Last week, separating illegal immigrants from their children was a divisive, humane topic. So President Trump changed the policy; children will be kept with their parent(s). But that did not satisfy critics.

Even Republicans don’t agree on a plan. And Democrats have no plan at all. Interestingly, if you go back 10 or 12 years, prominent Democratic Senators came down firmly on the same side that Trump favors today. Democrats never say ‘open borders’, but they never vote for any plan that closes the border to illegal entry.

How’s this for a plan: eliminate the “incentives” for poor people in Honduras and Guatemala to pay a smuggler (coyote) $5000 to be brought across Mexico and dumped on our border. Instead set up a program where they can apply for asylum at a US facility in their home countries. If accepted, instead of paying $5000 per person, they will buy an airline ticket to a US city where the adults will be connected with an employer.

For that to work, anyone who tries to cross our border illegally, including kids who are not accompanied by a parent, will be immediately returned to their home country. (We already do that with Mexicans.) On that last point, any activist or lawyer who advises immigrants on how to circumvent that policy will be arrested. Treat them the same as a financial advisor who helps clients illegally avoid paying income taxes.

You probably know that Charles Krauthammer died last week. If you have read his syndicated columns or watched him on Fox News you know he was a brilliant writer and speaker who communicated common sense in precise language, often with a touch of humor. Even if you disagreed with his analysis you had a clearer understanding of the issue. Does he remind me of anyone? Well, yes. Except for the “precise language,” he shared many characteristics with Will Rogers. People would often say about Will, ‘He was funny, but he was telling us something important.’ For Charles, ‘He was telling us something important, and he was funny.’ I also compare him to Paul Harvey on radio who reported the news, provided analysis, and gave us ‘The Rest of the Story.’

Have you heard of Mensa? It is an international organization for really smart folks and I’m sure Mr. Krauthammer would have qualified. If your IQ is above 140 (top 2%), you’ve probably received an invitation to join. Well, I got an invitation, but not to join. Instead I am invited to speak at their annual convention, as ‘Will Rogers.’ Their convention is in Indianapolis the first week in July and I’m on the program the evening of July 5. You might be wondering whether Will Rogers was in Mensa. Will was a genius, but Mensa did not exist until the 1950s. ‘Will Rogers’ and I hope to see quite a few brilliant friends at Mensa in Indianapolis.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“You must judge a man’s greatness by how much he will be missed.” WA #139, Aug. 9, 1925

“A (person) only learns by two things; one is reading, and the other is associating with smarter people.” WA #147, Oct. 4, 1925