Blood is nothing less than a miracle. It circulates through our bodies carrying oxygen and nutrients to all organs and transports carbon dioxide away to be expelled. It is on the front line in healing wounds and fighting infections. Without blood flow, there is no life. Indeed, in times of need, blood donations are referred to as a “Gift of Life” and we are thankful for the many strangers who provide that gift for the benefit of anyone in need. However, lately I have been troubled by the reference to this life-giving miracle in political rhetoric.

The reference to immigrants “poisoning the blood of our country” gets everything exactly bass ackwards. We have been a country of immigrants from the very beginning. Most of us in the US have immigrant roots.

Historical use of the phrase led to the acceptance of atrocities perpetrated against many minorities including those deemed social outcasts. Such rhetoric is demeaning and inaccurate. To be used today in reference to immigrants seeking to enter the US is particularly troubling which ironically denies the reality of our own ancestry.

There is no doubt that the US needs to have a workable immigration policy – every country has a right to control their borders in a sensible and humane way. However, to adopt the rhetoric of war criminals to make a political statement misses the point. Blood is a miracle in every instance. It is life. Without it, there is nothing.

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Kevin Deeny