Rekha Basu, Des Moines Register, on Aug. 23, 2018, headlines an opinion: "Instead of blaming immigration for Mollie Tibbetts' death, blame misogyny."  In this way, Basu joins a chorus of deflectors who have no interest in Mollie's death at all.  According to Basu, Cristhian Bahena Rivera didn't kill Mollie; misogyny did.  Illegal alien status plays no part in Mollie's death because "studies show undocumented immigrants [sic] commit no more violent crimes than the native-born population." 

Perhaps, but Basu, by title, is commenting directly upon Mollie Tibbetts's death.  In Mollie's case, any study would show that an illegal alien killed her.  An illegal alien killed her one hundred percent of the time, no argument.  Percentages don't matter.  Statistics don't matter.  Mollie should matter.  If Mollie matters, the truthful circumstances of her murder should also matter.  It is unambiguously true that one sanctioned and officially indulged crime – illegal entry into our country – led to a worse and much more violent crime.  To factor that out is to lie, cheat, and steal any breath of honesty out of Mollie's life and death.

Basu is obscuring one simple fact: the immigration policies Basu supports led directly to Mollie's death.  No amount of refraction and allegation can change that fact.

Basu places what she calls "the native-born population" in a police lineup, prepped for a mug shot.  Illegal immigration begets a heinous illegal murder, and it's your fault, my fault, misogyny's fault.  As if essentially enabling and sanctioning one crime – illegal immigration – did not create the chain of events that led to Mollie's murder. 

We can make some generalizations about the series of illegal events and official failures that sanctioned violence against Mollie.  We can work together to uproot a growing culture of lawlessness that intentionally and willingly victimizes our native-born population while breezily failing to acknowledge that lack of control.  We must replace the ethos of fear with a culture of respect – respect for borders and limits in international relations and behaviors, and by extension a greater respect for interpersonal relationships and behaviors.  And when someone shows signs of trouble, like entering our country illegally, we must intervene before it's too late. 

A free pass on Cristhian Bahena Rivera's first criminal offense led directly to Mollie's death.  

Mollie deserves at least a small shred of honesty and decency in return for her life.