Two migrant groups now headed for US border

A caravan of approximately 7,200 Central American migrants is making its way toward the US border. They’re escaping Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, one of the most dangerous regions in the world. They are fleeing gang violence, political corruption, and crushing poverty.

Now a second caravan has formed in a Guatemalan city near the border with Honduras. They intend to follow in the footsteps of the larger group. As many as 2,500 Hondurans have gathered to form this second migratory wave.

Response to the caravans in the US has been sharply divided. Some are supporting the migrants and criticizing President Trump; others are taking the opposite position.

Whatever your view of these migrant waves and the issues they reflect, it’s worth noting that “immigration is the sincerest form of flattery.”

Every time I travel overseas, I return home with renewed gratitude for America. In light of my travels yesterday, however, I need to offer a cautionary word regarding our nation.

A scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Wednesday morning, our tour group visited Petra, one of the most astounding sites in the Middle East. The “Treasury” is the best-known part of the area, a massive carved structure that was made famous by the closing scenes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The area was developed by a people called the Nabataeans.

They came from ancient Arabia and settled on the border between Syria and Arabia, stretching from the Euphrates River to the Red Sea. At their height in the second century before Christ, they were the dominant kingdom in the region, ruling as far north as Damascus and Lebanon.

Petra, their capital, was truly remarkable. Here the Nabataeans carved a massive temple, built a theater with seating for six thousand people, and left hundreds of tombs carved into the rocky landscape. Their kingdom was both prosperous and secure.

But when the Romans arrived, the Nabataeans were assimilated into the Empire and…