In 2022, many of us have developed tolerance and numbness towards the political world. I, like many, am quite tired of hearing adults argue about trivial topics, ignoring the true matters of the United States.

I have remained silent through political turmoil, enduring the Trump Presidency, Insurrection, and overturn of Roe v Wade. However, I cannot stay silent any longer.

Last month, Governor DeSantis sent asylum seekers to a notable vacation destination, Martha’s Vineyard. Martha’s Vineyard, a Massachusetts island accessible by air or boat, is home to numerous billionaires and celebrities.

On Wednesday, Sept. 14, fifty asylum seekers arrived on two planes. They walked off the plane, gazing at the unfamiliar terrain, realizing that no one was expecting them. The pamphlets they held in their hands were lies. What seemed like heaven to these migrants was soon becoming hell. Promises of clothing, transportation, job training, and other refugee services in Massachusetts did not actually exist. No vans or services stood awaiting their arrival.

Before I tell the rest of the story, you must understand that asylum seekers should be the focal point of the story. The poor and restless should never be taken advantage of.

The migrants’ journey started long before they arrived in America. Originating from Venezuela, the migrants fled their homes for a variety of reasons. According to the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Venezuelans leave their country due to violence, insecurity, lack of food, medicine, and other essential services. What this tells me is that leaving Venezuela in hopes of finding a safer home was the only option for survival. 

The journey from Venezuela has truly been hidden in media coverage of this event. Walking hundreds of miles to escape, many traveled through rough terrain, a type of landscape we would be unfamiliar with. The asylum seekers tread through rivers with the consistency of clay, watching mothers and young children die along the way.

For the past few months, at least 3 Republican governors claimed credit for transporting asylum seekers from south of the U.S. border to various “liberal” cities in America. Governors such as Greg Abbott (Texas) and Doug Ducey (Arizona) bused and flew hundreds of asylum seekers to states beyond their governing control. In August, Abbott spent 12 million dollars transporting migrants to the Naval Observatory in Washington DC, the home of Vice President Kamala Harris. Migrants appeared outside of the home, stranded. They sat on the sidewalk and grass, surely confused. Abbott wholeheartedly claimed credit for this wrongful act through a tweet, saying Harris needed to recognize the intensity of the border crisis by having migrants sent to her “backyard”. 

I understand the message Gov. Abbott was trying to convey; however, was utilizing human lives the best way to do so? I think not. The idea of transporting humans around the country just to irk a few liberals disgusts me, and it should annoy you as well.

There are many lessons to be learned from these injustices. First, we as humans need to understand that not everyone was born into a life of clean water, a closet full of clothes, healthy food, and a safe domestic situation. Many–not all of the problems we face throughout our daily lives bear little importance compared to those around the globe. 

Second, to registered voters, please be aware of who you cast your vote to in November and all future elections. As shown through Gov. Abbott, DeSantis, and Ducey’s actions- would you want your money spent on transporting people from other states to OTHER states? After all, DeSantis flew Venezuelans from Texas at the expense of Floridians’ money. 

Lastly, no human is exempt from becoming an asylum seeker. You truly may never know when powerful nuclear weapons will be launched, destroying everything into oblivion. You never know when a cybersecurity attack may occur, leaving you without access to electricity and the internet. Do not believe for one second that you are above migrants.

I have hope for the future of America. Our Founding Fathers believed that everyone by birth deserves basic, natural human rights. I am passionate about the values of equality, freedom, and liberty that our country was founded on. It is within the hands of us Americans to embody these principles, condemning the inhumane actions of others while supporting those in need.