Former First Lady Laura Bush: Stop Separating Families

On Sunday, Laura Bush condemned President Trump’s “zero-tolerance policy” in a rare break from retirement.
Laura Bush has never been a political figure known for “making waves”. During her tenure as First Lady she served in the traditional ceremonial role. That is not to say that she did not have causes which she fought vehemently for because she did. Particularly children’s literacy and women’s health. But she was never one to break away from the GOP establishment, at least not much.
As one of the most popular First Lady’s to have held the office, she has a history of getting along with everyone. Since her retirement from political life, she has also made it a point to avoid the pitfalls of speaking out against current administrations. That all ended on Sunday. In an op-ed published by The Washington Post, Bush took aim at the growing controversy.
Speaking out for the most vulnerable.
“I live in a border state. I appreciate the need to enforce and protect our international boundaries, but this zero-tolerance policy is cruel. It is immoral. And it breaks my heart.” Bush likened the practice to other dark parts of the United States history as well.
“Our government should not be in the business of warehousing children in converted box stores or making plans to place them in tent cities in the desert outside of El Paso. These images are eerily reminiscent of the Japanese American internment camps of World War II, now considered to have been one of the most shameful episodes in U.S. history.”
While Bush did not use names, she did squarely put the blame for this travesty on the zero-tolerance policy. Then, she called upon Washington to act.
“People on all sides agree that our immigration system isn’t working, but the injustice of zero tolerance is not the answer. I moved away from Washington almost a decade ago, but I know there are good people at all levels of government who can do better to fix this.”
Ending her op-ed she stated, “In 2018, can we not as a nation find a kinder, more compassionate and more moral answer to this current crisis? I, for one, believe we can.”
Will it matter?
Bush’s words echo the growing sentiment among the nation but the question remains, will it matter? Everyone seems to agree that the U.S. is in need of immigration reform. However that is where the agreements end. With bipartisan politics having gone the way of the dodo, a solution seems far away. Instead Washington seems more content to lob blame back and forth without actually acting. Coupled with the fact that we are heading into a midterm election, it is unlikely there will be a solution soon. In the mean time, the situation grows more dire. More families separated. More children living in squalor.
And Americans getting more frustrated by the situation all around.