Opinion

Hey, GOP: American exceptionalism demands compassion at the border

Other countries may turn away desperate children. But the United States should aim higher.

If a child showed up at your doorstep, begging for help, what would you do?

Most Americans, I suspect, would offer help, even if that meant simply calling the police, who would, hopefully, ascertain whether the child was really in danger. But a lot of Americans who would respond to such a scenario with compassion also believe that America should simply shut its door to desperate refugees.

I would suggest that a moral nation has an obligation to come to the aid of children who are fleeing grave danger. A nation as blessed as America ought to be a force for good in the world. "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."

This, in my estimation, is part of American exceptionalism. Like the U.S. Marines and the New York Yankees, classy operations aspire to higher standards of excellence.

The question of whether or not America is legally obliged to show this kind of compassion is irrelevant. Nations, like individuals, answer to a higher calling and should go beyond meeting the bare minimum of what is required by law.

I'm tired of hearing people say things like, "You know what Mexico does if they catch you sneaking into their country?" To which, I answer: "Do you want to emulate that kind of behavior?" The fact that other nations are less humane — less generous — is irrelevant. More is expected of America — and that's a good thing. Rather than sink to the moral mediocrity of other nations, let's go for something greater. Let's hold ourselves to a higher bar. This should be a point of pride.

And I'm tired of conservatives acting as if we live in a world of limited resources, where we are all fighting over a small piece of the same pie, instead of realizing we can grow that pie. This populist rhetoric is the talk of defeatism, of fear, of scarcity. It is in utter opposition to the Reagan/Kemp brand of optimistic conservatism that helped transform the world.

It's the cry of victimhood — not the talk of a prosperous nation, or of kindness or of greatness. It's the mindset of a nation that truly believes its best days are in the rearview mirror. To paraphrase Reagan, I reject that worldview, partly because such beliefs have a way of becoming self-fulfilling prophesies.

Fear leads to hoarding and bitterness. We can go that direction; conservatives can make that their brand. The GOP can become the party of the angry and the dispossessed — not the party of the aspirational and the generous. But why would we want to?

More From...

Picture of Matt K. LewisMatt K. Lewis
Read All
What being a father taught me about God
Just as God knows what's best for me, I know what's best for my sons.
Opinion

What being a father taught me about God

U.S. workers' epidemic of demoralization
Matt K. Lewis
The Bullpen

U.S. workers' epidemic of demoralization

The honesty and dignity of Lindsey Graham
The senator will be missed this 2016 race.
Opinion

The honesty and dignity of Lindsey Graham

The political charade of Obama's Keystone rejection
President Obama speaks at the southern site of the Keystone pipeline in 2012.
Opinion

The political charade of Obama's Keystone rejection

Recommended

Full federal indictment against Donald Trump unsealed
The unsealed federal indictment against Donald Trump.
The full list of charges

Full federal indictment against Donald Trump unsealed

10 things you need to know today: June 10, 2023
A White House protest against former President Donald Trump.
Daily briefing

10 things you need to know today: June 10, 2023

How safe is America's drinking water?
USA map filling with unclean water
Briefing

How safe is America's drinking water?

Supreme Court's Voting Rights Act ruling could boost Democrats in 2024
Alabama voting rights advocates
Redistricting

Supreme Court's Voting Rights Act ruling could boost Democrats in 2024

Most Popular

Ban the Bible?
Holy Bible.
Briefing

Ban the Bible?

Apple fixes its 'ducking' autocorrect problem
Girl looking down at iPhone.
duck yeah

Apple fixes its 'ducking' autocorrect problem

DOJ reportedly tells Trump he's a target of criminal investigation
Donald Trump
Famous Firsts

DOJ reportedly tells Trump he's a target of criminal investigation