POLITICS + GOVERNMENT

Photo of tragic drowning. Will it unite or divide?

Jun 26, 2019, 9:12 PM | Updated: Jun 27, 2019, 6:47 am

migrant border refugee asylum gang DACA photo...

This July 26, 2018, file photo shows people lining up to cross into the United States to begin the process of applying for asylum near the San Ysidro port of entry in Tijuana, Mexico. (Credit: Gregory Bull, AP)

(Credit: Gregory Bull, AP)

Disclaimer: the following is an opinion piece and does not necessarily reflect the views of KSL or its ownership.

A horrific photo shows an El Salvadoran father and his 23-month-old daughter drowned on the banks of the Rio Grande as they tried desperately to cross into the United States.

It’s a photo that’s so troubling, we have put it at the end of this article. If you don’t want to see it, stop scrolling now.

Does the photo galvanize or weaponize a tragedy? If it moves us to act to solve this catastrophe at the border, then that’s a good use of a horrible situation.

But it if just weaponizes the political debate and exasperates the wedge issue, the endless fundraising on both sides of the aisle, then the debate doesn’t move forward on the issue of illegal immigration.

Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who is the Homeland Security chairman, got it right.

“I don’t want to see another picture like that on the US border,” he said. “I hope that picture alone will catalyze this Congress, this Senate, this committee, to do something.”

But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer did not.

President Trump’s “actions at the border are a whirlwind of incompetence leading to pictures like this,” the New York Democrat said on the floor of the Senate. “So, President Trump, if you want to know the real reason there’s chaos at the border, look in the mirror. The president continues to blame Democrats, but the real problem is the president.”

That takes us nowhere. Schumer trying to blame Trump for the deaths of this father and his daughter is not how business gets done. That’s pointing fingers, shows a lack of leadership and doesn’t move the debate forward.

In turn, Trump said, “The asylum policy of the Democrats is responsible because they will not change the policy.”

Again, finger-pointing and a lack of leadership.

Instant certainty tells us exactly what we need to know about any issue in order to blame the other side. To use it as a cudgel to beat our political opponents over the head. This is the culture of contempt.

I am convinced that 94% of this could be solved in an afternoon. Compromise is in sight because both sides agree on what needs to be done. But there are far too many people in Washington who want this to be a wedge issue and use it to raise money for political campaigns, rather than build a bridge and solve the problem of illegal immigration and prevent the type of tragedies captured in a horrible picture of a father and daughter drowned in the Rio Grande.

That is everything that’s broken in D.C. We have to move beyond the weaponizing of important issues such as illegal immigration, and as citizens, expect more from lawmakers.

migrant photo immigration A father and daughter lie face down in murky waters littered with reeds and discarded beer bottles. Their heads are wrapped in a black T-shirt — her tiny right arm draped over his shoulders. Photo: Julia Le Duc/AP

Boyd Matheson is the opinion editor of the Deseret News.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Politics + Government

rep phil lyman shown, he made comments about the bridge collapse in maryland...

Heather Peterson

LISTEN: Utah Rep. Phil Lyman blames Baltimore bridge collapse on DEI

Rep. Phil Lyman said the bridge collapse is because of "governors who prioritize diversity over the wellbeing and security of citizens."

2 days ago

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 4: A view of the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday morning January 4, 2024 in...

MARK SHERMAN

Supreme Court again confronts the issue of abortion, this time over access to widely used pill

Two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and cleared the way for bans or severe restrictions on abortion in many Republican-led states, abortion opponents on Tuesday will ask the high court to ratify a ruling from a conservative federal appeals court that would limit access to the medication mifepristone, which was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the United States last year.

2 days ago

File - The Instagram logo is seen on a cell phone in Boston, USA, Oct. 14, 2022. Instagram has star...

Associated Press

New Instagram feature limits display of political content

Instagram has started an automatic clamp down on the amount of political content appearing in its users' feeds.

3 days ago

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene...

Manu Raju, Melanie Zanona, Annie Grayer and Kristin Wilson, CNN

Marjorie Taylor Greene files surprise motion to oust Speaker Johnson, a sign of growing revolt from the right

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia filed a motion, seeking to oust Speaker Mike Johnson from his position.

3 days ago

U.S. Second Gentleman Doug , and Tom Perez, Senior Advisor to President Biden and Director of the W...

Bridger Beal-Cvetko

Second gentleman, White House official tout federal funding to remove lead pipes in SLC

The Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, visited with Salt Lake leaders Friday to tout federal investment in the workforce and clean drinking water.

5 days ago

FILE: A woman holds flavored vape on May 30, 2023. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)...

Allessandra Harris

Flavored vape products will no longer be sold in Utah

Governor Spencer Cox signed a bill this week that will ban the sale of flavored vape products in the state,

5 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Mother and cute toddler child in a little fancy wooden cottage, reading a book, drinking tea and en...

Visit Bear Lake

How to find the best winter lodging in Bear Lake, Utah

Winter lodging in Bear Lake can be more limited than in the summer, but with some careful planning you can easily book your next winter trip.

Happy family in winter clothing at the ski resort, winter time, watching at mountains in front of t...

Visit Bear Lake

Ski more for less: Affordable ski resorts near Bear Lake, Utah

Plan your perfect ski getaway in Bear Lake this winter, with pristine slopes, affordable tickets, and breathtaking scenery.

front of the Butch Cassidy museum with a man in a cowboy hat standing in the doorway...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Looking Back: The History of Bear Lake

The history of Bear Lake is full of fascinating stories. At over 250,000 years old, the lake has seen generations of people visit its shores.

silhouette of a family looking over a lake with a bird in the top corner flying...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

8 Fun Activities To Do in Bear Lake Without Getting in the Water

Bear Lake offers plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy without having to get in the water. Catch 8 of our favorite activities.

Wellsville Mountains in the spring with a pond in the foreground...

Wasatch Property Management

Advantages of Renting Over Owning a Home

Renting allows you to enjoy luxury amenities and low maintenance without the long-term commitment and responsibilities of owning a home.

Clouds over a red rock vista in Hurricane, Utah...

Wasatch Property Management

Why Southern Utah is a Retirement Paradise

Retirement in southern Utah offers plenty of cultural and recreational opportunities. Find out all that this region has to offer.

Photo of tragic drowning. Will it unite or divide?