History doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes

In 1939, more than 900 Jewish immigrants boarded a German ocean liner to flee Nazi persecution. For various reasons, not the least of which was fear Nazis were embedded with them, the Jewish immigrants were refused admittance into the United States. The ship was forced to return to Europe, where more than a quarter of the passengers died in death camps.

There is presently a caravan of immigrants and asylum-seekers walking toward our southern border fleeing poverty and gang violence. Some government leaders, most notably President Donald Trump, have accused this group of being laden with gang members, middle-eastern terrorists and criminals, as well as being infected with various diseases. There is no evidence that is true. It is speculation intended to frighten the gullible and weak minded.

No one is advocating we open our borders - only that we appropriately apply our own rule of law to those who would walk hundreds of miles seeking a better life. We reject them out of hand, not because some of them are Nazi sympathizers, but, even more sadly, because some of us are.

William Green

North Liberty