St. Joseph of the Lakes

Written By JOEY CAPPELLETTI, ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and JILL COLVIN (Associated Press) 

“Donald Trump accused President Joe Biden of unleashing a “bloodbath” at the U.S.-Mexico border, escalating his inflammatory rhetoric as he campaigned in two Midwestern swing states likely to be critical to the outcome of the 2024 election.

Trump, who has accused migrants of “poisoning the blood of the country” and vowed to launch the largest domestic  deportation operation in the nation’s history if he wins a second term, said Biden was allowing a “bloodbath” that was “destroying the country.” In Michigan, he referred to people in the U.S. illegally who are suspected of committing crimes as “animals,” using dehumanizing language that those who study extremism have warned increases the risk of violence. Trump said: “Under Crooked Joe Biden, every state is now a border state. Every town is now a border town because Joe Biden has brought the carnage and chaos and killing from all over world and dumped it straight into our backyards.”

In April Donald Trump launched into one of his normal tirades against illegal migration as he was attempting to pump up his base support. It was a hate filled speech that echoed much of Hitler’s call to the German people as he ascended to power in Germany. He created a "Master Race" called the Aryans. The Aryan race consisted of full-offspring German people that had blond hair, light colored skin, and blue eyes. Hitler wanted this race to be the most strongest, yet most superior race of human beings ever. Although Trump has not yet defined what makes up the precious blood of our country his phrase of “poisoning the blood of the country” smacks of this sort of elitism.

Only the most unintelligent people in this country could agree with such prejudicial slanders. In my lifetime (67 years) our country has moved from priding itself on being the home of refugees and immigrants;  (think of the words at the base of the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor,” “Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.  Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” to finding those who wish to be part of our wonderful country as threats that will destroy us. 

It is because of the immigrants that our country’s birth-rate has been stable. If you are involved in any kind of healthcare you will find that it is the immigrants who are stepping up as others chasing after an inflationary dream step away. (You just can’t pay me enough…. they would say). Contrary to the hate-speech generated by politicians looking for an easy way to rile people up; our country is being held up and sustained by those who treasure the opportunities this country provides.

Sometime when the media turns its attention back toward the Mexican American border take a look at those who are seeking to cross-over. I have yet to see any carrying guns and weapons to be used to destroy this country. Instead I have seen countless pictures of men and women and children who are exactly the ones Lady Liberty is inviting into our shores.