We had an opportunity to get some thoughts from our mayor last week on a local podcast that myself, Kip Hafey, Shane Hadley, Jim Neton and Anthony Teeter host each week.

Mayor Chris Nichols agreed to stop by and give us some personal insights into the issues affecting Craig and Moffat County. If you don’t know Chris, you should get to know him because, as our mayor, he speaks for all of us who make Moffat County home. His insights were clear, his thoughts considerate and his approach was transparent.

Regarding the migrant crisis that is building in our country, Chris was very clear about the city’s approach to the potential influx of people to Craig. He believes that it would be inhumane for the mix of people (migrants, illegal aliens, asylum seekers) to be dumped into our local area because we neither have the facilities nor the services to help them with their various needs. There are plenty of cities and towns across the country that proudly proclaimed that they would act as sanctuary cities during the Trump administration, but find themselves over-extended now that people are taking them up on their offer.

Nichols said that he understands the complexities of this crisis and that these are often families and individuals who are looking for a better life or escaping countries that they felt were dangerous. But, countries, by definition, exist to concern themselves (to the best of their ability) with the citizenry, and the fact that the Southern border has become so porous makes this issue one that won’t be easy to resolve without our country facing some harsh realities regarding the security of our nation.

Most, if not all of us, recognize that this issue will have an effect on our way of life well into the future, and has had an effect on many communities already. Surely our government should be concerned with the general welfare and safety of the citizens at a more considerable degree than to feel the need to appear as though we have a moral responsibility to bear the burdens of entire nations who treat their citizens so poorly that some sacrifice life and limb to try and cross our borders in hope of a better life.

It may be an unpopular view that some of the people crossing our border are not here seeking the safety and opportunity our country provides. However, the furious pace of the migrant flow begs the question: Could there be those who might not have the best interests of our country in mind? We all hope that people come to America to live out their particular brand of our American Dream, but a simple, common sense observation of the news headlines tell us a different story.

People, with the help of elected officials like Mayor Nichols, understand our desire to have a big heart and open arms, but he is also helping lead a wake-up call that we better start conducting ourselves, or it is quite possible that our country will disappear into a conglomeration of issues that have little to do with sovereignty or national interests. Those who think any questioning of our immigration policies as unkind, racist, xenophobic or nationalist in temperament, might consider that any action our duly elected officials take is supposed to be in the best interests of those who are citizens of this country.

Tearing down the structures that have allowed our country, by most objective measures, to be one of the greatest experiments in self-government that the world has ever seen is irresponsible. Surely we are not perfect, but we are structurally sound enough that we eventually get things figured out.

Hopefully the wake-up call has gone out to enough citizens that this issue will get itself figured out, and the Declaration of Independence’s famous words will continue to guide our intentions:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

The governed will need to do some soul searching in the next few months to determine exactly what kind of country we want to leave for the generations that come after us. The wake-up call has gone out. Will enough people hear it?

Lance Scranton is a career educator and has made his home in Moffat County for the past 25 years. He offers his views and opinions as part of the ongoing conversation about our community, country and world.