American farmers are hurting. Rain and flooding have affected farm land across at least 17 states. Millions of acres that would usually have corn and soybeans planted in April and May are bare, except for weeds. Millions more acres have late-planted crops that may not mature unless a killing frost comes later than usual.

Will you notice any difference at the grocery store? A few items may cost a little more. But nobody is going hungry.

The Mexican border is dividing, not just Mexico from the United States, but American citizens from American citizens. Is this as divisive as the slavery debate in the 1850s? Of course this current situation is nowhere close to the reality of slavery. But the arguments, on both sides, seem equally intense. Nobody will give an inch.

One side sees only desperate families seeking a better life. Let them all in, and provide free medical care, free education… pretty much anything they need.

The other side says we can’t handle 3 or 4 million random immigrants every year. We already accept 1 million immigrants through a legal process. Even that needs to be adjusted to assure these immigrants have the talents and skills to fit in and contribute to our economy.

The debates of the Democratic candidates for President highlighted the division. On the second night all ten agreed that, if elected, all “undocumented immigrants” will have free health care. (I think a couple of them announced it in Spanish. They did not want the message to be lost in the translation.) In other words, get up here, cross our border, and get free medical care for life. And then many candidates would add in free college and guaranteed jobs at a livable wage. Wow, who could resist that temptation?

So the country, and Congress, is at an impasse. Republicans want to allow in only those who have received asylum status. Democrats want more funds for more federal employees to speed up the screening process so they can all come in and not spend any time in “cages” or other detention facility.

The 2020 election will be decided on this “immigration” issue, government run health care, appointment of federal judges, and income tax policy.

The Fourth of July is Thursday. Celebrate Independence Day, but be safe doing it. We celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and some of us have even more reasons to celebrate.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“America is the land of opportunity and don’t ever forget it.” DT #1541, July 1, 1931

“That liberty that we got 159 years ago Thursday was a great thing, but they ought to pass a law that we could only celebrate it every 100 years, for at the rate of accidents yesterday we won’t have enough people to celebrate it every year. And the speeches. Did you read them? Never was as much politics indulged in under the guise of ‘freedom and liberty.’ They was 5 percent what George Washington did, and 95 percent what the speaker intended to do.” DT #2782, July 5, 1935