The Government Shutdown and What It Means for Our Country

The border wall was one of Trump’s first campaign promises, and he is currently asking for $5 billion to fund its building. Trump has also decided to shutdown the government to try and get Democrats to fund his wall. To make matters worse, this shutdown is leaving thousands without jobs,while national parks like the National Mall are flooded with trash because there is no one there to pick it up. This fight is not without reason, as Trump has said on multiple occasions that the south border is bringing in drugs, gangs and human traffickers. Trump also made a speech on Tuesday the 8th about the current situation on the fight for border security.  Trump said “Democrats in Congress have refused to acknowledge the crisis and they have refused to provide our brave border agents with the tools they desperately need to protect our families and our nation.” Trump went on to state that “This is a humanitarian crisis – a crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul.” He also said “This situation could be solved in a forty five minute meeting. Hopefully we can rise above partisan politics in order to support national security.” The problem is that this issue most likely can’t be solved in a forty five minute meeting because both sides do not want to cooperate and compromise so the shutdown can end.

I decided to ask what some of FCS staff thinks about this issue.  First I asked Mr. Chagan, the 6th and 7th grade history teacher. He said, “I think the current administration is using the threat and reality of the government shutdown to force the hand of the American public and members of congress to fund the wall. And I just think facts that are being put out there as much as I’ve read are incorrect. In addition to the fact that what is being put out there is hurtful and racist. I think that whenever you categorize a group of people as ‘terrorists’ is hurtful and racist. And it doesn’t value all those who identify in those particular groups.” Next I asked Mr. Fogel, the 8th grade history teacher. He said, “I think there is way to much focus in putting up a wall in order to deal with issues of immigration. And there is a lot of bias against people from other countries that is creating a negative effect socially in our country, so spending that amount of time regardless of the money, spending that amount of time and energy thinking about the wall keeps us away from issues that could help our country more.” When I asked him if this country has better issues to be working on he said,“One hundred percent, and I think this one is wrapped up in a lot of racial bias.”

 

By: William Coleman ’23

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