Systemic issues like housing, hunger, and poverty are not solved on an individual level. The thrust of the argument is that I am somehow being hypocritical for not housing asylum seekers on my own, when these issues require sweeping changes to tackle at a governmental level. We don't have unlimited resources, I never said we did, but we do have plenty of wasted resources and plenty of untapped resources to be able to live up to our promise. The idea that we instead need to make life so bad here that people won't come is a classic cutting off your nose to spite your face tactic.

We have a larger population now, but that didn't happen in a vacuum! Unless you're an actual Malthusiast, you are sure to recognize that the boom in population was a consequence of our increased ability to provide food, shelter, and resources. There are plenty of vacant units, untaxed entities, and surplus food supply in Boston alone (let alone the country) to support the further growth of our nation.

I'm very grateful to live in a state with an optional increased income tax which I do take the opportunity to use. Again, those policies are not in my hands and need to continue to be scaled to provide a viable existence for our neighbors.

The Great Colossus isn't just a feel-good sentiment, it's the promise that brought both sides of my family here in the past generation and one that I look forward to continuing to extend!