The Washington Post recently shared an op-ed by former President George W. Bush. Here is the link to that article:
The op-ed shares not only some of President Bush’s feelings about immigration, but also five portraits — oil paintings? — selected from a much larger collection of portraits painted by the former President. The portraits included some notable Americans who were born in other countries. Gilbert Tuhabonye — long-distance runner, author, and motivational speaker — born in Burundi, for example. And Roya Mahboob — CEO of the Digital Citizen Fund — born in Afghanistan.
The portraits are done in a painterly fashion, avoiding any attempt at ‘photo-realism’. It’s a painting style made popular (if I understand my art history) by European Post-Impressionists like Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, and Paul Gauguin. I’m certainly not putting George W. Bush in the same camp with those pioneering European artists, because, of course, none of those earlier painters were ever elected President.
The Washington Post op-ed begins:
Next week, I’m proud to publish a new collection of my paintings, entitled “Out of Many, One.” The book may not set the art world stirring — hopefully, the critics won’t call it, “One Too Many.”
I set out to accomplish two things: to share some portraits of immigrants, each with a remarkable story I try to tell, and to humanize the debate on immigration and reform. I hope that these faces, and the stories that accompany them, serve as a reminder that immigration isn’t just a part of our heritage. New Americans are just as much a force for good now, with their energy, idealism and love of country, as they have always been…
…I share the story of a young man from France who followed his dream to become an American soldier, and went on to earn the Medal of Honor. And readers may recognize two distinguished citizens who fled pre-war Europe as children, and who each became U.S. Secretary of State.
I haven’t seen the new book; I am reacting to a brief op-ed by a former President, who wonders aloud why the issue of immigration, here in America, “is the source of so much rancor and ill will?” Why would so many Americans, for example, want to deny citizenship to thousands of people — friends, neighbors, co-workers — who were brought to the US as innocent children, by their parents, and who grew up here never knowing any other home?
As the former President suggests, these people “are fundamentally American. And they ought not be punished for choices made by their parents.”
The op-ed goes on to suggest some other reasonable immigration policies that moderate Republicans and Democrats could possibly agree on. Effective border management. A modernized asylum system. Increased legal immigration. An improved entry program for temporary and seasonal workers.
Many of the suggestions in the op-ed fly in the face of the immigration policies developed during the Trump presidency… which is why I used the term, “moderate Republicans” in my previous sentence. In my humble opinion, Donald Trump spent four years encouraging his supporters to view certain immigrants — essentially, anyone from non-European countries, and especially those coming from Mexico and Central America — as ipso facto criminals. Perhaps his supporters already held that view, previously.
I honestly don’t spend much time fretting about national politics, nor do I often write, here in the Daily Post, about national issues. We have enough problems right here in our own little village, to keep me happily occupied.
Problems can sometimes be solved. A small number of Pagosans, for example, have been working in a dedicated fashion, for many years, to ensure that no one in our town goes hungry, and they’ve been supported by monetary donations from many local citizens. A small number of Pagosans have been working to solve the affordable housing crisis — a crisis that has been developing slowly over the past two decades, but has now become noticeably more severe.
This morning, however, I am thinking about immigration — “coming into a place, from outside.”
Human beings are tribal. That’s my opinion. We naturally want to be part of some type of group, where we can feel surrounded by people who have our backs. That desire, to be part of a tribe, plays out in numerous ways. Church membership, for example. Book clubs. A favorite bar. Steady employment in some business operation. An outdoor club. Serving on a volunteer board. 4-H. Sports teams, as players or spectators. These forms of membership give us a sense of “belonging”. Most of us need that feeling. Some need it desperately.
Some tribes build a sense of unity among its members by making “non-club members” appear to be “the enemy”. The massive tribe that supported the Trump Presidency built up a frightening sense of unity in that manner, by making practically all non-members into “the enemy”. The enemy included everyone living south of the US border, everyone who lives and works in China, everyone who worships Allah, everyone belonging to the Democratic Party, everyone whose skin was a different color than “white”, everyone who supported gun control, everyone who didn’t love Donald Trump.
Using this age-old organizing trick — making everyone else appear to be a dangerous adversary — Donald Trump and his supporters were able to build an enormous sense of unity and tribal membership.
This morning, I am thinking about Pagosa Springs.
Dozens of people from outside of our little village — people who, you might say, are not yet part of the Pagosa tribe — bought houses here over the past year. Some of these non-tribal members will convert the homes into vacation rentals, and will encourage short visits by temporary immigrants. We call these temporary immigrants “tourists”, and our community leaders regularly assure us that our very existence depends upon temporary immigration. Our town is generally comfortable with that idea, it seems to me.
We’re comfortable with people from Texas, and Oklahoma, and Arizona, and California, buying homes and immigrating here. No permission is required. We simply allow the tribe to become a bit larger. No problem.
These immigrants are welcome, even if they come from the very southern border of Texas or Arizona. But if they come from one inch further south, from the other side of an imaginary line, well… they’re probably criminals. Definitely, they are our enemies.
Commentators have been writing quite a bit about mental illness during the pandemic. We’ve seen a rise in domestic violence, alcoholism, drug overdoes, criminal activity, excessive force by law enforcement personnel.
Some of the causes? Loneliness. Frustration. Isolation from our chosen tribes. Feelings of powerlessness. Fear of strangers.
Not too many commentators have suggested that “viewing everyone outside my tribe as a dangerous adversary” is a form of mental illness.
Bill Hudson began sharing his opinions in the Pagosa Daily Post in 2004 and can’t seem to break the habit. He claims that, in Pagosa Springs, opinions are like pickup trucks: everybody has one.