A French author and Holocaust Scholar was detained for 10 hours at a Houston Airport and nearly deported, for reasons that were never fully explained to him. He said the United States was somewhat less than the United States used to be.

Immigrants are still arriving in my area, ahead of the ban our country is eager to impose on immigration. They are confused and frightened at the fear and controversy that a waits them here. They are afraid to be photographed or give out their real names.

My goal is to show them that my America is still very much my America, and that there are many good people who not only welcome them to our land but are eager to help them. I am going to work hard for the kind of America I believe in, a welcoming place, a beacon for the weary and oppressed.

This weekend, I am meeting some of the other immigrant children – I call this child Hope, but that is not her real name – and hope to get to know them better, and to write about their live. Perhaps to help or mentor them. Most of the newly arriving immigrants are from Asia or the Middle East. They are here legally, have been thoroughly investigated, they work hard and are grateful to be here. They are no threat to you, your family, or our country.

My daily prayer is to send them something from the Amazon Gift Page set up by the U.S. Committee On Refugees And Immigration (USCRI). The page suggests inexpensive and practical items that the refugees need when they arrive. Most have lost everything and need everything. Many have languished in refugee camps for years.

They just want to life freely and safely and offer good lives to their children.

My donation today will be a pre-paid phone card that costs $10. They need toothpaste, socks, blankets and comforters, silverware and pots and pans. The stuff of daily life.

Hope’s donated soccer ball (above) was important to her, it connected her to her home and made her feel welcome in this strange land. She already knows too much about suffering and fear.

I am not a political person, I do not belong to the “left” or the “right” two simple-minded labels I reject for myself. I do believe in a country that is compassionate and empathetic to those in need. My family would not be alive today if not for that country. Your donations have been generous, and I thank you for them

You can check out the Amazon Gift Page here. I don’t believe in arguing, I believe in doing good.