So, I was listening to the latest podcast episode of Intercepted, which is a great journalistic podcast that tries to speak truth to power, no matter the political party involved, and I heard Narcy, an Iraqi rapper, do an a cappella rap that began with the line: “A moment of silence for morality.” He then went on to rap about the taking of children from families, and I thought to myself: “He is absolutely right.”

If we stand by and allow any of the crimes committed by this administration, not just the latest one, go unopposed or fought or resisted, then it just tells them (it’s not just Trump) that what they are doing is okay or that we stopped paying attention because something else has come up. That is immoral. We, as a country, are shamed by this inhumane act at the border and all the lies that were told to try and maintain the policy, which is NOT a law from a previous administration. To let this go on at all is the death of morality in this country.

I don’t care if you are progressive, liberal, moderate, conservative, or alt-right. If you think it is okay to tear a child of any age away from his or her mother, then you have NO morality. None. I don’t care if they are illegal immigrants (which most of them are not because asylum is not illegal). I don’t care the color of their skin or the god that they worship or the amount of money in their pockets. Taking a child from his or her parents is a crime against humanity. It is up there with putting people in camps with inhumane conditions, treating people like animals instead of humans, or killing innocent people in the name of anything. Oh, right, we do all of that too.

Go ahead. Anyone. I dare you to contradict me. Tell me how permanently scarring children and their parents is a good thing. Make a convincing argument supported by evidence. Here’s my evidence:

Scientific American, “Separating Families May Cause Lifelong Heath Damage”

The Washington Post, “What separation from parents does to children: ‘The effect is catastrophic”

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, “Public Health Effects of Separating Families”

Oh, and if you are a Christian or Jewish denier of science, how about these?

“Do not mistreat foreigners who are living in your land. Treat them as you would an Israelite, and love them as you love yourselves. Remember that you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34)

“Long ago I gave these commands to my people: ‘You must see that justice is done, and must show kindness and mercy to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners who live among you, or anyone else in need.” (Zechariah 7:9)

“See that justice is done – help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows.” (Isaiah 1:17)

And one from the New Testament, just to cover all the bases:

“Whoever has two shirts must give one to the man who has none, and whoever has food must share it.” (Luke 3:11)

Still not enough? Okay, how about the values that this country was founded on?

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” (Declaration of Independence)

“‘Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!’ cries she With silent lips. ‘Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’” (“The New Colossus” Emma Lazarus — inscribed on the Statue of Liberty)

“Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” (The 8th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States) This amendment prohibits the federal government from imposing unduly harsh penalties on criminal defendants, either as the price for obtaining pretrial release or as punishment for crime after conviction (constitutioncenter.org)

So, Mr. Trump and all your supporters, what’s your defense?