There has been a lot of talk about the conditions under which people are being detained at the border. Some — mostly Republicans — say that they are just fine. Others — mostly Democrats — say the conditions are terrible, likening the facilities to concentration camps. I haven’t seen them so I can’t say, but I have a question.
These people who are being detained have not been convicted of any crime so according to the American way and the Constitution they are innocent until proven guilty in court. This begs the question of whether or not the conditions they are being held in are at least as livable as those of, say, Green River Killer Gary Ridgway or the vast majority of convicted criminals in the United States.
If not, we need to fix this now. Detention should not be punitive when there has been no conviction. We can’t say we are patriots and have it any other way.
Janice L. Cecotti
Bothell
