Sir, – The situation on the US border where immigrant children are separated from their parents is inhuman. These families are seeking a better life, and they are being punished for it. Some of them are fleeing persecution in their home country, and they deserve better than to have their families torn apart and to be imprisoned. It is unacceptable that they should be treated so, just because they were born in a different country. Laura Bush, Michelle Obama and Melania Trump have all spoken out about this. It’s not difficult to treat people with dignity.
No child should be forcibly removed from their parents in this way. No child should be kept in a cage. – Yours, etc,
MARIANNE McDONALD,
Cork.
Sir, – Babies as young as four months are being ripped from their mothers’ arms and thousands of children are currently incarcerated in cages. No modern nation could stand over this. There is no excuse. The world must act. – Yours, etc,
BLÁTHNAID
O’LOUGHLIN,
Grenagh,
Co Cork.
Sir, – What was once the American dream has become an American nightmare. – Yours, etc,
ROSEMARY GRAHAM,
Malahide,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – It is indeed “cruel and immoral” (Editorial, June 19th) that more than 2,000 children have been separated at the US border from their parents on orders from the Trump administration. Will the American public listen to their cries?
Many chose to ignore the political opponents of Donald Trump when he called for them to be “locked up” without a trial.
Many chose to ignore the mainstream news media when Donald Trump declared them “the enemy of the people”.
Many chose to ignore civil rights advocates when Donald Trump equated them with neo-Nazis marching in Virginia.
Who will now listen to the cries of young children forcibly removed from their parents on the orders of the Trump administration? – Yours, etc,
DAN DONOVAN,
Dungarvan,
Co Waterford.
Sir, – The separation of children from their parents at the US border with Mexico is unconscionable. President Trump has the power to stop this. Rather than do so, he’s blaming everyone else.
I’m a naturalised American citizen. I’m very proud of that fact. Immigrants have always made and continue to make a huge contribution to the US. We are net givers to society and not takers.
Let us all speak out while there’s still time.
We’ve seen the constant demonising of our free press by this man. The very institution that has contributed to and safeguarded our liberty is under threat. Does anyone seriously doubt that this can’t happen? Does anyone seriously doubt the endgame for a man whose heroes are the strongmen of Russia, China, North Korea, Egypt and Turkey? Not for them the irritations of righteous journalism.
And where are our righteous Christians in all of this? With a few honourable exceptions, the southern evangelicals seem to be pretty mute.
It’s time for us all to stand up and say “not in our name”. – Yours, etc,
JOHN COTTER,
Melrose,
Massachusetts.
Sir, – Some 18 months into his reign of ignorance and it seems we have still yet to hit rock bottom with Donald Trump. In the space of two weeks he has done serious damage to long-standing alliances at the G7, paid sycophantic tributes to a brutal dictator, has overseen and robustly defended the incarceration of children and, according to latest reports, will remove the US from the UN Human Rights Council.
By far the most cynical of his moves has been the use and abuse of vulnerable children to try to leverage Congress to fund his notorious wall.
The US electorate needs to take a long hard look at itself as we approach the November elections and remember how in these times many Republican members of Congress sat on their hands and allowed these actions to pass.
The US is at a dangerous crossroads where hatred and intolerance are being normalised. Hope lies in the growing activism of the younger members of the electorate, energised and politicised during Bernie Sanders’s unsuccessful run for president. If both Houses of Congress can be turned in November then there is some hope that the US can begin to repair the damage wrought by this unhinged narcissist. – Yours, etc,
BARRY WALSH,
Blackrock,
Cork.
Sir, – Might I suggest that Irish businesses desist from flying the flag of the United States outside their premises for as long as that country’s government continues its barbaric treatment of immigrant children. – Yours, etc,
JOHN MacKENNA,
Royal Oak,
Co Carlow.
Sir, – Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, in stating that her country is withdrawing from membership of the UN Human Rights Council, described that body as “a hypocritical and self -serving organisation that makes a mockery of human rights”.
In the light of recent US policy in separating migrant children from their parents is it not more than a bit ironic that Ms Haley should make such a statement? The words she uses are surely the perfect description of her own country under President Donald Trump. – Yours, etc,
GEAROID KILGALLEN,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Guantánamo for kids? – Yours, etc,
PAT HENNESSY,
Howth,
Co Dublin.