Are we living in an age of fear and suspicion? What happened to innocent until proven guilty?

Death.

Always the smell of death.

He pulls his son close to his chest as if to say to death: "Stay away! This is my son and you're not taking him as well!"

The ship's deck is packed with people. All afraid, all with the smell of death invading their senses, all with hearts and minds fragmented, tormented, and barely held together.

Brokenness, .....the cost of  having faced death close-up, too many times.

The wind is relentless, the chattering and squawking sound of the seagulls insistent, and the black, thick, suffocating, black smoke from the overworked ship engine... over powering.

Emil coughs, a dry, bone-chilling hacking cough.

Abraham bends down and puts his ear to Emil's chest and anxiously listens. 

It doesn't sound good. Abraham has been worried about Emil's cough for months, but ever since they boarded the clapped-out tub of a "ship", Emil's cough has steadily been getting worse.

"But," Abraham says to himself, "what choice did I have?"

Abraham and Emil are alone now.. During the last bombing attack of their little town, his wife, his two little girls, his mother and father, and his beloved dog "Razzo" had all been killed. The only reason that Abraham and Emil are still alive is that at the time of the bombing, they had both been at the medical center in another town waiting to see a doctor. By the time they arrived home everything, and all their loved ones, were gone. 

"Dad, when are we going to get there" Emil suddenly asks.

The sound of Emil's voice brings Abraham back to the present.

"Not too long, son, not too long now" Abraham answers.

Abraham pulls his son closer, gives the boy a tentative kiss on top of his head then whispers into his son's ear: "Shhhh, be still now son, shhh...."

Emil, safely nestled beneath his father's strong arms, is worried about his dad. He knows that his dad is trying to make everything seem okay, but Emil also knows that the ship they are on is not safe, the crew operating it is not safe, and the little bit of food they are given sporadically, for sure is not safe. Last time the ship's crew gave them something to eat, he and his father had been sick for days after.

Just thinking about it makes Emil feel queasy. Emil hates war. Ever since the stupid war begun, Emil has been scared. Scared of the loud noises, scared of the silences, scared that his family would be killed, scared that he would be killed, scared of the fires in the night, and scared of the morning light illuminating all the brokenness: the broken towns, the broken buildings, the broken homes, the broken people, the broken hearts, and the broken hopes.

Ever since the time when all that was left of their family was him and his father, Emil has watched the light of hope in his father's eyes slowly dissipate and almost disappear.

"I must be strong, I have to be strong for dad" Emil says to himself and then continues "he needs me".

Emil takes a deep breath, and although just eight years old, he knows a lot more about life and suffering than such a young child is supposed to know.

Suddenly: Look! Look over there! There are people coming to welcome us! We are safe!".

Three words.

Three words that brings hope.

OR?????

Who are the people coming to "welcome" them?

Picture it.

Who would you like the "welcomers" to be if it was you on that ship?

Border patrol? Police?

Or: people from some government arm who scoops you up and transport you away to some kind of internment camp?

or: handcuffs you, separates you from the rest of your family and then drive you off to an undisclosed destination?

or: have your children taken away from you to "God knows where" under the heading of "for their own good"? 

It baffles me that people escaping wars and other catastrophes seeking refuge in another country are not treated as "innocent until proven guilty".  To put someone behind bars requires proof of an act of criminality, as in, they are supposed to be presumed to be innocent until proven guilty, so why does not the same principle apply to human beings seeking refuge?
Are we enlightened or are we living in an age of fear and suspicion where we convict and judge people as guilty before we even attempt to seek any proof of guilt?
I seriously hope not.