President Jimmy Carter weighed in on reunification and threw shade at President Trump over what he perceives as a violation of basic human rights. Carter, not a policy giant, is known worldwide for his Christian beliefs and walking his talk.
The man exudes decency and love for his fellow man, and political ideology aside, Republicans and Democrats alike agree on his continued humanitarian outreach efforts and gentle demeanor.
Until now.
Jimmy Carter, left; Donald Trump, right
From the Carter Center in Atlanta, the former president stated, "We should be the champion of human rights. We're a superpower, not based solely on military power; part of that definition should be a commitment to human rights.”
For those old curmudgeons who cannot remember the man, or newborn millennials that never cracked a history book, those are fighting words from Carter, aimed right at the Trump administration.
Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn annually play web cast host to activists, peacemakers, and religious and community leaders from across the globe to discuss “economic and social rights, building faith in institutions, strengthening the social contract, and the recent backlash against human rights defenders.”
For the Good of the Order
The most recent event, Human Rights Defenders Forum, was where Carter weighed into the muck surrounding immigration policy, law, and enforcement:
"We have lost the long-term commitment to human rights. We need a comprehensive bill that has bipartisan support. Immigrants need to have a clear picture of what will happen to them when they come here. Clarification of U.S. law is most important."
Not a policy wonk, but he is correct. Immigrants are lured by the propaganda from the left, which touts free everything and instant acceptance, but when they arrive, they find this utopia is, in fact, a lie.
But is Carter’s entry into immigration cage-fighting with the president and Congress a day late and a dollar short?
Federal District Court Judge Dana Sabraw
Reunification Deadline
Federal District Court Judge Dana Sabraw, overseeing the reunification process that includes the ACLU and Department of Health and Human Services, is praising the efforts of all involved for meeting the deadlines.
The numbers are promising: The government has identified 1,637 parents who are eligible for reunification and of those 1,012 have been reunited.
Sabraw also gave credit to Commander Jonathan White, who works in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, DHHS, for his part in getting families back together, “He’s done yeoman’s work in accomplishing that.”
What numbers haven’t been released are those of parents who refused reunification. But Sabraw is rectifying that as well, “This should really be a transparent process. Some of this information is unpleasant.”
A Message of Peace
America is the only super power that defends the rights of all around the globe. Our immigration issues, although on the forefront of international legacy news, do not warrant the harsh criticism of our 39th president, who claimed America was no longer the global leader and protector of human rights.
Jimmy Carter
As he opined during the recent Forum, "We still have a chance to restore that position. But if we retain our current position of indifference, we only encourage human rights violators.” I respectfully disagree.
But I do believe that Carter should wade back into the water one more time for the good of America.
Perhaps this good man will once more work on behalf of the American people to see a resolution to what he perceives is a human rights tragedy. He could be the perfect diplomat to bring both the Democrats and Republicans to the table to hash it out, once and for all.
Not even the most rancorous of Democrats nor combative of Republicans would feel comfortable disrupting what would surely be a peaceful process, if Carter were at the table. It would be akin to hurting, in the deepest, most disrespectful way, the feelings of our most kind and grandfatherly peaceful warrior.
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