1. The Trump regime feels threatened by crying children because they – and all refugees – refute the Trumpist/fascist lie that humanity depends upon citizenship.
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
2. As Hannah Arendt wrote of refugees, they “have lost all distinctive political qualities,” “lost all other qualities and relationships–except that they [are] still human.”
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
3. Refugees and asylum-seekers embody our shared humanity. They prove that humanity does not depend upon nationality. They prove that Trump is a liar and a bigot.
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
4. We already have ample proof that he is both liar and bigot, but my point is that Trumpists fear refugees because (to paraphrase Agamben) they expose the fiction of nationhood.
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
5. Refugees and asylum-seekers expose the immorality of basing human rights on nationhood, and challenge not only nationalism but the nation-state itself.
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
6. (I’m lifting this idea from Giorgio Agamben’s “Beyond Human Rights” [1993], which appears in Means Without End: Notes on Politics [2000].)
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
7. We should not be fooled by yesterday’s photo-op. Trump will continue his cruelty. He will keep separating families. He has NOT changed his policy. Don’t take my word for it. Read the text of his executive order. https://t.co/PNdpWlwVfT
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
8. It affirms the policy of “detaining alien families together where appropriate and consistent with law and available resources” – notice that “together” is qualified by “where appropriate” and “available resources,” thus allowing more separation.
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
9. Note also that “Alien family” means a “person’s alien child or alien children” and “alien child” means people under the age of 18 who are “not a citizen or national of the United States.”
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
10. So, media like the @KCStar are being played. This headline is not true. I repeat: read the text of Trump’s executive order. https://t.co/PNdpWlwVfT pic.twitter.com/G6fDoHCUw2
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
11. And there are NO provisions for reuniting children with their families. The U.S. government is not even tracking them. (How is an infant supposed to find its mother or father?) #FamiliesBelongTogetherhttps://t.co/ABFR4QBaBX
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
12. It is up to us to keep the pressure on. #FamiliesBelongTogether https://t.co/YABf5QUyf7
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
13. Join the #FamiliesBelongTogether protests (or organize one) on Saturday June 30. https://t.co/TA6PPX0WnR
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
14. Call your senators and congresspeople. This is the Capitol Switchboard number: (202) 224-3121. Or, better, call the local office: https://t.co/zKOYKukIg8
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
15. Find where children are being detained (imprisoned) in your area, and #SurroundICE #OccupyICEhttps://t.co/Saiqg75EkK
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
16. Tell the truth about immigrants. #ImmigrantsMakeAmericaGreat https://t.co/l2aqWSWhjr
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
17. Learn the truth about U.S. history. (Tearing children from their parents is not new.) #KeepFamiliesTogether https://t.co/pqOMaHU0HP
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
18. @Slate has assembled a more comprehensive list of resources. https://t.co/s93avaytKu #KeepFamiliesTogether
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
19. Do not let America stand for this. Silence is complicity. The time to act is now. #KeepFamiliesTogether https://t.co/nI0Vs843Ff
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
20. And stay vigilant. Unless we stop them, they are coming for naturalized citizens next.https://t.co/Fh10MzkRRG
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
21. As @sarahkendzior says, “Do not accept brutality and cruelty as normal even if it is sanctioned. Protect the vulnerable and encourage the afraid.”https://t.co/o4AJ04O3pz
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
22. Long-term advice. Remember to VOTE in November, and know that the recent #SCOTUS ruling will make it harder for you to vote. So check the laws in your state, and be prepared to fight for your right.https://t.co/bx1LzCIFlZ
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
23. We need to #AbolishICE. They are Trump’s Gestapo. They delight in terrorizing people.https://t.co/8cJKbPtemh
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
24. Ultimately, the Trump regime needs to be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. #HoldTrumpAccountablehttps://t.co/yuf17d643P
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
25. Why not send a formal complaint now?
Attention: Office Information and Evidence Unit, Office of the Prosecutor
The International Criminal Court
Post Office Box 19519
2500 CM The Hague
The Netherlands
or EMAIL: otp.informationdesk@icc-cpi.int
or FAX: +31 70 515 8555.– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
26. In case it may be of use, I have also posted the full Twitter essay here: https://t.co/gW4Lmuw9eD #KeepFamiliesTogether
– Philip Nel (@philnel) June 21, 2018
Related posts on this blog
- RESIST! Year two begins NOW (7 Nov. 2017)
- Resolutions for a New Academic Year: A survival guide for higher education in perilous times (5 Sept. 2017)
- Refugee Stories for Young Readers: Francesca Sanna’s The Journey (23 Mar. 2017)
- Surviving Trumpism. Restoring Democracy. (12 Nov. 2016)
- Superman Was a Refugee, Too (29 July 2014)