemma, and I don’t have an answer. It made me think that perhaps once we get beyond political partisanship, in the end we are all only human. Being human isn’t easy, is it?
On your second point, I truly believe that our freedoms are slowly being siphoned away in the name of security. It is not as blatant as Pakistan or other areas of the globe; it is the small, ever-encroaching legislation that is passed that puts us under so much unnecessary scrutiny. I find it frightening.
Thanks for this post Mike and the link to Rev. Starnes' piece. I just read the whole thing.
I never dreamed in all my years that I would ever hear "torture" and "by the United States" in the same sentence.
As an old hippie with memories of Nixon fresh again and being compared to this administration, I wish I could be as convinced as you that it is "unlikely" that the spying, collecting of personal data, and secret renditions could happen here. How do we know they haven't already? We just don't know about it - - yet.
Thanks again, I think.
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