WHEN DID YOU STOP BEATING YOUR WIFE?

This is probably one of the original “gotcha” questions. That’s because the questioner assumes that other person is or was a wife beater. There’s no way to come out well without removing the assumption that is in the question.

The same kind of technique is being used in political “debate” today. An example this week was a “reporter” asking the President when he is going to stop breaking up immigrant families. I want to remove the assumption behind the question by making 2 observations.

First, in the milieu that has historically made up the secular Left, it’s hard to find anyone who is a vocal or practical advocate for the traditional family. So, the idea that maintaining the cohesion of traditionally-structured families (father/mother/children all fitting into their roles as a nuclear family) should be used as an argument. It seems a bit disingenuous.

Second, it may be possible that nuclear families are being broken up by something much more insidious that a nation seeking to maintain its borders & enforce its immigration laws. I don’t know the statistics, but it seems that most of those who cross illegally into the US, or who remain illegally, are already physically separated from their family members. 

We have seen the pictures of groups of children accompanied by a few adults. Where are these children’s parents? Either in their homeland, or already living illegally in the US.

My point is that their families are already separated. If we enforce our laws & make it less likely for people to enter or stay illegally, these families are actually more likely to remain together.