By Star Jameson, Hamilton
I am deeply disturbed that the media refer to the thousands travelling north through Mexico from South America as “immigrants.” Is this some way of whitewashing the devastation they are fleeing, and the fear and grief they bring with them? These people are refugees, plain and simple. They are “unable or unwilling to return to their country of nationality because of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinions…” (U.S. legal definition).
Does a family with small children, or a single mom with kids WALK north to commit crimes? To deliver drugs? This is absurd reasoning. Referring to them as “invaders” is equally absurd. Do we have the capacity to deal with them? Probably not, but neither did the European countries who absorbed countless Syrians, and others fleeing from wars. We can make room. We are capable, economically and socially, of absorbing those fleeing for their lives; it’s the higher ground.
Have editors told their writers to use only the immigrant word? And if we are hell bent on refusing admittance to refugees, let’s help them to move on to Canada, who will surely invite them, employ them, and respect them.