The situation at our southern border is outrageous! Children have died!

Why is our current administration so determined to keep people out? The migrants who come to the border are not “aliens.” They are people. They are people looking for safety and opportunity and hope. Ours is a really big country, with plenty of room for more people.

Look at the video images from the border. There are women and children. There are fathers carrying their sons and daughters in their arms. This is not an invading army. This is not a threat to national security. This is a humanitarian crisis.

Forget “the wall.” We need a humane, efficient system for processing people at the border. Done right, it will weed out the few migrants who come for criminal purposes. Across the country, at a local level, we need to welcome new people and help them become contributing members of our communities.

All major religions emphasize kindness to the stranger and assistance to those in need. Morality is based on treating others as you wish to be treated. It is not difficult to figure out the right thing to do.

Sandra Dyer

Portland