Act now, help the powerless
I was born and raised in Aspen, but two years ago I left the country for political and professional reasons.
Even though my tax dollars are not supporting the U.S. government, I am still a U,S, citizen and I feel a sense of responsibility to exercise my freedom of speech and advocate for the children who are being neglected in U.S. government facilities on our border.
When children are separated from their parents and kept in warehouses without water, food, beds, blankets, medical care, and when the president blocks funding for recreation, legal aid, and English lessons: This speaks horribly of our entire country.
This is on all of us. It is easy to feel powerless and like you cannot do anything to change our current course, but this morning I donated to Save the Children, and I wrote my state representative. I know there are people reading this that have far more money and power than I do, and I want to encourage you to educate yourself on this issue and do whatever you can to protect these innocent children. They should not be punished or used as political ponds; they did not choose to come to the United States. They were carried by their parents who fled for their lives and saw the United States as a beacon of hope.
Are we still a beacon of hope? Please hold your elected officials accountable for this atrocity. Donate to Save the Children, Annunciation House, or Women Refugee Commission. Become a foster parent. Volunteer. Protest. Get quiet for a moment, find your inner peace, then act! Thank you.
Mary Cate Hauenstein
Aspen