Immigration

It is likely that more than any other time in history, people are fleeing their countries and immigrating. Leaving their lifelong homes with little more than the clothes on their backs, they pray that another country will welcome them and provide a safe harbor. Many of these people walk hundreds, or even thousands of miles, with their children at their side. Sometimes they may go for days without food to eat. Even as they reach exhaustion, they continue their journey.

The leaders in many countries have chosen to politicize the immigration issue. They try to frighten their citizens with lies, claiming many of these immigrants are drug dealers and murderers, the worst element from other countries. They want you to fear immigrants in order to push their own political agenda; if you listen to them their words are void of any compassion and filled with hatred.

Immigration is a worldwide issue; people flow across borders, and most countries are not equipped to handle the large numbers. Even when they want to show compassion, there are not the resources to provide the help needed. The reality is most countries today struggle to have enough jobs and housing for their own citizens.

The truth is most of the immigrants are leaving their countries out of fear. Fear of persecution by their leaders because they are not of the "right" ethnic group, or fear of the drug cartels who will kill them, or their children, if they don't do as they want them to. Think about it clearly and ask yourself what you would do in that situation. I'm sure we all would do whatever was necessary to protect our families.

I think most people would prefer to stay in their own country; stay in the only home they have ever known and where everything is familiar. Only fear and desperation could push someone to make such a choice; to travel so far to an unknown, and perhaps unwelcome, reception. Realistically they could be walking into a situation where they are turned away with nowhere to go.

Globally we need to do a better job on the issue of immigration. No, countries cannot just open their borders to everyone; there has to be accountability for their own citizen's well-being. However, perpetuating fear of immigrants and spreading hatred won't solve things.

Perhaps the answer has more to do with finding ways to help people stay where they are; because that is where they truly would rather be. World leaders need to work together to eradicate corrupt governments; to put an end to drug cartels and their powerful drug lords. If these countries could provide a safe and prosperous environment for their citizens, then they would have no reason to flee.

People should emigrate by choice, not immigrate out of fear. We are all humans, and we need to start treating one another with the respect that all humans deserve.