Hypocrisy and human rights

I write this while my cheeks are still flushed and hot from the embarrassment we citizens have had to endure in recent weeks, while political parties have played tennis with migrant minors. The grand proclamations of human rights and dignity have become somewhat emptier after being used by institutional representatives who cannot hide the fact that the last thing they care about is the well-being of these people, who need shelter, solidarity, and help. It's hard to hear people talk about human rights without understanding their profound implications, which go far beyond excuses that offend our intelligence, no matter how little intelligence we have left as a society.

The argument that the Balearic Islands don't have the capacity to accommodate around fifty minors is true, but the second part is omitted: the islands don't have that capacity because their leaders don't want it. That's legitimate. But it would be good if all the cards were on the table.

The idea that we don't know if migrants arriving by boat are coming to commit crimes is also true, of course. Nor do we know if they are coming to build a life, start a family, and get ahead. We don't know if they are good or bad, slow or quick-witted, strong or weak. We don't know this about anyone, not even those born among us. What we should know is what we are willing to do for better cities and towns, if we want to offer the same opportunities we claim for ourselves, or if this is a prerogative we can enjoy only by birthright.

Borders are lines, drawings that can be turned against us at any moment. But for now, it's fine for us to be the ones saying we can't cross.

The overreaction of our representatives has been out of control for some time, regardless of their party, whether they are in power or in opposition. But when drama is used to justify the unjustifiable, it's inevitable to fall into a sad parody.

We shouldn't compare ourselves to anyone. We shouldn't calculate rates to make it seem like there's no room for 50 minors. It's completely ridiculous, which is what happens when excuses aren't well-supported.

Furthermore, when the institutions that represent us choose to ignore human rights with excuses, we mustn't forget that they do so in the name of all of us. They dehumanize us all. It's the Balearic Islands that don't want these minors, and no one will bother to find out who is being supportive or not. We're a blog.

I don't find the argument about cultural essences very helpful either. We are mixed race; our essences have been formed over centuries of mixing, and I don't think we can stop them in the future. Do we want to accept that economic globalization continues to exploit us without the Global South having its say? Are we willing to be that dishonest and hypocritical?