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

[pickledpepperRN]

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?"...

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

And what I say is, being in a country illegally doesn't make it one's home any more than sitting in a henhouse makes one a chicken.

Okay, NOW I'm done.

[MBANurse]

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

Ok... sorry then.

He definately should have been sent back to mexico then... post haste

[MBANurse]

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

Well lets see places that I have "lived" for over a year that would never be called "home".

Korea, Iraq, Kuwait

Places that I have "lived" for at least a month that would never be called home.

Panama, Scotland, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee... or anyplace that I will be temporarily for whatever time period before I return to where "home" is.

[HeyJude]

I have a question. I'm just throwing it out there.

Do you think Native Americans ever sat around having this exact same discussion about the invading hordes of colonists?

People who:

- for the most part, forced their language(s) on the Native Americans, not vice versa;

- did not stay in their countries of origin to try and better their situations;

- did not ask permission of the peoples already living here before taking over their land, their possessions, and their wives

- spread all kinds of diseases; and

- planted their flag anywhere they darn well pleased - "claiming the land for England (or Spain, or France, or...)

I'm not saying we here are to blame for their actions. Just pointing out that these are not new problems, and that 'they' eventually become 'us.'

[MBANurse]

Actually... Native Americans fought back to the best of their ability. There was a whole series of Indian Wars from Colonization to Ante-Bellum Civil War. The european settlers often had tried to make things better in their own countries only to be tossed out. THey also had technology and weapons that allowed them to beat the Natives here.

SO just throwing this out there...

Should we take the same approach that Native Americans did? Wage war against the invaders?

[LydiaNN]

Well lets see places that I have "lived" for over a year that would never be called "home".

Korea, Iraq, Kuwait

Places that I have "lived" for at least a month that would never be called home.

Panama, Scotland, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee... or anyplace that I will be temporarily for whatever time period before I return to where "home" is.

Once again, you twist my words. I said that the occupant defines their home. If you didn't consider Korea your home, then fine. Perhaps that was because you weren't planning to live there indefinitely.

As much as some of you would like to manipulate the meaning of the word, you don't get to assign the notion of "home" to anyone other than yourselves. You don't want this to be their home. That's not the same as it not being so.

[Simplepleasures]

I have a question. I'm just throwing it out there.

Do you think Native Americans ever sat around having this exact same discussion about the invading hordes of colonists?

People who:

- for the most part, forced their language(s) on the Native Americans, not vice versa;

- did not stay in their countries of origin to try and better their situations;

- did not ask permission of the peoples already living here before taking over their land, their possessions, and their wives

- spread all kinds of diseases; and

- planted their flag anywhere they darn well pleased - "claiming the land for England (or Spain, or France, or...)

I'm not saying we here are to blame for their actions. Just pointing out that these are not new problems, and that 'they' eventually become 'us.'

My family came here because they were ethnically CLEANSED out of their own country after WW2.Many Mexicans come here because they are looking for a better life for their families, I dont begrudge them that. It is a human trait to leave an area that was not conducive to survival to seek another place that is. I think that to require immigrants to pass an English exam as a step to citizenship is not asking too much, if one wants to be welcome in the country that opened its arms to you, that is the least you can do is learn the language of the country.

I think the Native Americans probably felt the European settlers were wrong to continue to speak their native tongue, I bet they would have been happier with Europeans if they had adopted some of their Native American culture, I bet the Native Americans felt that the Europeans were taking over their country, maybe this explains how American citizens feel about immigrants who have no desire to assimilate or learn the language.

I say welcome to America, this country is big enough for all of us.

[MBANurse]

Once again, you twist my words. I said that the occupant defines their home. If you didn't consider Korea your home, then fine. Perhaps that was because you weren't planning to live there indefinitely.

As much as some of you would like to manipulate the meaning of the word, you don't get to assign the notion of "home" to anyone other than yourselves. You don't want this to be their home. That's not the same as it not being so.

sigh...

you stated exact quotes here...

"As for them going "home", if this is where they live, then this is their home, legal or not."

"since when is the place you live not home"

you added "user defined" later on.

but we digress... lets get back to the poor children shan't we?

[LydiaNN]

sigh...

you stated exact quotes here...

you added "user defined" later on.

but we digress... lets get back to the poor children shan't we?

I know what I said and when I said it. Cutting and pasting only those words that you choose doesn't change the fact that I said home is defined by the occupant before you shared with us all the places you lived and how they aren't your home. You can certainly move on to whatever topic you would like.

[MBANurse]

Anyway...

Jude;

I agree with you that the cost of rounding up Illegals is prohibitive.

I agree that people that need immediate treatment should in fact get it.

But we have digressed so far from the original topic that we (or at least I) have forgotten what it was.

I believe that this thread was originally about the children of working poor; and basically how the veto of the SCHIP expansion does them a great disservice.

You have presented well reasoned arguments; would you please share with me your position on this?

[HeyJude]

I say welcome to America, this country is big enough for all of us.

I completely understand and respect where you are coming from, ingelein. I didn't mean to make light of your family's history. I was referring to several hundred years ago, and the 'Manifest Destiny', not displaced people who were kicked out of their homeland by an evil madman's policies. Please know that.

And I agree with you that it's reasonable to ask people to learn English if they come here to live. That's perfectly fine, and it benefits both citizen and immigrant. And it DOES show gratitude to a country that allows you to live here. On this I agree with you wholeheartedly.

I don't think it's unreasonable to give people say 3-5 years (maybe more, maybe less) to prove they can speak English once they've established residency. I agree with English-immersion. It's the best way. Immersion is how I learned Spanish, and I don't speak it with an American accent. I completely agree that people (especially kids, the little sponges) may struggle for a few weeks, but after that will be almost flawless speakers. I've seen it over and over.

[Simplepleasures]

I completely understand and respect where you are coming from, ingelein. I didn't mean to make light of your family's history. I was referring to several hundred years ago, and the 'Manifest Destiny', not displaced people who were kicked out of their homeland by an evil madman's policies. Please know that.

And I agree with you that it's reasonable to ask people to learn English if they come here to live. That's perfectly fine, and it benefits both citizen and immigrant. And it DOES show gratitude to a country that allows you to live here. On this I agree with you wholeheartedly.

I don't think it's unreasonable to give people say 3-5 years (maybe more, maybe less) to prove they can speak English once they've established residency. I agree with English-immersion. It's the best way. Immersion is how I learned Spanish, and I don't speak it with an American accent. I completely agree that people (especially kids, the little sponges) may struggle for a few weeks, but after that will be almost flawless speakers. I've seen it over and over.

Thanks, I am still so many years later sensitive about this, strange huh? I remember kids across the street yelling,"NAZI, GO HOME" to us, I ran in inside and asked my mother "what is a nazi and why do they want us to go home, isn't this our home?", she just cried.