MSP President Dr. Fran Brown wrote an open letter to the MSP Community following the recent news reports of the conditions of immigrant children being held at detention centers in the US.
Dear MSP Community.
We have all heard of the cruel plight of the children of asylum seekers in the U.S. If reports are true, children of all ages in these detention centers are being held in unsanitary conditions, lacking even the most basic supplies without adequate adult supervision.
To spare myself feelings of horror and profound sadness over what is happening in the United States of America in 2019, I could turn away from the news. But I won’t allow myself that privilege.
I have three grandchildren, ages 4 to 11. There is no such thing as other people’s children.
As a community we must look past the partisan and political aspects of this tragedy. We cannot allow our frustration and sense of powerlessness to translate into complacency.
We are not powerless.
We can contact our representatives in government today to express our shock and outrage. We can tell our elected officials that this mistreatment of children goes against every moral fiber of our individual and collective beings.
We can get in touch with organizations that are helping and offer whatever support we can give.
And we can read this letter from the American Psychological Association that discusses the likely long-term psychological effects of this tragedy. As psychologists and future psychologists, we must prepare ourselves to treat the ramifications of a tragedy that will forever define our humanity at this time in history.
Each of us can do something to support the people on the ground — lawyers, advocates, and humanitarians — who are in a position to facilitate concrete and immediate change. We cannot wait for others to take action; now is the time to make our voices heard.
Sincerely,
Dr. Brown
