Thread by @SussilloDavid

Most of you know me as a successful neuroscientist / deep learning researcher but I have a story that I want to share briefly.

I grew up in a group home, which is basically an orphanage.

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Currently the Trump administration has a policy of separating children from their parents in a purposeful effort to deter migration at our southern border. Right now there’s an old Walmart full of kids and “tent cities” filled with children are popping up.

Upwards of 2000 children are now being torn from their parents, processed, & housed in government sanctioned group living structures. This amounts to a policy of emotional abuse of children for the purposes of deterring immigration.

This is utterly immoral and unacceptable and I’d like to share with you why, based on my own experiences.

A group home typically consists of a few homes where 15-20 children live with assigned ‘house parents’. House parents are well meaning folks who are paid to supervise the children. The job is awful, and has very high turnover. I guess I had >20 house parents as a kid.

Life in a group home is terrible and it can be very difficult for those who didn’t experience it to comprehend it. Yes, group home kids go to school and museums and public pools, so superficially everything may appear fine.

However, inside each child is a maelstrom of anger and fear. They know they have been given a roof over their heads but they also know they are not loved. They are biding their time, trying to survive any way they can. Plotting to get out.

In a group home there is little love. Fear, anger and depression, however, are in abundant supply.

There is structure. Structure all day long. Wake up. Chores. Breakfast. Chores. School. Chores. Study. Dinner. Chores. Bed time.

Children are expected to stay in line. Naturally, they do not. They lash out against the house parents and other children. I am sad to admit it, but they start fights, verbally and physically abuse each other. I am also sad to admit that they can be abused by the house parents.

This leads to more punishment and a vicious cycle of acting out and further punishment. This is just one coping strategy, there are myriad others, equally bad, and all are maladaptive in regular society.

A group home experience is very difficult survive and the bullshit doesn’t stop once a kid gets out. Children survive the experience but may have extreme emotional disturbances such as PTSD, anger, or depression.

Many children continue behaviors into adulthood that may have been successful coping strategies at the group home, but actively hold them back in regular society. All of this is extremely difficult to overcome.

For my part, after getting out of college, I had uncontrollable panic attacks that persisted for years. You haven’t really experienced hell until you are terrified of everything for no reason whatsoever. It took me a long time to get my shit straight.

Let’s return to what is happening at our southern border. The government is tearing children away from their parents and locking them up in group homes for fucks sake!

Due to my parents' choices, I didn’t have a say in what happened to me. But there IS A CHOICE in this circumstance, and OUR government is CHOOSING to traumatize these young lives as a cruel deterrent against migration across the southern border.

Who knows how long these children will be forced to endure group home life? One day is too long. But the cruelty won’t stop there. Emotional trauma during childhood is the gift that keeps on giving.

Some of these children will develop behaviors, emotions, and mental patterns that are difficult to endure, non-adaptive, and may stay with them for their lives.

All to deter migration at the southern border.

And what about the organizations running these “tent cities” or whatever they are calling them? Are they qualified to do this work? Is there oversight? Have the workers been vetted? Do they have experience?

Would you trust your children with these organizations? Can these organizations handle an influx of 2000 (yes! 2000 so far) children so quickly? How can we guarantee these children aren’t abused or trafficked?

In summary, OUR government is emotionally abusing children to deter immigration. What is happening at our southern border right now is morally repugnant. It is wrong.

Please reach out to your elected officials and let them know what you think.
Please support the legal fees of immigrants, and sign petitions.
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Omg I forgot the most important thing!

For the sake of our country, VOTE this November!!!

Some fact checking on the origins of this insane policy.

nytimes.com/2018/06/14/us/…