Perspectives: What the migrant caravan is teaching us about ourselves

December 2, 2018 Utah Channel 3

OPINION — The U.S.-bound migrant caravan that began in Honduras and has been making its way through Mexico has been on a lot of people’s minds lately.

Much of the media coverage has played upon the polarizing nature of the immigration debate. That may play well for ratings but it’s not doing much for substantive discourse.

Depending on who you ask, this caravan is viewed as either a collection of oppressed and desperate women and children seeking a better life in the land of opportunity or an indistinguishable mass of menace primarily consisting of MS-13 gang members and Al Qaeda sleeper cells.

Somewhere between these two extremes is where the truth can be found. Assuming, of course, that truth is our goal.

As with most high profile stories, the temptation to spin or sensationalize the narrative for some perceived political advantage is too much for many to resist. That makes it difficult to find reliable information from which to draw an informed conclusion.

If we are being honest with ourselves, what most of us know about this matter is what we’ve been spoon-fed by someone else. As good as it may feel to indulge our confirmation bias by embracing the narrative that most closely supports our viewpoint, it’s not the same thing as authentic firsthand knowledge.

This is why there is such great value in being able to go to the source, whenever possible, to observe for ourselves rather than indulging in groupthink and group judgments as a substitute.

Of course, even when someone does decide to do the hard work of seeking firsthand knowledge, we tend to grasp at any straw in order to discredit or ignore their observations.

Case in point: San Antonio pastor Gavin Rogers grew tired of the escalating rhetoric and personally went to Mexico and traveled with the caravan for five days. He documented his experience on social media and returned with a perspective that’s worth considering.

Rogers found that the reports of widespread violence and danger within the caravan were grossly inaccurate. Hitchhiking and walking along with a group of nearly 6,000 people, he found that many were traveling as families to escape violence and corruption in their home countries.

Many were seeking asylum in the U.S. because they have family members here and they’re wary of the cartel violence and political instability in Mexico. Rogers was surprised at the amount of kindness shown by Mexican citizens, truck drivers and even police officials as the caravan covered nearly 400 kilometers in roughly 23 hours.

He related how the local police officers he spoke with described the caravan as “overwhelmingly peaceful” with no police related conflicts.

Contrast his account with the fear-fueled, legalistic reasoning that is informing our social media narratives.

Rogers wrote, “Creating fear is a tactic that is continually used to separate people and label the other. People, especially people who proclaim Christ, who post such obvious posts should apologize and delete the garbage.”

For suggesting that there may be more ways to view this issue than strictly within the popular political dichotomies, Rogers is accused of having his own political agenda. That sounds more like psychological projection on the part of his accusers.

How dare this pastor use his eyewitness account to rob us of the opportunity to indulge our anxieties?

Ammon Bundy has also received intense public backlash for suggesting that viewing the world through a political prism should be secondary to viewing it through the prism of personal faith – at least for those who claim to be Christian. In both cases, the people who are reacting with the greatest intensity tend to be those who are no longer able or willing to think outside of their politics.

Legitimate concerns about potential criminal behavior or abuse of the welfare system by a few thousand arriving asylum-seekers are being blown out of proportion by exaggerated fears that these alone could topple our republic. Meanwhile, Columbian citizens have voluntarily taken in a million refugees who have fled the deteriorating conditions in Venezuela.

If our own system is really that weak, perhaps it’s time to let natural selection take its course. Otherwise, any likely solutions will require that we take some individual responsibility.

Dismantling the government bird feeder would be a giant step in the right direction. Remember how charity was handled before it became a government enterprise? By churches, communities and private philanthropists who volunteered their services.

Politics encourages us to view others as an opponent to be conquered. Genuine charity persuades us to see others as a prize to be won. It’s becoming clear which worldview is more popular in our society.

In the end, would we rather be remembered individually for the kinds of policies that we supported or for the kind of personal character we embodied?

Speaking strictly for myself, I’m certain that my greatest prospects for long-term happiness is inseparably connected to how I choose to answer that question.

Bryan Hyde is an opinion columnist specializing in current events and liberty viewed through what he calls the lens of common sense. The opinions stated in this article are his own and may not be representative of St. George News.

Email: bryanh@stgnews.com

Twitter: @youcancallmebry