I wrote a post this past Tuesday, titled Should the US Accept the Syrian Refugees? - Thinkjoust Tuesday #33. I invited readers to help me formulate an opinion about the topic. Thank you to everyone who responded, whether it was on this blog or over social media! The featured comments are found at the bottom of this post.
Most of the comments this week encouraged me to welcome the Syrian Refugees. Even before I read the comments, I was already leaning that way.
I'll admit, I don't know all the socio-political factors that revolve around this issue. However, two viewpoints stand above the rest. Individuals against welcoming the refugees seem to fear that terrorists might sneak in with them. Individuals for welcoming the refugees seem chiefly concerned with being charitable and Christ-like.
Well, shoot. Which viewpoint do you think me, of all people, is going to lean toward?
Your comments raised some interesting points. Yes, we should be welcoming and charitable. At the same time, we also need to be careful. Running background checks on the refugee, and making sure they're watched for suspicious behavior are intelligent moves. If we let a refugee into America, we're not immediately granting them citizenship and our trust. Both take time.
And finally, let's consider the last three Islamic Terrorist Attacks on America.
The first recent incident was on May 3, 2015, at the Curtis Culwell Center in Texas. Both of the attackers were American. (Click to read).
The second recent incident was on December 2, 2015. It is now known as the San Bernardino attack. One of the attackers was American, while his wife was a lawful permanent resident. (Click to read).
The last recent incident was on January 7, 2016, known as the 2016 Philadelphia police officer shooting. The attacker was American. (Click to read).
This may be a chilling statement, but the terrorists are already in our country. They know how to recruit supporters from citizens themselves. They're making plans as we speak. Terrorists don't really need to sneak into the country with the refugees. They're here.
Are we really going to deny 10,000 people in need because of the remote possibility that a few might pose a danger already prevalent in this country?
Thanks for reading. Be sure to comment if you agree or disagree with me!
... and then she never responded to me. :(
Nice graphic!
ReplyDeleteThank you! :)
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