Etcetera 24: How Suffering Changes All Of Us

If nothing else, 2018 provided us with many opportunities to learn and practice empathy. Suffering of all kinds around the world often loomed large over our cultural conversation: the Caravan from Honduras; shootings; the fires in California; Yemen; the attacks on humans and human rights all over the world (including what has been brought front and center in the #metoo movement and Black Lives Matter).

The reality is that the suffering of one has a ripple effect on all of us. A blues song reminds us that "if one of us is chained, none of us are free." Perhaps that's true of suffering. If one of us suffers, all of us are impacted. Those who suffer are surrounded by friends and family who suffer with them. Those who cause the suffering, willfully or accidentally, become participants in the brokenness of the world. That, too, leaves its own kind of mark.

How should we respond? Is there anything we can do personally, or is this a systemic problem? Why not talk about both?

You can listen to Etcetera #24: How Suffering Changes All Of Us on Soundcloud or on various podcast apps (such as Podcast Addict or Stitcher Radio).  As always, we appreciate interaction with you! Feel free to comment on this blog or on our Facebook page.  We value your feedback, as well as any ideas for future guests or shows!


Recommended Links
"See how a warmer world primed California for large fires." National Geographic
"How the war in Yemen became a bloody stalemate - and the worst humanitarian crisis in the world." New York Times
"Mass shootings in the U.S.: When, where they have occurred in 2018." ABC 15, Arizona
"Under Caesar's Sword." University of Notre Dame 
"The Unsettling Truth Behind the #MeToo Movement." Christianity Today
"Fifty years after Martin Luther King’s death: a divided America." The Economist

A Personal Perspective On The 2018 Caravan From Honduras

I (Anthony) recently had the opportunity to talk with people who live in or travel extensively in Latin America about how those who live in Latin America view the caravan from Honduras traveling to the U.S. 

It should not have been a shock that, no matter how carefully I read the news in the U.S., every outlet overemphasizes or underemphasizes something about what is happening.  Here is my best summary of multiple conversations with people in a position to have first-hand knowledge of people in the caravan, their families, and the places from which they come. 

The politics

• There is divided opinion in Honduras. The upper class tends to think it is politically motivated and organized by those opposed to the Honduran president (and the caravan clearly has help from someone). They see the exodus from Honduras as a very public repudiation of his leadership organized by those who oppose him.

• The lower class tends to just want a better life (if you don’t understand why, read up on what is happening in Honduras right now). If they are being politically manipulated, they are unaware. They see the President of Honduras as unwilling to help them, so they see no hope for their situation to change.  

• This march is not about the United States, and it’s not organized and supported by the United States (though it’s possible opportunistic political groups have jumped on board since it started). This is a Honduran issue; the U.S. happens to be the land of promise. 

The people

• The caravan, while comprised of people who are largely unaware of the political machinations, has been co-opted by those who are not, in fact, in desperate need. 

• Perhaps 5% to 10% of the caravan are genuinely, deeply in need of resources or safety. Many of the rest in the caravan simply see an opportunity to get into the U.S. and make more money. One can hardly blame them, but the large majority are not starving, afraid for their lives, or miserable. They see better opportunity than they have at home. 

• Gang members have joined as the caravan has grown. They see a way to sneak in under cover of the caravan.  

• Most of the caravan is single men; the families we see in the U.S. news are there, but they are not as common as we think. 

Bottom line: genuinely desperate and needy people have had their quest for help spoiled by opportunists of all kinds. Figuring out how to properly vet those seeking entrance is a daunting but crucial task. 

The U.S. response

According to those I talked to (and they have seen some of the most grim situations in Latin America), the U.S. having a strict border policy is not out of line. All Latin American countries have tensions over immigration, so this is hardly a new issue or one unique to the United States. However, that does not mean there are no ways in which we could and should better serve those seeking to come to the United States. Two ways to help those genuinely in need stood out to me. 

• First, reconstruct our immigration procedures so we can focus on the truly needy, prioritizing and streamlining refugee processing in particular, then working on an more thorough vetting process for immigrants. 

• Second, there is a 6-8 month work visa that ought to be promoted and be more readily available. It would cater to seasonal work, which is what many immigrants do. There are some towns in Honduras, for example, where every family has someone in the states working because they really, really need the money. For those in poverty, it would bring them easily into the system, a system which benefits them and us (they aren’t stealing jobs for which U.S. workers are clamoring, and U.S. dollars go a looong way back home in places like Honduras and Nicaragua - but that’s another post).