Many liberals are saying to allow any and all of the refugees in to the West, not just the USA; Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (son of Pierre, the PM of Canada who did more damage to the country's economy and reputation than any before him, and Margaret, his much younger wife who liked to party with The Rolling Stones) wants to bring 25,000 refugees to Canada by the end of 2015. Chief Empty Suit President Obama has made similar, though less demanding, claims of allowing mass numbers of Syrians across our borders.
Some conservatives, such as Donald Trump, want to turn them all away and let the sharks feed on them. Others say they feel bad but send them elsewhere or keep them in refugee camps, they're someone else's problem. Several governors have denied them access to even entering their state.
The current political disputes over what to do with refugees overshadow the history of why they're fleeing to begin with. The (extremely) short version is when Syrian civilians began a peaceful protest in the Spring of 2011, the situation spiraled out of control quickly when the government responded with torture and murder. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was once seen as someone who might bring positive reform for free speech and human rights but is the one who ordered the crackdowns and shows no sign of advancing anyone's rights but his own.
Four and a half years later, the country remains engulfed in a Civil War and is divided into territories controlled by Assad, rebel fighters, and terrorists. Because our Civil War happened in the century before last, we as Americans cannot empathize with the plight of these refugees. For as much as we disagree with many of our politicians, we don't feel the need to risk life and limb on the ocean to escape.
Like so many around the world, my heart ached when I read the story of Abdullah Kurdi, whose wife and two young boys (aged three and five) drowned off the coast of Turkey. Images of families fleeing their war-torn homeland dominated this past Autumn's news. Living in an average small American town with a minimal crime rate and where my biggest complaints about the local government are raising taxes and not plowing my road well enough in the winter, I cannot fathom what these people are going through. Hell on Earth for most of them, I imagine.
Four and a half years later, the country remains engulfed in a Civil War and is divided into territories controlled by Assad, rebel fighters, and terrorists. Because our Civil War happened in the century before last, we as Americans cannot empathize with the plight of these refugees. For as much as we disagree with many of our politicians, we don't feel the need to risk life and limb on the ocean to escape.
Like so many around the world, my heart ached when I read the story of Abdullah Kurdi, whose wife and two young boys (aged three and five) drowned off the coast of Turkey. Images of families fleeing their war-torn homeland dominated this past Autumn's news. Living in an average small American town with a minimal crime rate and where my biggest complaints about the local government are raising taxes and not plowing my road well enough in the winter, I cannot fathom what these people are going through. Hell on Earth for most of them, I imagine.
But then there's ISIS. The Jihadi Johns of the world (well, not him anymore), cut from the same ilk who flew into the World Trade Center, who arrive in public squares in their own towns to blow up innocent children, and who most recently staged a multi-faceted attack across Paris. These monsters will use any extreme methods of brutality to wreak havoc on the free and civilized world. We have good reason to believe they might have, or soon will, enter America.
How does that affect how we should react to refugees who want to enter our border? When they originally began their flight to Turkey (by the hundreds, not hundred-thousands), they were made to register themselves. I don't know by what means - physical ID, government papers, etc., or simply a declaration of name and origin. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for the same when entering America: proof of one's identity and background checks to help ensure you are who you say you are. But we can't even properly document illegal aliens from other countries, let alone political refugees from Eurasia.
I'll end this article the same way it began: I don't know how to feel. A balance must be reached between an open-door policy and protecting our citizens. These people, innocents driven from their homes and suffering unbearable hardships, need help...it just cannot be at the cost of American lives.
How does that affect how we should react to refugees who want to enter our border? When they originally began their flight to Turkey (by the hundreds, not hundred-thousands), they were made to register themselves. I don't know by what means - physical ID, government papers, etc., or simply a declaration of name and origin. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for the same when entering America: proof of one's identity and background checks to help ensure you are who you say you are. But we can't even properly document illegal aliens from other countries, let alone political refugees from Eurasia.
I'll end this article the same way it began: I don't know how to feel. A balance must be reached between an open-door policy and protecting our citizens. These people, innocents driven from their homes and suffering unbearable hardships, need help...it just cannot be at the cost of American lives.
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