Recently, two young National Guard soldiers were gunned down in our nation’s capital by an Afghan refugee with serious mental health problems. That is a terrible tragedy, and it happens at a cold, dark time for our country.
Before this shooting, many of us were asking why the National Guard is needed in an American city in the first place. But we should have recognized that, regardless of why they were there, the stage was set for one more terribly troubled man with a gun to create havoc.
More tragic than the event itself is the president’s response to it. Instead of looking for reasons for shootings and means to prevent them, the president now seizes the opportunity to ramp up his war against “others.” His callous “America First” mindset already seemingly allows him to hunt down people living in this country whose only crime is wanting a better life for themselves and their families.
He directs masked ICE agents in unmarked vehicles to swoop into cities, catching up integral members of their communities and American citizens alike in their dragnets, along with a pathetically small number of actual dangerous criminals. He does nothing to stop mistreatment of detainees and unconstitutional deportations of these people without a fair hearing.
Now, after this shooting in Washington, he is demonizing not only the gunman, but he is pausing all asylum applications and halting visas for people from the entire country of Afghanistan. He wants to have us believe that the crimes of a single man are the crimes of an entire nation, even though the Afghan people who are here risked their lives to assist Americans during our war in their country, and there are more still waiting there to emigrate to safety.
And the president is on a roll. In his uniquely cold-hearted way, he is freezing immigration from certain countries across the globe, and floating ideas like revoking green cards and reviewing asylum requests granted during the previous administration. A border wall, which seemed preposterous when he touted it on the golden staircase in 2016, is not enough, apparently.
This is not about making America either great or safe. This is about pure malice toward others. This is about creating fear in noncitizens and citizens alike, and tearing at the very fabric of what can make us great and safe.
We are nearing the shortest day of the year. From ancient times, people have recognized the winter solstice as a time of great significance, a time to take stock, to reach out, and to recognize that we are a small part of a very large world.
The spirit of this season encourages us to look outside our little enclaves to our neighbors both near and far. We live in an interconnected world, and we are not the only people whose lives matter. We need to recognize the humanity and dignity of all those here.
Our faith traditions in this season further connect us with truths beyond our comprehension. Many of us call the unimaginable power behind these truths God. Some have another name, or no name. Regardless of our beliefs, there are rights and there are wrongs. In this very dark time in our country we need to remember that. It is more essential than ever for us to grasp the importance of turning first, not toward ourselves, but toward others, connecting with them and sharing our bounty. In that way, we also become vital members of a country, a world and a universe.
“America First” will not get us where we need to go. We are better than “America First.”
Millie LaFontaine is a retired neurologist who lives in Concord.