Letter: Remember one label we all share
Saint Francis of Assisi said, “If I must err, let it be on the side of compassion.”
America has lost its compassion when our would-be leaders look at the world and say:
Sorry to hear your children are drowning. Saw that on TV. Very sad. But ...
We don’t want you.
Sorry your children are starving. You might tighten their belts. We have a little extra food here. But ...
We don’t want you.
Sorry you sent your unaccompanied children across the border to escape gangs. But ...
We don’t want them.
Sorry that you and your family are being tortured and killed. That’s got to be rough. But ...
We don’t want you.
Sorry your religion is the “M” word. Christians and Muslims may share a common ancestry. But ...
We especially don’t want you.
Some persons have said that those who spout this ugliness represent the very worst of America. I disagree. The very worst are those of us who hear this, shake our heads, and roll our eyes. But ...
Do nothing.
We are better than that.
Republican, Democrat, Tea Party, Libertarian. In the end we share the same label: human. It would be a step forward were we to act like it.
Susan Roesch
Hilton Head Island
This story was originally published March 28, 2016 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Letter: Remember one label we all share."