This story could also be called The Tale of the Inconvenient Alien. It shares our experience with a creature that has invaded our Motorhome more than once and refuses to go away. It has come seeking shelter from the harsh world where they live. As far as we are concerned, they are more annoying than dangerous, but we do get tired of being forced to live with them. We would rather that they go away, but they keep showing up. They are the Inconvenient Alien in our life, the Marmorated Stink Bug.
Scientifically known as Halyomorpha halys, this critter is a true bug. It feeds on fruits and vegetables with its long proboscis, causing damage to commercial crops throughout the USA and Europe. It is an Asian invasive species that arrived in North America in the mid-1990s. They generally live outdoors, where they lay their eggs, feed, and do their damage. But when the weather turns cold, they overwinter in any convenient sheltered spot, like Koko, our Motorhome. They do not feed or lay eggs in winter. Instead, they find a cozy place, nap until the weather warms, and head out to resume their lives.
This means that the bugs we pick up in the Midwest ride with us back to Texas tucked away in Koko’s nooks and crannies. But when the temps rise to 65 F or above, they come out and start looking for a way to get outside. We see 1 – 5 of them every day.
They are not called Stink Bugs because of their personality. If you physically crush them, they give off a horrible smell that lingers for days. Several years ago, we were telling a friend about them, and they suggested a hand-help bug catcher called a BugZooka that would capture them with air. This allowed us to release them outside without smelling up our home. For the last year, we have been dutifully releasing these critters 1 – 2 at a time.
Three months of catch and release was enough. I checked YouTube and discovered these clever creatures were likely not flying off when we released them. They probably came right back in and became “snug as a bug” all over again. When the temperatures rose, they came out seeking freedom once again. We had likely been catching and releasing the same bugs repeatedly. Stronger methods were required since deportation did not work with this bug.
After reviewing several methods, we chose a non-chemical way of trapping and exterminating this inconvenient pest. We put together a soapy water trap pictured above. The next morning, we had eliminated our first Halyomorpha halys after years of deportations. And, I have to admit, I felt sorry for the little bug. All life is precious, and this little bug was so much more than a pest.
It had done nothing wrong. It was living out its life in the only way that it could. The cycle of overwintering was hard-wired into its DNA. The species had evolved and thrived for thousands of years because of this lifestyle. It was incapable of living any other way. In short, it had not evolved to have agency, the ability to act independently and make their own free choices. I did not want to take its life for my convenience, but I also understood that this bug did not belong here. It did not cause significant problems for me, but it was damaging to others and their livelihoods. With that said, I offered a prayer of confession and carried the corpse outside, where I laid it to rest in the grass. And I have done so several more times. Each time, I offered a Requiem for the Stink Bugs whose life I took, mostly for my own convenience.
As I listened to myself processing this experience in my head, I kept hearing the words of people speaking out against those who were coming to the USA as refugees. I heard myself using the same reasoning they use to justify detaining, trapping, and deporting people who are fleeing persecution and seeking refuge in my country. They are pests who have no right to be here. They are dangerous to our way of life and must be deported. I shudder to think how far these anti-immigrant people will go if they keep capturing and deporting the same aliens repeatedly. 90 years ago, a European country came up with their ultimate solution for people they deemed dangerous pests. It was the same “final solution” I used on the Stink Bugs. The reasoning is simple, linear, and clear.
There is only one problem with applying my Stink Bug strategy to our Southern Border. Refugees are not stink bugs. They are human beings, and as such, they do have agency. They are not driven by their DNA programming. They are capable of reasoning and acting in new ways that serve their needs, the needs of their families, and the people in their community. They can learn and teach novel ways of supporting themselves. They are "endowed by the creator with certain inalienable rights," namely "…life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
Countries all over the world understand the need for refugees to find a safe haven where they can begin new lives. The Thirteen Colonies understood this and welcomed your and my ancestors to these shores. They saw the humanity in the people seeking to make a new life in the land of opportunity. Well, that is not quite accurate. They saw the humanity in those who looked like them. People of color or who came from places other than Europe were not so well received. Most were enslaved. Others were discouraged from making North America a permanent home. Then, these same European Americans turned on the indigenous people who had been living on the land for thousands of years. They denied the people of these rich and diverse cultures their inalienable rights and committed genocide to rid themselves of these inconvenient pests.
All homo sapiens are, by definition, endowed with a humanity that deserves and demands respect. To declare that a society has the right to deny one human being their right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" is to declare that these rights are not inalienable after all. These rights are bestowed by those in power and withheld from those who are deemed inconveniences. This is not what Jefferson, Adams, or any of the people who built this society believed.
Should violent lawbreakers be allowed to enter our country unchallenged? No, but, like our own ancestors, every human being deserves the opportunity to be heard as they make their plea as refugees and not be deported simply because of the color of their skin or the language they speak.
How far are we from taking that ultimate solution to protect our homeland from those we deem undesirable? If recent history is any indicator, we are not very far. What will happen when we discover that deportation will not end those seeking refuge on our shores? The reasoning behind an ultimate solution is "simple, linear, and clear." It is also very, very wrong!
They are not bugs!
They are human beings worthy of respect and dignity. Until we see their humanity, we will be incapable of acknowledging their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
They are human beings, not bugs.
Bob
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