Because Being Bipartisan Isn't A Nasty Thing

 This week, a bunch of U.S. lawmaking types stopped by our border with Mexico to view the detention centers we have set up down there. Spoiler Alert: They didn't like what they saw. Oh, and I almost forgot: These lawmaking types were representing the U.S. and the Republican Party. It was back in the Capitol where Senator John Cornyn described what he saw in Carrizo Springs, Texas. "Unless action is taken to stem the flow of migrants across the border that Category Five hurricane is going to break the entire system."

Down the street, White House press secretary Jen Psaki called the situation "heartbreaking" and "not acceptable," adding, "I think the challenge here is that there are only...there are not that many options." Those were the words from the press secretary of our President, who belongs to the Democratic Party. 

It would seem that both parties see the situation as broken heart-ways or hurricane-ways. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy echoed the heart part at a news conference in El Paso, saying "It's more than a crisis. This is a human heartbreak." Human heartbreak, in case that was not clear in earlier discussions of broken hearts and the U.S.-Mexico border. Then he tossed this on the fire: "Even though the U.S. Congress just passed a $1.9 trillion bill, not $1 in there to help them."

Shall we unpack that for a moment? The nearly two billion dollar relief bill that passed without a single Republican vote? That one? Is the implication that if somehow the bill had shoehorned in some money for more care for our surging immigrant population at our southern border, that Congressman Kevin and his Republican pals would have been all over that bad boy? 

Probably not. Instead, it seems that Republicans are more intent on suggesting that the more lax response by the new administration toward our border with Mexico is why we have this humanitarian crisis. It's like we were advertising hope. Which, we kind of have been doing off and on for a couple hundred years. But the problem at the fence/wall/line down there is that it has been broken for a very long time and switching presidents did not change anything. It remains broken, and hearts that used to be hard, are now being broken. This is really no different than a bunch of Democrats flying down to Texas over the past four years to make their points while the sun beats down on those in the holding pens. 

Which may be good news? That may mean that a common sense approach to immigration reform is on the way, much in the same way that after school shootings and hearts are broken that thoughts and prayers bring about common sense gun legislation. Or maybe just another opportunity for one party to blame the other while refugees travel hundreds of miles to our country in hope of finding a better life. But first they will have to be props in an ongoing political feud being held up here in the north. 

It's not a blue or red problem. It's not Democrats or Republicans. It's human beings. Start treating them like human beings instead of photo ops. All y'all.