Unimaginable
March 5, 2020
I have two adorable little grandsons, ages 2 and 5. I have such a tender spot for those little guys—they’re so sweet, and also so vulnerable. Having raised three kids of my own, I also understand how vulnerable parents can feel when it comes to the safety of their children. Seeing children at risk and parents in distress can overwhelm me with worry and compassion.
This is a very normal human response. Even people who don’t have kids of their own understand these feelings. This is why the story I’m about to tell you is so upsetting to me. See if you can imagine this happening in America.
The parents of two young children are awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of a smoke alarm going off somewhere in their house. Still half asleep, they are at first confused. The father decides he’d better go check. As soon as he hits the hallway, the smell of smoke jolts him awake. The parents scramble to their children’s bedrooms, grab their kids, and head down the stairs to the front door.
Smoke is thick on the main floor, but they make it to the door. When they open the door, a uniformed officer is already there. Below is the interchange between the parents and the officer. By the way, this is a white family in a black neighborhood with black officers.
MOTHER: Thank God … you’re here!
OFFICER: Stay inside your house ma’am.
The mother and father try to exit the house.
OFFICER: Turn around ma’am … Sir, turn around and go back in!
FATHER: What?
OFFICER: (blocking the father) Do not come out that …
FATHER: What the f***!?
MOTHER: There’s a fire! Help us!
FATHER: Get the f*** out of my way!
The father tries to push his kids past the officer. The officer shoves him onto the floor inside the house.
OFFICER: (to the mother) I will handcuff you if you try to come out that door! Turn around!
MOTHER: The house is on FIRE! Get out of our way!
OFFICER: Ma’am…!
The mother pushes the officer. The officer grabs her by the wrist and handcuffs her. The husband gets up and rushes the officer. The officer stuns the father with his baton. Once he has handcuffed the mother, the officer handcuffs the father. The children are huddled together outside the door, screaming and crying.
OFFICER: (to the children) Get back inside the house!
By now, flames have erupted from the back of the house. Neighbors have begun to gather on the street. Backup officers have arrived, but no fire trucks.
FATHER: What the f*** are you doing!?
BLACK NEIGHBOR: (yelling at the officer) Let them out! For god sakes, they can come to my house. Let them out!
SECOND NEIGHBOR: (yelling at first neighbor) This is a BLACK neighborhood! They don’t belong in this neighborhood! (To the officer) Do not let them out here!
A second officer comes to assist. The officers push the parents and children backward into the house and shut the door. Then they bar the door to prevent it from being opened. Some of the neighbors cheer…
This story fills me with outrage. The racism and violence against the family are utterly detestable.
Now, here’s the truth: this story is a fabrication. But what it’s describing is very real and equally detestable. My fiction is describing the world-wide racism and violence against refugees—people fleeing “burning homes,” many of whom receive treatment similar to what I’ve described in my fable. (Details on the scope of this crisis are at the bottom of this post.)
When Americans talk about refugees, our conversations center on politics and policy. But do we think about how it would feel if our own children, grandchildren, or nieces and nephews were sitting in some filthy border camp? Do we imagine the desperation of parents panicked to get their children to safety? Do we consider how it would feel if the tiny body lying on a shoreline or river bank was that of our own child or grandchild? Do we remember our humanity?
And we who are Christian—do we ask what our faith demands of us? If we sing about Jesus on Sunday then turn a blind eye to His most vulnerable children, are we living his gospel? Are we clear about what Jesus meant when he said, “If ye have done it unto one of the least of these…”?
My intention here is to awaken us to the crisis being caused by politics and policy, but not to discuss politics or policy. I hope readers will consider very carefully what you support and whether what you support harmonizes with your feelings and your religious and/or humanitarian values. Simply ask yourself—if these policies affected people I love, would I still support them?
DETAILS
Worldwide, there are 3.5 million asylum-seekers, 25.9 million refugees, and 41.3 million people displaced from their homes but still living in their own country. In total, that makes 70.8 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. This is the largest displacement of people in history. (https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html)
Tens of thousands of individuals and families, most escaping violence from gangs and organized crime, are fleeing from Mexico and Central America seeking safety in the U.S. Barred from entry into this country, they are forced into makeshift camps along the border where conditions are very poor and they are vulnerable to cartel violence. (https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/12/20/20997299/asylum-border-mexico-us-iom-unhcr-usaid-migration-international-humanitarian-aid-matamoros-juarez)
Similar situations are happening in Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan and other countries around the world. The Syrian civil war has sent over 3.6 million refugees into Turkey, where they are being blocked from entering Europe. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refugees_of_the_Syrian_Civil_War) In total, there are about 5.6 million Syrian refugees outside Syria plus 6.2 million displaced persons inside Syria. (https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/syrian-refugee-crisis-facts)