I am writing this on Friday November 20, 2015, exactly one week from the terrorist attacks in Paris. Like most of the world I have been in a daze the past week over the shocking level of brutality committed by radicals in the name of some misbegotten interpretation of their religion. Perhaps some people are numb from hearing reports such as this considering how common they are in the word. For whatever reason, I am not. I want to preface my following statements by saying that I respect differing viewpoints and fully understand that there are valid opinions other than my own. This blog is just MY PERSONAL stance on the subject of the ensuing Syrian refugee crisis and how the world, and particularly the United States, should respond. Over the past week I have seen several arguments for and against allowing Syrian refugees to enter America. I would now like to cover a few of them and give my rebuttals with a conclusion of what I think needs to happen regarding this crisis.
One argument I keep hearing is that we should not allow them in because we " already have people here in need of assistance." I get it. Our country is a mess with rampant unemployment and homeless veterans. These are issues we can and do need to address. My problem with this sentiment though is that prior to this crisis it did not seem like there were so many people who found the state of our country intolerable. I honestly wonder how many of the people who are using this argument call their congressional representatives regularly to demand better treatment for our underprivileged citizens. It is also worth noting that EVERY country in the world has poor people in it. Should every country in the world reject these refugees because they have not yet made their own lands a utopia? While I am on the subject, why not cut off immigration altogether until we have completely eradicated poverty?
Perhaps the most common argument I hear is that it is just plain unsafe to allow the refugees in because there may be secret ISIS members that have infiltrated them. I understand the fear. I do not want to relive the horror of 9/11 over again anymore than anyone else does. It is true that as long as America allows refugees or ,indeed, even tourists or immigrants from any land into the United States, there WILL be bad apples in the bunch. No vetting process can completely screen out evil intentions as no scanner can survey the human heart. This is also true of our own citizens. As long as American citizens keep having babies, some of them will grow up and either commit extreme acts of violence against other Americans or possibly even other nations. The only way to stop this would be to get the human race to become antinatalist and that is a blog for another time. There is an old saying that history repeats itself. This past week, I have seen that truth unfold right before my eyes. During world war 2 Americans overwhelmingly rejected the idea of allowing European refugees fleeing the Nazi regime to enter America due to fears that some might be Nazi spies or sympathizers. As a result hundreds if not thousands perished in the concentration camps after being denied asylum in the states. Going back even further to the Titanic, the people in the lifeboats were afraid to go back to rescue survivors in the water for fear that they would swamp the boats. Make no mistake, taking in refugees WILL cost the citizens of the United States. It will cost Americans because it would be an act of heroism and heroism always costs the hero something. What makes heroes different from everyone else is that they are willing to put their own welfare in jeopardy for the sake of someone else. History is a terrific teacher. We the people of the United States have made grave mistakes in the past regarding our treatment of not only our own citizens but those who wish to come here. We have a chance to make a different choice with this current situation. You can sit in the lifeboat if you want. As for me, I am grabbing an oar. REFUGEES WELCOME
