Because they’re just kids. ❤️. #FamiliesBelongTogether https://t.co/jpnBxPEebN

— Ashley All (@ashleyafterall) July 30, 2019

There are children in cages.

And men and women who are just trying to create a better life for themselves and their families.

They are risking their lives in the hope that they will find something more—more safe, more prosperous, more humane—in America.

But when they get here, they are being denied basic necessities, like soap and toothbrushes and beds to sleep in.

They are being denied basic humanity and the right to asylum.

I have a million feelings about this situation—none of them simple. I have a million questions about what we can and should do—none with easy answers. And all of this is compounded by the fact that the people being locked up look a lot like me and my family.

When it comes to the border crisis, news articles and Instagram posts and discussions about what to do never leave me feeling good.

Until today:

 

 

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I love this sooooo much! A seesaw at the wall!! #Repost @hifructosemag ・・・ A seesaw across the U.S.-Mexico border came to life this week, 10 years after first being conceived by two California professors. Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello, instructors in architecture and design, respectively, created “a literal fulcrum” out of the wall. Rael says it was “one of the most incredible experiences of my and [Virginia’s] career bringing to life the conceptual drawings of the Teetertotter Wall from 2009 in an event filled with joy, excitement, and togetherness at the borderwall.” See more from the day on HiFructose.com. #RonaldRael #VirginiaSanFratello #design #architecture #HiFructose @rrael @vasfsf

A post shared by Shaun King (@shaunking) on Jul 30, 2019 at 7:50am PDT

 

Thanks to two California architecture and design professors, Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello, there are seesaws at the border wall.

Seesaws meant for play—and for peaceful protest.

The border crisis—the laws involved, the current administration’s choices, the history of racism and discrimination in this country, and the real, live humans and families involved—is a complicated subject and not one that can be fixed with positivity or legality alone. But at its core, this issue is about people and how we connect to each other.

This feels like a tiny step in the right direction.

~

 

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Numbers from a year ago today. It’s only much worse, and it’s not about “legal”—Trump has worked to close legal asylum, too. It’s about not wanting immigrants. Do the right thing. Sometimes it’s that simple. ???❤️??? Share your Story: elephantjournal.com/post

A post shared by Waylon Lewis__. (@waylonlewis) on Jul 4, 2019 at 6:31am PDT