They were side by side on the front page of our local newspaper – two articles – one about how a lack of federal funding was causing many rural hospitals to close, the other about Pennsylvania being one of the top targets for ICE. This just after we found out that many millions were spent in Schuylkill and Berks County to buy warehouses to incarcerate immigrants. A combined $206 million for two warehouses, both of which will be taken off the tax rolls. Who will pay those taxes? Residents of both counties. More importantly, who will pay the price? A lot of innocent people. And again – none of us wants criminals here – lock them up. Also, again – entering our country without proper paperwork is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine and up to 6 months in prison. Not the death penalty or deportation – unless your bid for asylum isn’t granted.
These two articles, side by side, made it very clear to me that our national priorities are based on cruelty, not justice. Many of the people who voted for this live in the very communities being harmed by these actions. A truth about 21st century America is that anything small really struggles. Schools, religious communities, stores – it is really hard to compete with mega-stuff popping up everywhere. It is what was called the “Walmarting” of America in the 1990’s – big businesses drive little businesses into bankrupcy, and there is little that can be done about it. Millions of people living in communities that are too small to support a hospital will go without healthcare while the government continues to pump billions into ICE. A lot of people are getting rich off of these cruel priorities, and it isn’t any of us.
The budget for ICE through 2029 is $75 billion, while the budget for the US Army is $57 billion. Congress is discussing increasing funding for ICE, but that is being fought. Meanwhile, federal funding for schools in 2024 was $79 billion. And while all budgeting is much more complicated than I can address here, I hope you get what I am saying. We are spending as much, federally, to hunt and incarcerate people here without legal paperwork as we are spending, federally, to educate all children in America. And while schools struggle to pay educators what they are worth, ICE agents are being given more in signing bonuses than most teachers get paid their first year. It seems to me that our priorities aren’t logical – they are based on cruelty. That doesn’t say much about us, does it?
Prayer – Holy God, we are all feeling like things aren’t right. Give us wisdom and courage to fix that. Amen.
Today’s art is “Choices” by Kim Ballard.