Liberals, why the sudden change of narrative? A Reflection on Immigration Upheaval

Amid the partisanship of immigration reform, it’s easy to forget that people of both parties agree on the protection of American youth. No one wants to see children undergo trauma and adversity, and most everyone agrees that , parents’ actions aside, children are entitled to humane treatment.

Much of the upheaval resulting from Trump’s recent “zero tolerance” immigration policy appeared to spur from a recognized importance of the family unit. Critics of Trump argued that no political maneuver justified the separation of parents from their children.  Some vocal religious right figures condemned the policy due to its deprioritizing the family structure and, liberals thoroughly basked in these statements, using them as a means to bolster their stance. 

Regardless of one’s stance on Trump’s immigration reform, beneath the politics of border security lies a subtle issue plaguing America. By appealing to the sanctity of family in attempt to bolster their stance, the Left showed their willingness to claim moral high ground, so long as it fits into their narrative. 

Question: When has the Left stood for the elevation of the family unit in the past? Historically, liberals have abhorred the nuclear family. The tradition of family remains inextricably linked with religion, domestic gender-roles, and monogamy, values antagonistic to modern liberal ideology. The irony behind the progressives’ sudden moral appeals is daunting; the same party that has repeatedly justified eugenics and late-term abortion suddenly uplifts family unity as a universal right. My Leftist peers who regularly mock religion and marriage now quote the Southern Baptist conventionin their public statement that the family unit is foundational to the U.S. The Left’s sudden appeal to traditional values begs the question: Liberals, why the sudden change of narrative? Moreover, why are the American people falling for it? 

The Left have revealed their inclination to correct problems abroad while turning a blind eye to their domestic counterparts. We live in a society that deprioritizes viable alternatives to abortion, most specifically, adoption. Our foster care system remains broken and underfunded. If the upheaval resulting from the heroin epidemic slightly resembled that of the immigration crisis, perhaps the number of displaced children would cease its rapid incline. Perhaps, if liberals viewed the value of a fetus as equal to the value of a newborn child, our country wouldn’t account for a million abortions, annually.

Regardless of one’s stance on immigration policy, the public’s reaction to Trump’s reform attempt speaks volumes of the dismal state of our country. We voted for a man who puts America first. It was easy to vote for him in the dark, in the comfort of our anonymous voting booths; what comes after, not so easy. In theory, we like the idea of tackling the issues lingering amid the U.S. In practice, we’d rather throw money at issues and offer temporary solutions. To remain loyal to our conservative ideals and, on a larger scale, to preserve the traditions and sanctity of our country, the Right must discern the innumerable moral attacks casted upon us in the name of “progressivism.”