I have many friends who disagree strongly about the issue of our very modest acceptance of a mere 10,000. Our refugee program has been very careful and these mostly women and children have been carefully vetted. Many, many more have applied than have been accepted.
Is it perfect? Of course it cannot be: it is run by human beings. But it is the right thing to help these people, for their sake, and for the message our help gives to the world: we will not be terrorized.
A stated goal of the terrorists is to push non-Muslims to react cruelly and fearfully toward, not just terrorists, but all Muslims, which in turn will push more Muslims toward the extremists. That is fact.
I love my family and friends who are pushing for ending acceptance of refugees, I have no doubt of their good intentions or sincerity, but they are wrong, and I am convinced to my toes: Those who react to terror as many have, including most Republican governors and presidential candidates, are unwitting allies of ISIS when they allow themselves to be terrorized into forsaking these refugees.
This post on Facebook got 51 comments:
Terri Morgan
I am always amazed at how many clowns actually came pouring forth from that clown car. Smh.
Claudia Kennedy
If only this Clown Show were entertaining. How many times can you watch a train wreck in progress? Trump doesn't care a damn about anything but being talked about. Good or bad, it doesn't seem to matter. He has so many friends in the Gulf area, why doesn't he get them to chip in to house some folks in the Dubai high-rises he owns? He is a buffoon.
Victoria Stanz Abernathy
Sadder is that we always tend to be on the side of fear and ignorance as witnesses our past.
Michael J. Sarver
First of all where are you getting your indisputable information in regards to the age, gender and vetting of these refugees? I suspect your buying into what Mr. Obama says and all the advisors around him say otherwise so I'm reluctant to accept your or his opinion.
And the exact same thing can be said of you and your supporters sir..."unwitting allies of isis".....https://www.facebook.com/john.../videos/10153055728726682/
Terrell Shaw
Michael, yes, the figures I have come from the government that we the people have elected. Of course there is no such thing as "indisputable information" as you and I have demonstrated many times. I have just posted some info from an immigration attorney. So go read it and I'm sure it too will be much disputed. I suspect he is about right.
Jackie D. Huether
I'm not against refugees. My dad came over here during WWII. You can do a background check on an American doesn't mean he's not going to turn into another unibomber. Your talking about accepting a people no matter their religion into this country that are taught to hate us from day one just about it. We have Americans that are trying to join Isis every day. But you can not no matter their age or sex say they are safe 100%. Just the other day one of the bombers was a woman. Yes it's a chance we take but not coincidence that were now accepting them after the Paris attacks. But I am on the side we have to help ourselves to. You have open door homes with children in them shelters with homeless some by choice. But that is left up to the local governments to fix. We have so many problems of our own I don't see us fixing theirs. They will have to fix theirs, we can not. Not even by helping out those sent here. Remember Castro was sending us refugees so many wanted to help but he was allowing a lot of criminals in there to.
Joshua Villines
"Your talking about accepting a people no matter their religion into this country that are taught to hate us from day one just about it. We have Americans that are trying to join Isis every day. "
I'm not sure I understand your, conflicting, points here.
Yes, we accept people regardless of their religion. That's part of what it means to be a secular nation founded on the principle of freedom of religion. That's beyond debate.
"taught to hate us from day one..." - That's great rhetoric, but nonsensical. If the tiny number of Syrians trying to seek refuge in the US hated us, they wouldn't be trying to live here (unless you genuinely believe that every single one of them is a disingenuous terrorist). You might be surprised to learn that many Muslims in Middle Eastern countries go long stretches of time without even thinking about the US. Many others spend their free time watching US TV shows and consuming other forms of American media.
And, if we have Americans - who presumably did not grow up in religions that taught them to hate us from day one - joining ISIS every day, then that significantly undercuts your point that we should be hesitant to accept Syrian Muslims.
Jackie D. Huether
Your right a lot of them don't thin about us. No more than we do them thru our everyday lives. What I'm saying is can you 100% say that the ones coming over here are those. What happened they shot up Paris what did we do opened our doors, but who did we open our doors to. The folks that go there just people or the folks that were taught to hate us. And as for the ones here that are trying to join Isis its not conflicting it's basically pointing out even people here are a danger where does the line get drawn. Sure I'm not up on everything across the seas. Do they keep up with there people like the US keeps up with us. I listened to a man tonight that has been over there within the last week. You now who most of the refugees are that have gotten into Germany. 82% male population ages between 15 and 52. So that only leaves 18% supposedly old men women and children. When my dads family came here they started working a farm making money bettering there life. My grandparents took the citizenship classes to become Americans. How many Germans did I don't now. How many Muslims will do you know.
Joshua Villines
I know a significant number of Muslims, one of the many benefits of living in Atlanta and of teaching World Religions, and of many years in the Army and Contract Intelligence communities.
Even the very conservative Cato Institute draws the line very differently from you, noting that the Syrian refugees into the United States pose "no significant" threat.
Jackie D. Huether
But you nor they can 100% guarantee it. Notice you said they pose NO SIGNIFICANT THREAT. Not that they pose no threat. It's simple they are human same as you and I. The man driving next to you tomorrow may pose no significant threat to you or I. But that does not mean he's not.
Joshua Villines
I'm confused. Are you saying that you do support letting in the refugees, because they are human just like we are and pose no more threat than any stranger we meet driving on the road? If so, I agree with you.
Jackie D. Huether
I said the first time I don't care if we have refugees. Unless your full blooded American Indian we all are. I'm saying don't do it blindly, but y'all act is if there is no malicious will in there. You might as well walk in front of that driver.
Jackie D. Huether
No inconsistencies I basically said we were allowing people to come in that were possibly terrorist. And said there's no way of telling them apart no more than u could tell the home grown ones here that are either against the government or trying to join Isis. Or any other sect. To many people saying its old people and children when it's not the truth.
Jackie D. Huether
And the Deer I drove by on the way home was no significant threat either. That was because he was on the side of the road and not in front of my car. Lol
Terrell Shaw
Jackie no one has suggested blindly admitting refugees. Less than one in ten Syrian refugees approved by the UN and recommended to the US are subsequently approved by the US. It is factually incorrect to characterize our acceptance of VERY modest numbers of Syrian refugees as careless. Please be careful not to conflate Syrian refugees from ISIL & Assad with immigrants in general. Those are different issues.
Jackie D. Huether
But still you can't say that all Syrian refugees are 100% safe. No one can guarantee that we or any other country are not allowing terrorist In with the refugees. It's a valid point. And to me it is blindly doing it if you say there are no terrorist among them. We tightened our security into the US. They attack Paris what do we do we allow more refugees into the country faster and more quickly then before. And they can go he or she is alright all they want but it is still human judgement in the end.
Terrell Shaw
Neither can I assure you that the next plane that lands in Atlanta from outside the US (or inside for that matter) does not hold a terrorist. Though my example is much more likely.
If you insist on 100% security then you must give up America as we know it in response to the terrorists. I will not do that.
Terrell Shaw
Jackie, you are frightened. That is normal and to be expected. But we must not allow our natural fear to overrule our principles. Whenever we have done that we have eventually been ashamed of it.
Jackie D. Huether
I'm not ashamed, frightened or afraid. I refuse to be bullied and shamed because I believe there is a threat there.
Terrell Shaw
It is your reaction to the threat that I object to.
Terrell Shaw
And I contend that "you" (those who want to give a cold shoulder to legitimate refugees) are being "bullied" by the terrorists.
Jackie D. Huether
True legitimate refugees. But not terrorists who are riding the tails of that wind into the US.
Jackie D. Huether
And it's not a reaction.
Terrell Shaw
That "wind" is a tiny minority of those fleeing ISIL. A tiny minority of those approved for US placement by the UN. A tiny message to the world that the US will do a little and encouraging others to help. If we refuse even this tiny help, how can we ask the rest of the world to help?
Jackie D. Huether
I'm not saying not help nor have I in any of my comments. I'm saying the possibility is there. That tiny wind you talk about can grow into a mighty big storm. Help the folks but do it with the knowledge that there is always a danger to doing so.
Terrell Shaw
If this is your stance:
"Help the folks but do it with the knowledge that there is always a danger to doing so."
Then you are in perfect agreement with me and the President on this issue.
Jackie D. Huether
No I'm not because y'all were saying there was no danger. Definitely do not agree with the president.
Jackie D. Huether
Truth is we allow refugees in by the thousands every year. From every country. But this infuse of refugees was done by a terror attack.
I don't understand?
Jackie D. Huether
We tightened our borders up. We started screening people harder. So did other countries. Not just from the iSIS threat, but terrorism in general. How do you get into a country that is shutting its doors, you cause panic and an inflow of refugees. Which like I said you nor I nor the government can 100% guarantee that there not allowing terrorist movements into the us.
Natalie A. A. Thiele
"Half of the Syrian refugees brought to the U.S. so far have been children; a quarter [1] are adults over 60. And I think you will have heard that only 2 percent are single males of combat age. So we – there’s slightly more – it’s roughly 50/50 men and women, slightly more men I would say, but not – not a lot more men. So this is normal that as you’re – as we set a priority of bringing the most vulnerable people, we’re going to have female-headed households with a lot of children, and we’re going to have extended families that are maybe missing the person who used to be the top breadwinner but have several generations – grandparents, a widowed mother, and children."
This is from a briefing on refugee screening and admissions from the U.S. Dept. of State
[ETA the link has a footnote for the bracketed 1 that corrects the number of adults over 60 to 2.5%]
Jackie D. Huether
Well time will tell, but at who's families cost. Hopefully no ones.
Susan Barnes Babb
Jordan and I talked about this just this morning and I told him that he should read your posts about the refugees. May not agree with all your political viewpoints, but on this, I am 100% with you! (So is Jordan.) This isn't politics, this us humanity.
Lynne Kelly Loveless
My issue had been that we have homeless children and veterans
Terrell Shaw
Yes. And the very folks (GOP) who are all for cutting programs for the poor and even vets are also the ones who want to stiff-arm helpless refugees from the very folks who are trying to terrorize us.
Lynne Kelly Loveless
I think our congress should take pay cuts. They seem to think no one else needs a pay increase. I feel we need to take care of homeless children and veterans before we take anyone else into the country. This is meant as a respectful comments. I am not sayong someone else is wrong in their opinion.
Terrell Shaw
I always try to assume my friends are posting honestly, Lynne. I, of course, think you are wrong, but I also assume you are honest and have a right to your opinion.
We should do much more for our vets and we should work toward less extreme inequality in America. We should ALSO do our part in easing the refugee crisis among Syrians.
Lynne Kelly Loveless
I think we can respect each other's opinions. We don't have always agree to be respectful to each other my friend. we all have opinions.
Ruth Baird Shaw
Being" terrorized" and using common sense are two different things. We have been and are doing our part and more in easing the refugee crisis.
Terrell Shaw
But the GOP presidential candidates and governors want us to stop doing that.
Don Henderson
Evil is in the heart and mind of man, not on paperwork.
Betty Smith Franklin
You have friends who agree with you. The Bible is pretty clear on refugees.
Don Henderson
Except, these "leaders" want us to be a Christian nation, minus the values.
That's my point, exactly:
Don Henderson
It doesn't affect me, all religions are just fairy tales to me, created by Neolithic man who didn't have scientific reasoning.
Paula Graves
I find it interesting that the United States has accepted around 750,000 refugees since 2001 and not one person has had a problem. No one has said a thing about the homeless or vets until last week. If ISIS was going to "slip in" and cause havoc, they are doing a terrible job.
Michael J. Sarver
This refugee crisis is one of the reasons why we have the United Nations. Safe havens can be created and assistance provided in Syria for these folks to rebuild their lives in their own country. Please watch the video I posted earlier for a better understanding of the bigger picture.
Joyce Mink
Refugees are part of the widows and orphans Jesus admonished us to care for
No comments:
Post a Comment