From the chattering media class to the proverbial “man on the street” – so many folks have fallen into a soft fatalism, an unconscious resignation that nothing can really change when we look at the serious problems we face. Immigration and Israel, fatherless homes and federal deficits, ecological and economic challenges – all seem intractable.

The manufactured crisis on the USA-Mexico border calls for thoughtfulness, not polemics, intelligent compassion for thousands, not agitprop soundbites and images. It is possible to welcome those that desire a better life while upholding the rule of law and screening out pernicious persons dedicated to our demise.