As a country, we’re empathetic when families are separated by a natural disaster; we make it a priority to ensure their reunion — yet nearly half of the nation deems it acceptable to split families if the sitting president is performing the act.
On Feb. 3, CBS released a poll stating 45 percent of Americans approve of President Donald Trump’s executive order that banned entry into America from seven major-Muslim populated countries — Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
The number of people who agree with Trump’s executive order truly puzzles me. A country which values family, puts its value on a pedestal and always strives to keep them together — now splits them?
Imagine you’re from one of the above countries — you came to America to attend a university, you met your soulmate and after returning to your native land, you realized the United States is better for you and your family. You’re having a baby and you know health care is much better in America than in your country — not to mention, there are greater job opportunities which would allow you to better support your family. You send your wife back to the United States, where she’s from, to have her child.
Keep following.
You’re in the process of obtaining a visa for a spouse. You were approved by the United States Immigration and Citizenship Service, and your application was sent to the National Visa Center. You went for your interview and have now been vetted twice. You go to pick up your passport from the U.S. embassy in Iraq only to find out Trump banned you from joining your wife and son in the states.
This isn’t made up — it happened to Diamond DeDual. Her husband has to watch their son grow up over FaceTime and has no idea when they’ll be reunited — all because of possible terrorist attacks that aren’t happening. NBC News reported you’re more likely to choke to death than get killed by a foreign terrorist.
DeDual isn’t the only person who has been affected by this order. Families are being separated across the nation.
Louisiana residents have seen first-hand the way America values families.
The Red Cross , with the help of donations, helped several families after Hurricane Katrina, which is fantastic. Their website says, “As Katrina’s aftermath flooded New Orleans, countless families were separated. Ten years ago, technology wasn’t what it is today but Red Cross workers worked tirelessly to help.”
Even after last year’s flooding, people nationwide donated to the Red Cross in order to “provide safe, dry shelter until families can return home.”
For most natural disasters, among other tragedies, first responders’ main concern is the safety of families and later they focus on material property. This is how it should be. Family is universal. It is something everyone, across the world, treasures and holds sacred.
Trump’s ban does not match the values we try to uphold as a country — family being one of them. What if that were you? What if you were being separated from your mom, dad, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, whosoever for something that has nothing to do with you? As a country, we can’t stand for this. We need to keep the conversation going, we can’t let the demolition of American values become the norm.
Clarke Perkins is a 21-year-old political science junior from New Orleans, Louisiana.
