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APRIL 23, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A11 Harris' failed leadership test By ADRIANA COHEN It’s been an inexplicable 22 days and counting that Vice President Kamala Harris has not visited the U.S. south- ern border or detention facilities since President Joe Biden announced she’ll be the Administration’s point person handling the immigration and humanitarian crisis. Harris’ glaring absence at the border and U.S. detention facilities that house thousands of illegal immigrants and unac- companied minors is a political misstep. She is squandering a golden opportunity to demonstrate leadership to the American people and convince voters, on both sides of the aisle, she’s capable of being presi- dent someday. Instead of taking a backseat from her new role by exploring the root cause of mass migration from Mexico and the northern triangle countries, Harris should be in the driver’s seat assembling an all- star team of immigration and homeland security experts, child welfare advocates and humanitarian professionals to address the spiraling crisis. Harris should then hold a press con- ference outlining her plan to fix the myr- iad problems unfolding at the southern border and child detention facilities that Democrats used to call “cages.” Next, she should visit the border and detention facil- ities in Texas, California, Arizona and else- where with her team—and press in tow —to document her problem-solving skills to the American people. That type of hands-on leadership is something she could and should highlight when she runs for president in 2024, if not sooner, should Biden fail to serve out his four-year term. It goes without saying that one of the basic job requirements to be president of the United States is the ability to lead, manage the government and solve com- plex problems while keeping America safe. Harris should be illustrating those critical skills right now, given the mushrooming immigration crisis at hand while keeping in mind that our country has never elected a female president. As such, Harris is missing a ripe oppor- tunity to show voters she has the chops to What is she afraid of? The reality is if the vice president can’t handle securing the U.S. border, stemming the massive tide of illegal immigration and drug and human trafficking, then she’s unfit to be commander in chief. That’s some- thing the GOP will be quick to point out in future political ads, the upcoming midterm elections and 2024 presidential debates. If Harris has political instincts, she’d visit the border and detention centers immediately to ensure unauthorized immi- grants and children in U.S. custody —on the Biden and Harris administration’s watch— are being treated properly and humanely. This would impress voters and bolster her image as a “take charge” kind of leader ver- sus someone that turns a blind eye to child exploitation and other reported horrors. The American people have seen the Day's decorum other VOICES highly disturbing video of a smuggler dropping two young migrant children over a 14-foot barrier near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, this month, plunging a toddler and another child to the ground. We’ve seen the heartbreaking video captured by a U.S. Border Patrol officer of the sobbing, terrified 10-year-old boy wandering alone after being abandoned by coyotes while crossing the Rio Grande in Texas. And we’ve heard enough of the scores of undoc- umented immigrants being physically and sexually assaulted, or worse, en route to the United States. But that’s not all. At a stunning news conference last week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that an investigation is under- way about troubling reports of child abuse at a San Antonio detention facility housing over 1,300 migrant minors. “Earlier today the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, separately received tips that alleged child abuse and neglect at the San Antonio migrant facil- ity,” said Abbott. “Abbott said there were four complaints; claiming child sex abuse at the facility, understaffing, children not eating and the failure to separate children with or without COVID-19,” reported NEWS4SA. “In short, this facility is a health and safety night- mare,” Abbott stressed. Harris’ failure to see firsthand what’s going in this facility and others on U.S. soil damages the Democratic narrative that they are the party of immigrants. Voters will have a hard time believing that whop- per come the midterms and beyond when undocumented children are reportedly being abused and neglected on the Biden and Harris administration’s watch. Bottom line: Kamala Harris should be taking charge of the immigration crisis not hiding from it. A failure to rise to the occa- sion and fix the problems at hand won’t impress voters next election cycle. (Creators Syndicate) K EIZER times PUBLISHER & EDITOR Lyndon Zaitz publisher@keizertimes.com FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook Instagram Twitter PUBLIC SQUARE welcomes all points of view. Published submissions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Keizertimes WHEATLAND PUBLISHING CORP. 142 Chemawa Road N, Keizer, Oregon 97303 Phone: 503.390.1051 • www.keizertimes.com NEW DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION PRICING: $5 per month, $60 per year PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY Publication No: USPS 679-430 YEARLY PRINT SUBSCRIPTION PRICING: $35 inside Marion County $43 outside Marion County $55 outside Oregon POSTMASTER Send address changes to: Keizertimes Circulation 142 Chemawa Road N. Keizer, OR 97303 Periodical postage paid at Salem, Oregon To the Editor: I’m writing in response to the Keizer City Council meeting last night and the behav- ior displayed. In just four short months, Councilor Ross Day has established a pattern of behavior unbecoming of a city councilor. He shouted down a constituent attempting to respond to his line of ques- tioning during the April 19 council meeting. This isn’t the first time he’s treated coun- cil chambers like a courtroom. His behavior appears to be at odds with Council Rules of Procedure 5.2 outlining expected decorum during meetings, “Council members shall at all times conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to the dignity of their office.” Perhaps censure or a statement of con- cern is warranted? I believe it’s absolutely fair to wonder about Councilor Ross being held to the exact letter of the law he seems so concerned about holding others to. The Procedures should be followed, but if they’re not to be used as a weapon against others, all need to be held accountable to them. LaTonya Gibbs Keizer Apologize or resign To the Editor: Monday night, April 19, I got to speak to the Keizer City Council about a lovely com- munity garden I’ve had the honor of help- ing build. As the council meeting went on, public testimony mostly focused on some very good points regarding the double standard in the attacks on Councilor Roland Herrera. Most of the council members were respect- ful as they heard opposing views. Except for Councilor Ross Day. He dodged answering any direct ques- tions and instead tried to make the conver- sation about himself. That’s where I started seeing similarities between him and my stepfather. My stepfather would constantly gaslight my mother in his verbal attacks on her and would make any conversation about himself to not have to hear what others are Letters saying. Then to prove his fictional points he would cut her off as she was speaking. That’s exactly the same abuse seen in Councilor Day at that City Council meeting. It got so bad that I shouted, “Let her talk!” before I had to leave the room due to the intrusive memories of the domes- tic violence my cousins suffered through with their abusive boyfriends, my friends through with their abusive fathers and the vision of abuse I hope my daughters never have to go through. Keizer City Council meetings should be inclusive and wel- coming for all. That cannot happen with a councilor who has shown a pattern of gas- lighting and bullying Keizer citizens with tactics commonly used in domestic vio- lence cases. What does that say to Keizer residents living here at the Simonka Place Domestic Violence Shelter? What does that say to our largest demographic of individu- als who live here? What does that say to our newest Keizer resident that the city council only five minutes earlier tried to recruit for volunteering with the Girl Scouts? It says that Keizer does not respect women. I want to call for Mayor Cathy Clark to ask Councilor Ross Day to make a pub- lic apology for his abusive tactics towards women. If he cannot bring himself to be genuinely sorry for his ways, then I call for him to resign. That abuse towards women is not the Keizer Way and has no place in Keizer leadership. Lastly, I want to com- mend Michele Roland-Schwartz for stay- ing cool and collected. How she managed to stay so calm after the barrage of verbal abuse gave me empathy for what women must go through everyday in private, in public and at work. She is the beacon of hope we need in Keizer. RJ and Lucy Navarro Keizer
