Immigration: Still safe enough

Yes, indeed, a primary responsibility of elected officials is to keep us safe. By anyone’s standards, since 9/11, we have been relatively safe. Somebody out there has been doing their job. Hopefully, despite the incompetence this dubiously elected president has so far demonstrated, they will carry on.

Secondly, compassion for immigrant families is as valid as compassion for those of murder victims, no matter whether the murder was committed by an illegal immigrant or by an American. And sanctuary cities stand as an example of that compassion.

They’re a recognition of the “sanctity of the family” (sound familiar, to anyone?), and of the need to prevent the worst excesses. They’re not perfect, but on a purely practical level, gung ho deportation could leave us high and dry, with regard to menial jobs going unfilled. Fresh broccoli and that sort of thing, right?

Lastly, “hysteria” doesn’t fly. Clearly, highly plausible circumstantial evidence points to shenanigans between Russia and the Trump campaign. Until resolved, a cloud of iniquity hovers over this White House.

In short, Trump may be president because of cooperative, underhanded maneuvering, facilitated by an alien entity. Then, too, we can’t discount Trump”s admiration for Putin, his would-be counterpart.

This story was originally published April 7, 2017 at 3:13 PM with the headline "Immigration: Still safe enough."