PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE: This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus use an image from my favorite sport, golf. Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as a Congressional press secretary in Washington, D.C., an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and a private sector lobbyist. This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.

I attended regular Sunday services at our church earlier this month and came away with a thought-provoking contrast.

On one hand, in the back of my mind, there was Donald Trump with his diatribe against all immigrants in this country. Sorry to admit this thought crossed my mind in church; not a welcome thought at that place and at that time.

On the other hand, there were stories at our church – Salem Alliance Church in Salem Oregon – about our attempt to reach out to immigrants in our city, including a number of Syrian families in the throes of adjusting to a new culture, not to mention new freedoms.

In fact, our church is hiring a couple fresh from a missionary stint in the Middle East to lead an effort to help re-settle refugees in the Salem area. To be sure, there are not many compared to some other parts of the country, but there are some and they need help to make an adjustment to this country, an adjustment that may be a welcome one given their heritage in a war torn part of the world.

Without language, though, there are special challenges.

We heard a story about one couple from Syria who, now in Salem, took their child to school, then stayed in the hallway all day to make sure the child was safe. It was hard to explain to them that staying all day was not necessary.

Donald Trump has been making headway in this strangest of all political campaigns by impugning the integrity of anyone but himself. All immigrants are evil, he has said and, if elected, he will move to deport millions.

Yet, in our church, various individuals are working on a one-on-one basis to help immigrants succeed in their new country.

Choose which story you want to illustrate your point of view. Without hesitation, I take my church’s open and compassionate stance toward newcomers as the best policy for life in America.