John Kasich served as governor of Ohio from 2011 to 2019 and was a member of Congress from 1983 to 2001. The views expressed in this commentary belong solely to the author. View more opinion at CNN.

(CNN) America's war on children must stop.

What's happening on our southern border -- migrant children in overcrowded, unsanitary and unsafe conditions , separated from their families -- is an unspeakable disgrace and a stain on this nation we may never wash away.

Watching and reading reports about the gross neglect and mistreatment we're inflicting on kids is appalling. I ask myself, "Can this be America? Is this the way we in this country treat any human being, let alone the youngest, most fragile and most innocent among us?" But it's true. What we're seeing now is undeniably un-American, inhumane and shameful.

For no offense of their own, sick and hungry children are left to sleep on concrete , in their own filth, without adequate nutrition and medical care . Infants and toddlers, separated from their families, are being cared for by other youngsters who may be only a few years older. Is this happening because of cruel intent, scandalous neglect or a lack of funding? Ultimately, I care less about the answer to those questions and whom we can blame, and more about how we can help these children.

Blame and dissension will not bring us solutions. That will take leadership. Republicans and Democrats in Congress need to set aside their differences and drop the endless back-and-forth finger-pointing, as well as the fighting within their own camps. Most of all, the President of United States has to be the leader here. There is no more urgent moral issue before him, but he's been engaged in the partisan blame game. That's unacceptable.

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