Letters to the Editor: What will become of the children ‘stolen’ from their parents?

As a large number of children continue to linger alone in our many prisons, being punished for the sins of their parents, the following come to mind: “Paedomazoma” (Greek for “Rounding Up of Children”).

Hitler did not invent genocide and ethnic cleansing, and Trump did not invent stealing children from their parents. The Turks did both. Genocide/ethnic cleansing was done in early 20th century in Asia Minor, against the Greek populations who lived there for thousands of years (including my grandparents), and the Armenians (before Hitler). Stealing of children from their families preceded the genocide and spanned centuries.

Turkish soldiers would raid Greek towns and steal the children (“paedomazoma”). The girls would be sent to harems and to servitude. The boys would be raised under military regiment, away from family bonds, and form the most vicious and feared military units, called “yenitzars.”

We know what happened to Hitler. The question is, what will Trump do with all the children stolen from the unfortunate undocumented “alien” immigrants and asylum seekers?

I am so sad and ashamed that we are allowing such criminal acts to be done in our name.

Theodore Polychronis

Glendale

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Last Tuesday evening, about 130 Glendale tenants appeared for a tenants rally in front of Glendale City Hall. There were so many that they were unable to fit into the Council Chambers for the City Council meeting. They came because there are no rent control laws in Glendale, and landlords and corporations who own their apartment buildings can raise their rents as high as they want to.

What struck me about these demonstrators is that they are not like typical protesters. These are the most vulnerable of Glendale’s residents. They are elderly, they are on fixed incomes and most are immigrants. They were out there picketing and holding signs and many of them have a difficult time even being able to walk. Yet we force them out to demonstrate.

The Glendale City Council and city staff are mostly ignoring these frail, old people. These people comprise 60% of the population of Glendale and they are ignored.

I believe members of the council will rue their indifference for years to come because they chose to ignore the suffering these people are undergoing. They are losing their homes, and those in a position to protect them are not doing so.

Jim Nasella

Glendale Tenants’ Union

Glendale