America's compassion detained along with the kids

Yes, it is who we are, our country if not every citizen. Because of the President of the Electoral College and everyone who enables him, in the eyes of the world the United States of America has joined the disgraceful list of governments that have, over the course of human history, taken children from their parents and locked them up.

According to Trump, it sends a message. Indeed it does: He’ll punish children because of what their parents did; not unlike descendants of Adam and Eve (his cult considers him heaven-sent). Both Jeff Sessions and Trump’s mousepiece cited the Bible to defend it.

God knows the Bible calls for worse than taking children from their parents. Many religious leaders quote it to rationalize various forms of inhumanity. In the case of the “president” of the United States, though, our laws are clear: The Bible isn’t an acceptable justification for his behavior. Not that Trumpists agree with that concept.

To his compartmentalized credit, and unlike self-described “pro-family” groups, Franklin “Clinton’s infidelities mean he’s untrustworthy but Trump’s are none of our business” Graham didn’t like treating children like this. Lying as usual, Trump blamed Democrats for non-existent laws that forced him, poor man, to do this unhappy thing. That’s glaringly, almost laughably false. But lying is who Trump is, and Trumpists seem to love him for it. (Politifact: tinyurl.com/no2children)

Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy apes his favorite “great guy,” leader of the planet’s most brutal, repressive government. After his performances in Toronto and Singapore, Trump demonstrated he wants onto that list; democracy isn’t his cup of cheeseburger, and they love him for that, too. None have argued otherwise.

Rather than brutalizing children, how about recalling the compassion that once made America great? Trump’s reluctant, hasty, half-about-face doesn’t fit the description. But it does prove he was lying about Democrats.

Recently, I opined that since Trump’s economic policies will hurt average Americans, the best explanation for their continued support is they like how he treats people who aren’t white male Republican Christians (dictators Kim and Putin excepted.) Readers were outraged. Shame on you for implying racism, they said. None repudiated the examples that were given, though. (I admit to error in that column, in failing to mention theocracy as a factor in Trump-love. Trump himself is as Christian as “talented” Chairman Kim, but he’s the means to an end.)

Then Virginia Republicans nominated a vocal white supremacist to represent them in the Senate. Shortly thereafter, the execrable Ann Coulter said the captive children are “child actors,” coached by Democrats to look sad. Trump retweeted it. Fox “news” Laura Ingraham insisted detention is like “summer camp,” Cory Lewandowski said “wah wah,” and Tucker Carlson warned keeping those families together endangers America. (What say you now, Tucker?)

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