Whatever You Did for One of the Least of These Brothers and Sisters,
You Did for Me
Some Bright Light Among the Darkness
Even with all the new horrific decisions of the administration, thankfully there is another brighter side to how government can work. It was lovely to see a recent display that shone light on the country, instead of drowning it in darkness. Between March 31st -April 1st New Jersey Senator Cory Booker spent 25 hours filibustering (overnight) on the Senate floor to protest the president’s policies. He-literally-was standing up for the rights of all Americans. I didn’t start watching until the morning of the 1st , but I was captivated by his determination and patriotism. I watched for the rest of the day.
He certainly talked a great deal, occasionally saying: “I yield for a question, while retaining the floor.” as many of his colleagues would introduce their topic and then ask a question about an important constituency of our country. In less than a few hours that afternoon he talked about farmers, veterans, the childhood tax credit, and the Health & Human Services workers laid off that day.
He would give some background on the issue, give accounts of real Americans who are suffering, and then answer some questions about those issues. It was so interesting to see how all of us encompass many sub-sections of the country, all with diverse interests and needs. And beyond that, those sub-sections seem to have sub-sections.
Booker and his colleagues enlightened us about how over the years, women veterans have had a tough time finding female specific healthcare at the VA. Now that there are mass layoffs and budget cutbacks, getting proper gender-specific care is going to be even more difficult. Booker mentioned that DOGE, after recently cutting 5,000 veteran jobs, is planning on cutting another 83,000 at the VA-about 1/3 of whom are veterans.
Keeping up with the care and support of all our veterans already was tough, but now with all these cuts it will make providing quality care that much more difficult. We as a country have a serious and solemn duty to protect our veterans whose bravery and sacrifice has allowed our democratic way of life. What did any of our veterans fight for, if we hand our country over to a few billionaires who are trying to destroy the very democracy for which these veterans fought?
At 25 hours and 5 minutes, Booker surpassed Senator Strom Thurman of South Carolina, the notorious segregationist, who spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes to fight the Civil Rights Act of 1957. The irony being that Cory Booker was the first African-American senator elected to the state of New Jersey. Also, that we are now on the precipice of many Americans losing those same civil rights because of the machinations of this administration.
I have never before seen anything so moving happen within our government. Senator Booker’s comment “I think empathy is a superpower” was the pinnacle of idealism for me. I feel that his day-long action of ‘resisting’ is patriotism personified.
And thankfully, Booker is not the only politician standing up to fight this administration. There have been other flashes of light in Washington as well. Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have been touring red states throughout the country, to educate people on the lies that the administration has told us Americans. It seems that Tim Waltz also has been traveling the country doing a similar tour, as well.
In other good news, on April 1st, Susan Crawford won the Wisconsin Supreme Court seat against her republican challenger. But more importantly, she won against Elon Musk who spent somewhere around $20 million trying to get the GOP candidate elected. Musk even illegally handed out several $1 million checks to a few random people, to entice voters to select his candidate. With this win, it will be the first time in 15 years that liberals have held the majority in the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
There was a surprising sign of pushback to the president, on April 2nd, that I never expected, when four Republican senators voted against him by blocking Canadian tariffs. Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, Rand Paul, and Lisa Murkowski all voted along with the Democrats. I think it is a shocking sign of rebellion to the president’s stronghold over the Republican party, up until now. This vote gives me hope that more GOP lawmakers will see that they can start to vote their conscience, and not just do what the president dictates. It’s all just a little more light creeping in...
Yes, Tariffs Are a Tax!
So, April 3rd was touted as ‘Liberation Day’, according to our president. It came and went with the US announcing tariffs (aka ‘a tax’) on products from most nations, including most of our allies. Yet interestingly, not Russia...the president continues to show his love for Putin, his brother in autocracy.
Now, I’m not sure how instigating a global trade war is ‘liberating’. And I have no idea why taxing the heck out of our nation's citizens is doing anything but liberating our hard-earned money from our wallets. It was unclear whether the president was ignorant or lying-both are plausible-during the debate (and in the clip) when he said that the tariffs were not a tax, and that we wouldn’t pay for it, but other countries would. Trump Denying Tariffs are a Tax
A day after ‘Liberation Day’, the president was upset that China issued their own tariffs. I guess he really thought all the other nations would not retaliate. Well, it’s much too early for us to know the true outcome of this economic ‘experiment’, but it is clear that the losers in this scenario will be the American people. Some experts claim there could be ramifications from these tariffs for decades to come.
There are legal ways though in which the tariffs can be opposed. Sadly though, it is a sign of the cowardice of Congress that they do not repeal all the president’s proposed tariffs. Now that they are about to be imposed, it means that Americans will be paying a lot more money for many everyday items (household goods, groceries, etc.) and for big ticket items, such as cars and high-end electronics.
In an online rant, the president (naturally) has rebuked the four GOP Senators who voted against the Canadian tariffs. He also has said he wants to put a tariff on Fentanyl-the drug which he falsely claims people are smuggling in from Canada in large amounts. Essentially, he wants the drug dealers-who are illegally bringing the drug across national borders-to pay a tariff. Well, I’m not sure (operationally) how that might happen, or how much we can count on drug dealers to pay tariffs on their bounty while entering the country. But I’m glad the president is covering all bases. Tariffs for Fentanyl Drug Dealers
Speaking of covering all bases, in an example of the administration’s tendency not to focus on details, the president’s tariff scheme seems to impose 10% ‘reciprocal’ tariffs on Chagos Island. Here’s the thing though, the only occupants of the island are Americans on the Navy base there. Similarly, there is also a proposed tariff structure (10%) on the Heard and McDonald Islands. Yet, there are no human occupants there but plenty of birds, seals, and penguins that our government can tax. I believe the penguins are pondering their own response to the tariffs...
Whatever You Did for One of the Least of These Brothers and Sisters, You Did for Me
As scripture states in Hebrews 13:1-3 “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters...continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” This quotation, along with the oft-quoted Matthew 25:40 “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” show how important it is to Christianity that we treat prisoners with respect and care.
Yet, the president has shown that he cares very little for people who break the law. His shipping of brown men with tattoos (suspected of being in a Venezuelan gang) to an El Salvadorian work camp without due process is a sign he doesn’t care about prisoners. He doesn’t even seem to care about the non-criminals, as it is likely some of these men are not gang members, and do not have criminal records. Unfortunately, it is not clear what criteria were used that led to these mens’ arrests. One prisoner had an autism awareness tattoo, another prisoner had a Real Madrid (a world class Spanish soccer team) tattoo; but not any gang tattoos as the administration has claimed.
Another prisoner (who had a crown tattoo) was described by family and friends as a gay makeup artist who they said definitely was not in a gang. This is why having due process and a trial is so important. Honestly, I think that is why these ‘gang members’ were directly sent to a work camp in a different country. The administration knows it will be nearly impossible for these men to prove they are not what the administration claims they are, as they are not in the US anymore.
Last month, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited this same CECOT work camp in El Salvador, for a tour of the facility and to make a video and take pictures in front of the prisoners. It’s an attempt to show US dominance over the prisoners who-had they not been incarcerated-she would no doubt cross the street quickly to avoid. In the photos she allegedly is wearing hair extensions and a $50,000 Rolex watch. Those are some nice optics there! Kristi Noem Poses in El Salvador Prison
Watching her preening in front of prisoners, who according to sources are regularly abused and certainly debased (as seen in the photo), makes my stomach turn. The video and photos are a gross attempt at propaganda for an administration that is trying to look ‘tough on crime’. To me this photo smacks of the same vibe as pictures about 20 years back of US soldiers demeaning prisoners at Abu Ghraib. Both situations show the same lack of respect for the dignity and humanity of the prisoners.
As for some people who have entered the country illegally, the conditions of detention centers located in the US are said to be extremely poor. Overcrowding within many detention centers is said to be a huge issue. In the Krome ICE detention center in FL, the maximum capacity was 500, but they have over 4,000 detainees there now. There is very little food and as for water, there is a limit of one cup of water a day.
Officially, there are three people who are dead so far because of these inhumane conditions. As such, these facilities are already literal death camps for some. It is unlikely that conditions will change anytime soon, which will only result in even more deaths. ICE Detention Center Inhumane Conditions
How we, as a nation, treat prisoners reflects our collective morals and character. The US government unequivocally is treating these prisoners worse than animals. In addition to being illegal and immoral, it is unconscionable. It also may be unconstitutional, as there could be possible violations to the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. We as Americans tend to take umbrage to human rights violations around the world, yet our own country treats our prisoners with a complete lack of empathy.
The height of irony though is that our president has had so many various criminal charges against him (he’s been charged with 88 counts in four criminal cases). If it were not for his money, connections and brazen lack of adherence to judge-issued orders, he would be in prison somewhere here in the US. In 2024, he was convicted of 34 felony counts, yet he still became our president. Despite all the criminal and civil cases against him, he has yet to be held accountable for his crimes in any significant way. Trump's Criminal Cases
Our call as Christians is to help those who are imprisoned. For our government to treat these people like animals goes against the tenants of the faith, and the values on which our government was founded.
What can we do? Call to action!
I don’t know any passage of scripture that speaks to me more about my faith, than Matthew 25: 35-40. Essentially, it is telling us we need to do the work of Christ by helping the marginalized people in this world.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
As a call to action, I can’t think of anything more important as a Christian than to work for those who need help the most. I know that many of us are involved in some sort of service to others. I think because of what is happening in our society right now, maybe we all need to ‘step it up’ a bit because it seems there are a whole lot more people who are suffering lately. I know that because of the recent injustice of our government, I am going to try to do a little more for people who need help.
Sadly, there will be more and more people who imminently will suffer more because of the administration’s mass layoffs; the trade war dwindling everyone’s retirement funds; and the awful human rights abuses of our government. In that vein, I think we all need to be more vocal about how immigrants and prisoners are treated in our country. Please speak up, if you can!