Do you think photos of immigrant children crying, on floors, dead at the side of a river are going to change minds about immigration?
What will work to change minds?
People who feel strongly the immigrants are taking unnecessary risks I don’t think are moved by these photos.
I can probably go to almost any airport and find a kid lying or sitting on the floor. I can find you a photo of an American drowning in a flash flood because they just didn’t stay home during a major rainstorm. Children cry when they are tired or upset, and that’s even when they have overall a cushy comfortable life. Children “watch” their younger siblings all of the time.
Separating children did touch some of the people who want to send everyone home, because they put themselves in the place of the immigrants having their children taken away, but these other photos I think nay sayers just say, “I would never do that.” They don’t identify with the immigrants at all.
What will help them have more empathy? Will reports from the home countries help? Video of life in those other countries? Video of why they think the journey will be ok, and they take the risks. I don’t think a still photo does much of anything, but I don’t know the answer.
Topics:
Using Fluther
or