Immigration is the Issue That Shines a Light on Our Personal Beliefs
Are We Really Who We Think We Are?
This article isn’t a rant. Nor is it a political statement. Immigration has always been a hot topic, but now more than ever. Furthermore, there’s the little matter of climate change which will increase the sheer number of immigrants.
The big question is how we manage the inevitable migration of massive groups of people who will be forced to leave their homes behind in search of food, water, and a chance to keep their children alive. Political unrest will of course flourish as well and war over resources will mostly likely surge. We will see a domino effect pushing an increasing number of people to move elsewhere.
Everyone senses this. Even climate deniers know it. There is a growing feeling of alarm that unfortunately is being used by far-right parties to stir up animosity and division between the masses and it’s very successful. But it’s also true. Immigration is here to stay and we don’t know what to do about it. Thus it’s easy to use this problem of human desparation and deprivation to breed a feeling of impending doom.
The feeling of impending doom then spreads like a virus catalyzing to drive voters to vote against their own best interests rather than try to solve the problem. They become fearful and full of hate and are convinced that their leader will save the day.
Humans are wired to survive and procreate. That’s a fact. So when they feel threatened, not unlike a wild animal, humans become anxious, angry, and deeply committed to self-preservation.
If you take a close look at the growth of right-wing government parties across the Western world, a concern they all have in common is immigration. Whether it is Italy, Hungary, Germany, England, Sweden, or the Republican Party of the United States, they all share this concern. Immigration is a huge piece of any right-wing political party’s platform, and arguably the number one talking point.
The United States is in the throws right now. We are told that a mass of immigrants are working their way through Mexico toward our border as I write these very words. The daily media reporting on this movement of desperate humans is enhanced by photos, videos, tweets, Facebook stories, Instagram details, and burning and hateful debates between politicians. Biden is being urged to rethink immigration policies quickly. Why? The rhetoric goes like this …
They’re coming. They’re approaching the border quickly. We can’t absorb them into our world. There are too many. We must find a way to block them no matter what it takes. This is our land, our country, and illegal entry is a serious matter. Save us from these cannibals, the walking dead, subhuman beings. They will steal our jobs, pass disease among us, and threaten our very way of life.
In the meantime, there’s little discussion about what happens to these people if we turn them away, or block their entrance. It’s not our problem many say. Go back to the country you inherited at birth. Italy belongs to us. America belongs to real Americans. France is our holy land given to us by a god no less. We are blessed and it’s our job to protect our land from outsiders.
All of this is normal. It’s been going on since the beginning of human civilization. We fight to keep what we think is rightfully ours. Outsiders are seen as the devil incarnate.
In the meantime, in America at least, we are encouraging women to have more children, not fewer. As our world heats up and becomes less livable, we want more babies not less. As water becomes the new gold and food is scarce, we seem to think that every fetus deserves a chance to struggle with the rest of us. Even the poor who are approaching our borders have been led down the road toward overpopulation. The Catholic Church has had a big influence on the number of births throughout South America. Abortion is deeply criticized and still outlawed by a number of countries.
As usual, we make no sense. Humans, the animals with big brains, resort to stupid solutions and violence over and over again without fail. When under pressure, frightened, when the world looks grim, they often don’t use their big brains to solve big problems. Instead, they start wars and retaliate with violent rhetoric and actions.
And that makes no sense. When will we stop killing each other? if this is as good as it gets, I’m not impressed. As a seven-year-old child, I knew better. Human suffering caused by the indifference of humans is what evil is all about. I’m not religious but I can tell you this, the cruelty that humans continue to support in this old world is not a good sign that we’ve evolved. We may be technologically advanced but socially we’re cavemen with cell phones. It is distressing, to say the least.
Some countries are more welcoming to immigrants. Places like Canada for instance. Like the US, Canada has a shortage of employable people and immigrants are viewed as a welcome answer to this problem. However, I’m sure there are Canadians who don’t approve. A need for more employees doesn’t always outweigh the fear of losing one’s culture and the fervent belief in the God-given rights of a chosen people. That tribal instinct can be preyed upon by those who are hoping to gain power and influence over their citizens.
I don’t have all of the solutions but I can tell you this. If we don’t find a way to address the inevitable and unprecedented surge in immigration across the world, then the grim reaper will have a field day. All those babies that we insist on bringing into the world will suffer and that makes zero sense. ZERO. If you think today is bad, just wait. It’s about to get a lot worse.
The world needs to address the future. The future is looming and it’s guaranteed that immigration is not only here to stay but will dramatically increase.
We ain’t seen nothing yet.
Teresa is a writer and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
