Dear Author,

We can help immigrants after we help ourselves? Really? I know this is saying is a cliché, but this nation was built by immigrants. Why are we counting them out now?

Your article mentioned Luke 10:25-37. Have you considered that the immigrants are kind of like the man who was beaten, robbed and left for dead that is mentioned in this parable?

I understand we have a lot of homeless people in our country, but as the United States, don’t we have the means to help everyone, immigrants included? We should be the Samaritan in the story that stopped and helped the man, but a lot of us are acting more like the priest and Levite that ignored him.

You said the story is about having mercy. That means to have compassion and forgiveness. So, we should just have mercy on the U.S. citizens and the homeless but not immigrants right now? You can’t have it both ways. Refugee’s are also homeless. You can’t really pick and choose who you want to help and who has to suffer.

You didn’t really mention that this is about the travel ban until the middle of your argument, but I assumed it was.

You said people are storming the streets and destroying buildings, and you’re partially right. They did do those things. But that was over Trump winning the election and had nothing to do with the ban.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure there have only been peaceful protests concerning the travel ban. There was one on our own campus.

I agree, we are a nation divided. We are divided because of situations like this travel ban.

You said you believe Trump is “trying to get the mess that is the American people and society straightened out.” If the American people are the problem, then why are we trying to keep other people out of our country?

Sure, it’s only for 90 days, but you said it will give “the people in charge time to figure out the most efficient way to keep you and I safe.” First, 90 days isn’t enough time to find a new “more efficient” way to keep everyone safe. You’re more likely to get killed by a cop or even a vending machine than a refugee or terrorist.

You also pointed out that people are obtaining guns illegally to harm people. You’re right, they are. But it’s Americans who are doing this, not refugees.

We are a melting pot, and we take pride in being one. How do we know it won’t be an immigrant who comes in and fixes us? It could happen.

You suggested that everyone should do their part. Well, people are. They are protesting. Yes, some may have misguided anger, but they aren’t wrong.

These protesters are standing together, but how can everyone in the U.S. stand together if we are so divided and constantly being separated by Trump?

I agree, we are broken. But keeping people who aren’t doing anything wrong from coming into our country isn’t going to fix us.

You’re right, duct tape isn’t going to work anymore. But neither is scotch tape, and that’s what Trump is.

This nation will never “straighten up” until we stop treating outsiders like outsiders. Until we stop treating people who don’t look like us like dog crap on the bottom of our shoes.

We are all one race, the human race.

You want everyone to stop “whining” about who’s in charge, but how can we when the one in charge is the real problem?

How can you start with a bible verse and then completely ignore the lesson it teaches as you write the rest of your article? And what about the most important verse, John 15:12? It says, “This is my command, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

We do have a lot of problems in this country, but the ones that need to be fixed aren’t caused by immigrants.

We have fought too hard and too long for equality across the board, and we have still yet to see it. It is this mindset that keeps setting us back.

I’m not trying to attack you or say that you hate all immigrants. But look around. You go to school with people from all over the world. People who love Monroe and the U.S. even though we locals don’t know why. What happens to them if people, including the president, continue to think like this?

Be a little more open-minded. You’re not black. You’re not Hispanic. You’re not a refugee or an immigrant. Besides being a woman, you don’t know how it feels to be the odd one out.

We can help immigrants after we help ourselves? We are all descended from immigrants. Helping them is helping us.