Flags and Cheese...

It's so cheesy... So so cheesy... The story of this boy, Alex, who wrote a letter to Obama offering a place in his family to Syrian boy. And Obama reading the letter...
The fact that Alex will be waiting for them with “flags, flowers and balloons...” Flowers and balloons are fine of course. It's just that he will be waiting with flags too! He will be filling with pride over the generosity of his “big” country.

“He teaches us a lot...” said Obama. Really? “The humanity that a young child can display, who hasn't learned to be cynical, or suspicious, or fearful of other people because of where they're from, or how they look, or how they pray. We can all learn from Alex.”

So why don't we, why don't you learn from Alex? Why don't you just put into effect, put into general practice what Alex wants to do? Allow anybody to select people or families, be they refugees or migrants, from a list like orphaned children.

Even if you don't open up... Sorry I take that back, because “open up” is not the right word, because borders as barriers of movement are unjust and shouldn't have been there in the first place. The right word is “remove” borders as barriers of movement... At least, you may allow people to “adopt” refugees or migrants or whoever else they wish to. Give people sovereignty instead of claiming all sovereignty to yourself. I hold you to your word. I believe I have the right to hold the president of arguably the biggest country in the world to his word. If politicians are just there to speak and not take action, they shouldn't be occupying that place. I mean I may even prefer Trump if he does what he preaches.: even though I am all against what he preaches.

In short: Don't preach if you are not going to practice what you Preach. Cheesy politics, empty rhetoric sucks. One boy writes a letter, "Ah how nice, how cute..." and politics exploits it. Then what? What's the good of it to the people on the run? What is the concrete action?
      If you say "We can all learn from Alex", first you, as the president of America, start and learn from Alex, and show what you have learnt!
     While we/you are at it, let's learn from Lars too... The Swedish architect Lars Asklund who asked only three questions to a Syrian man to take him into his house.

I understand it is difficult to do such things, to take radical steps as a president... You need to stay where you are, keep your position. However, at least go a bit further, take another step after saying "We can all learn from Alex." Ask people, even if rhetorically, "I have an idea... What if we bring such an adoption practice? An easy procedure where everybody in the world can take in anybody they wish? That allows people to move around without going through such a thorough vetting process to prove they are refugees?"
       Just let this question sit there and sink in; let your words start a discussion. A discussion that may change something in this mad world.


PS: What do you call being able to learn but not learning? As is the case for Obama...
PPS: What is to be done?

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