Axar.az presents an article, "Two Letters and A Prayer" by John Samuel Tieman.

By way of background, for those who are not my regular readers, I am a City Council Member in University City, Missouri. Ours is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis. To those unfamiliar with the region, my home is almost indistinguishable from St. Louis. University City is perhaps the most liberal municipality in Missouri. I'm a Third Way social democrat. My ward, the 2nd Ward, is probably the most liberal ward within this liberal city. This liberalism is characterized by our toleration of all kinds of folks, Blacks, Asians, Jews, Catholics, LGBTQ+, Middle Easterners, Indians and Pakistanis, Scientologists, to name just a few of our beloved neighbors. And lots of immigrants. Lots.

When I came to City Hall this evening, there were two letters on my desk. They are to all of us. One envelope is to the “University City Concil”. They are from children. One kid is thirteen and the other much younger. They are written in the cursive of kids. The letters and envelopes are adorned with penguins, a bunny, a cow. One envelope has a “Love” stamp.

A word about the texts. I deleted the names. And the retired middle school teacher, me, also made minor edits.

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Hi, my name is --------- and I am 13. I live with my mother and father in U. City and go to the Middle School! I think many people would agree with my sentiment that I do not want ICE in my school. ICE isn't just taking away criminals. It's separating families. Why should my friends need to fear them and [conceal] their family's love even when they're legal citizens? Why should they not feel safe in their community when you should protect them? Please, never allow ICE in U. City.

***

Dear U. City Council,

Thank you for keeping ICE off our streets. ICE is no bueno, and people should not be considered illegal. It's not that they are just going about their duties and what they are told to do. They are splitting up families that have done nothing wrong. They are not arresting criminals. They are taking parents away. U. City is no place for that. Its diversity is a strength that should not be taken away. Thank you for reading my letter.

Sincerely,

***

This evening, I'm overwhelmed by sadness. What kind of country have we become that we terrify our own children? From now until the end of this terror, for as long as I do City Council work, I will carry copies of these letters.

ICE is a federal matter. There is little a municipality can do to oppose it. Nor should a city oppose ICE if its agents have a judicial warrant in a criminal investigation. Personally, I don't think ICE should be abolished. I think it should be reformed. We will always need the narrow function for which ICE was formed, to protect America from cross-border crime and illegal immigration. I don't oppose the mission of ICE. I don't oppose the existence of ICE. I oppose the cruelty. I oppose the violence. I oppose the racism and the xenophobia.

My position, really the only position available to me, is one of non-cooperation consistent with the principles of nonviolence. My position is broadly consistent with most like-minded elected officials throughout my region. Since I am a writer, I do, can, and will bear witness. With all the power in my voice, I will continue to say loudly and publicly, “NOT IN OUR NAME!”

And I have one other position, one I usually keep to myself.

I am a council member. My role is civic. I also am a bad Catholic. Nonetheless, I pray. I carry a rosary in my bag. In public, I keep my religion to myself. But not tonight. Not when there are white Christian nationalists who say that this cruelty, this violence, this racism, this xenophobia, that this terror is moral. My tradition suggests the measure of many things. It's a medieval hymn that tonight brings me one such measure. I'm not given to much religious certainty. But this much is clear. “Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.” Where there is charity and love, there God is. It follows that when you terrorize the children, this cannot be of God.