There’s been quite a furor over CBS Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss choosing not to air a 60 Minutes piece on CECOT, the infamous El Salvadoran prison - torture center, really - to which the United States has been disappearing immigrants. She says she’s waiting for more “context,” as though any context whatsoever can justify systematic torture of other human beings. And here’s some context for you, by the way: more than half of those we’ve sent to CECOT have no U.S. criminal convictions or pending charges.
While Weiss said the story was not ready to air, its producer claimed that Weiss’ decision was purely political. The White House had been asked to comment before the piece was to be aired and chose not to. People have rightly pointed out that if our news media is only going to show news that’s approved by the White House, then there’s no pretending anymore that our legacy news isn’t State TV.
The piece was not erased from a Canadian feed, however. It’s available online, and it’s truly horrifying. The brutality. The suffering. The cruelty is almost unimaginable. Yet the only statement that has come from the administration since, is White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson saying that "60 Minutes should spend their time and energy amplifying the stories of Angel Parents, whose innocent American children have tragically been murdered by vicious illegal aliens that President Trump are removing from the country."
I can’t imagine anyone buying this. Our country was not averse to the removal of violent criminals. But something much more than that is happening here, and anyone with their eyes wide open now knows it.
I hope you watch my video above, in which I also point out that Heather Cox Richardson has said the Trump administration is carrying out a “Nazi agenda.” Indeed it is. Their proven behavior has now gone past the point where they are due any benefit of the doubt. The cruelty of the ICE raids, and particularly the conditions of the detainment centers not only in El Salvador but even here, are a severe indictment of their governance. Indeed, the Trump administration are the ethical if not legal criminals here.
But…!
Tomorrow is Christmas, and to me the Light of God is as serious a topic as is the darkness of the world. Most of all, it is as real. Whether it’s the light of Hannukah, or the Star of Bethlehem, at this time of year let’s consider what it means that there is a light that casts out darkness. And that the Light lives within us all.
It’s the light of consciousness, compassion, courage, and love. It’s the light of power, intelligence, and the willingness to rise up. It’s a light that will guide us - this season and well into next year and beyond - in becoming the people we need to be to rid our country, and ultimately our planet, of inhumane, undemocratic and cruel political forces that now prevail.
Let’s take Christmas very seriously this year. I pray for miracles for those who have been cruelly and unjustly detained, and for their understandably traumatized families. What this country is doing right now to our immigrant population is a stain that will remain on our hands, unless we the people do what it takes to remove it.
At this awesome moment, let’s devote ourselves to all that is good, and true, and holy. The world needs it so. It’s up to us to deliver the goods.
