Making Room at America's Inn for All God's Children

Nurses Activism

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Making Room at America's Inn for All God's Children -- Marian Wright Edelman

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marian-wright-edelman/making-room-at-americas-_b_77872.html

..."For Christians, another holy advent season is upon us. People of all faiths are reflecting on things done and left undone during the past year and making resolutions for change in the new one.

When, oh when will we individually and collectively as congregations, as communities, and as a nation resolve to stop saying to our children, "There's no room at the inn"? When will we, like Tim, start saying, "You can stay at my house"?

When will we say to poor, hungry and homeless children, "Wait! We'll make a place for you at America's table of plenty"?

How long until we say to children whose parents are working hard every day trying to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads, "We will help you escape poverty"? "We'll catch you in our safety net until your family is able to provide for you again"?

And when will we ensure that no child is without health coverage in our rich nation that lets our nine million children struggle without health coverage?"...

Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
To bring it back to the topic of socialized medicine...

So we have to pay for those that will not work here... and accept all those that come here from outside... Great.

Sorry.. not a citizen or at least a legal resident... NO TREATMENT.... or if you get treatment you immediately go home.

Where did it say this man doesn't work? Where I live, many undocumented workers live in squalid housing. There aren't enough Americans to scrub toilets or pick produce for the wages that these people are paid. As for them going "home", if this is where they live, then this is their home, legal or not.

Specializes in ICU M/S Peds Home Health.
Where did it say this man doesn't work? Where I live, many undocumented workers live in squalid housing. There aren't enough Americans to scrub toilets or pick produce for the wages that these people are paid. As for them going "home", if this is where they live, then this is their home, legal or not.

There are enough Americans... we have all those on welfare. And if he has to be picked up and driven to a hospital then it is doubtful that he is able to work.

And if 'home' is here... then I guess we should deport them.

Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

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Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
There are enough Americans... we have all those on welfare. And if he has to be picked up and driven to a hospital then it is doubtful that he is able to work.

And if 'home' is here... then I guess we should deport them.

It sounds to me like you're jumping to conclusions again. You have no way of knowing whether he could work or not. Maybe he had to be picked up because he didn't have a car!

And if 'home' is here... then I guess we should deport them.

I don't think that's going to happen.

1) Whose tax dollars are we going to use to send them home? 'Home' is not just Mexico. It's Jamaica, the UK, Russia, China, South Africa, Jordan, Venezuela, and you name the country. Whose tax dollars are we going to use to fly all those people back to their countries of origin, when we are already trillions of dollars in debt?

2) Less than a million people as were stranded in NOLA after Katrina - people waving their arms, standing on the roofs of their houses - and we couldn't get them out of there? Less than a million people, maybe even less than half a million, and we couldn't get them out of a relatively small space. Getting 12-20 million out of the entire USA - 20 million people who aren't exactly jumping around going "Take me!" - getting them all out of here is just not going to happen. It sounds really good on paper, but that's about it.

The bottom line for me is helping my fellow man. I agree that individuals should help each other. Government is made of individuals, and as a government we can help one another....immigration reform, healthcare, whatever the cause.

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
As for them going "home", if this is where they live, then this is their home, legal or not.

Uhh..........no. This is not their home, although it could be if they'd enter this country legally and go through the proper channels.

I grew up in southern California and lived among the Hispanic population for the first 30 years of my life. I've visited Mexico. I speak the language, and I hold Mexican culture in high regard. I know perfectly well why poor Latinos come to America........I've seen the desperate conditions they live in, and I don't blame them for wanting better for their families.

But I also don't believe in rewarding people for breaking our laws. Right here in Oregon, our governor recently floated a trial balloon about issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants on the premise that it would at least let us know where they are. After what my own kids had to go through to get their state IDs and driver's licenses---they had to provide birth certificates, Social Security cards, proof of residence, as well as at least one photo ID (will someone please tell me how the heck you are supposed to produce photo ID if no one will issue you photo ID without photo ID?)---I was outraged!

Then Hispanic activist groups had the gall to be upset when the idea sank faster than the Titanic and the governor abandoned it. I'm sorry, but if you come into this country illegally, refuse to go through the process of obtaining the necessary documentation, make a point of NOT learning the dominant language, and then demand special rights..........well, there's something really wrong with that. Most of the Hispanic people I grew up around wouldn't have dreamed of acting this way---they worked hard for everything they had, took pride in their culture, but also were grateful to be Americans. They did their best to learn American customs and language while at the same time remaining true to their own rich heritage. And they didn't ask for handouts. :nono:

Specializes in ICU M/S Peds Home Health.
It sounds to me like you're jumping to conclusions again. You have no way of knowing whether he could work or not. Maybe he had to be picked up because he didn't have a car!

Actually... if the reason that he had to be picked up was soley that he didnt have a car; I doubt that Jude would have went through the trouble that she went through for him. But you are right... it was a conclusion. I imagine an accurate one at that.

Jude... I am not advocating the rounding up and deportation of illegals. Just do one of two approaches. Make free care unavailable to them or if it is available to them deport them right after they are stable. And the tax money to send them home will be less than the cost of continued treatment here.

Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
Uhh..........no. This is not their home, although it could be if they'd enter this country legally and go through the proper channels.

I grew up in southern California and lived among the Hispanic population for the first 30 years of my life. I've visited Mexico. I speak the language, and I hold Mexican culture in high regard. I know perfectly well why poor Latinos come to America........I've seen the desperate conditions they live in, and I don't blame them for wanting better for their families.

But I also don't believe in rewarding people for breaking our laws. Right here in Oregon, our governor recently floated a trial balloon about issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants on the premise that it would at least let us know where they are. After what my own kids had to go through to get their state IDs and driver's licenses---they had to provide birth certificates, Social Security cards, proof of residence, as well as at least one photo ID (will someone please tell me how the heck you are supposed to produce photo ID if no one will issue you photo ID without photo ID?)---I was outraged!

Then Hispanic activist groups had the gall to be upset when the idea sank faster than the Titanic and the governor abandoned it. I'm sorry, but if you come into this country illegally, refuse to go through the process of obtaining the necessary documentation, make a point of NOT learning the dominant language, and then demand special rights..........well, there's something really wrong with that. Most of the Hispanic people I grew up around wouldn't have dreamed of acting this way---they worked hard for everything they had, took pride in their culture, but also were grateful to be Americans. They did their best to learn American customs and language while at the same time remaining true to their own rich heritage. And they didn't ask for handouts. :nono:

Since when isn't the place you live your home? Has the definition of that word changed?

Uhh..........no. This is not their home, although it could be if they'd enter this country legally and go through the proper channels.

I grew up in southern California and lived among the Hispanic population for the first 30 years of my life. I've visited Mexico. I speak the language, and I hold Mexican culture in high regard. I know perfectly well why poor Latinos come to America........I've seen the desperate conditions they live in, and I don't blame them for wanting better for their families.

But I also don't believe in rewarding people for breaking our laws. Right here in Oregon, our governor recently floated a trial balloon about issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants on the premise that it would at least let us know where they are. After what my own kids had to go through to get their state IDs and driver's licenses---they had to provide birth certificates, Social Security cards, proof of residence, as well as at least one photo ID (will someone please tell me how the heck you are supposed to produce photo ID if no one will issue you photo ID without photo ID?)---I was outraged!

Then Hispanic activist groups had the gall to be upset when the idea sank faster than the Titanic and the governor abandoned it. I'm sorry, but if you come into this country illegally, refuse to go through the process of obtaining the necessary documentation, make a point of NOT learning the dominant language, and then demand special rights..........well, there's something really wrong with that. Most of the Hispanic people I grew up around wouldn't have dreamed of acting this way---they worked hard for everything they had, took pride in their culture, but also were grateful to be Americans. They did their best to learn American customs and language while at the same time remaining true to their own rich heritage. And they didn't ask for handouts. :nono:

My biggest issue is that there is no proper channel for the whopping majority of these people to go through to get here legally. A generation or two a go it wasn't so difficult, not even for Mexicans. Now, it's virtually impossible. It's reasonable to ask something of people that they can do. But when there's no provision in the law for them to come here legally in the first place nor legalize once they get here, what are they supposed to do?

ETA - MBANurse, it actually WAS because he didn't have a car. Just to put the subject to a well-deserved rest.

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Um.........stay where they are and try to make things better there??

Look, I'm not against caring for people---otherwise, why would I be a nurse?---but I think America has enough poor, uninsured, undereducated, underprivileged people of its own, and we need to see to our own problems before we go trying to solve everyone else's. We simply don't have the room or the resources to take care of the entire world.

I'm done. I think.

There should be road markers along the path to citizenship, I think it is imperative that they learn the language and pass an English exam.

Better attempts at assimilation, drop the demands for bilingual classes. My brother and sister did not speak a word of English when we came to America, they were in 1st grade and kindergarten, they learned English and FAST, they helped the rest of the family learn English too.

I think some folks are put off by the groups that fly the Mexican flag above the US flag, its wrong to accept the benefits your adopted country gives, but not be willing to be a full citizen and American first.My family considers themselves to be American of German heritage.

I do think this is their home if they have lived and worked here for over 10 years and have children born here who are American citizens by birth right.It is not feasible to deport millions of people.

Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
There should be road markers along the path to citizenship, I think it is imperative that they learn the language and pass an English exam.

Better attempts at assimilation, drop the demands for bilingual classes. My brother and sister did not speak a word of English when we came to America, they were in 1st grade and kindergarten, they learned English and FAST, they helped the rest of the family learn English too.

I think some folks are put off by the groups that fly the Mexican flag above the US flag, its wrong to accept the benefits your adopted country gives, but not be willing to be a full citizen and American first.My family considers themselves to be American of German heritage.

I do think this is their home if they have lived and worked here for over 10 years and have children born here who are American citizens by birth right.It is not feasible to deport millions of people.

I still maintain that home is defined by the occupant. I just don't think legality enters into the definition of that concept.

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