On Wednesday I was sitting on a bench at the YMCA waiting for my Yoga class to begin. This bench is directly across from a children’s play area for toddlers and younger infants. Mothers and some fathers were dropping their little ones off while they went to exercise. It is a joy to watch. A few clung to their mother’s leg resisting her departure. Such happiness and relief when an hour or so later, their parent reappeared to pick them up.

At the same time I had to resist tearing up as my thoughts went to the literally thousands of children being torn from their parents’ arms on our southern border. Some have just disappeared.

A Democratic U.S. senator from Oregon, Jeff Merkley, this week was denied entrance to an immigrant facility for children in Brownsville, Texas. This facility is a blackened-window former Walmart. Claims are that it holds literally thousands of children, some in cages. No congressman or congresswoman has been admitted to verify these reports. I don’t know if any of the other elected officials have even tried.

Citizens of the United States, how can this be allowed to happen? Those of you who are mothers, fathers and grandparents, please think about it and do something.