This is not going to be a typical blog post for me. So far, I have used this blog as a way to tell people back in the US what I have been doing, now I feel I need to use to tell people what I've learned. It's fairly simple: we are all human. No matter what culture we come from, language we speak, religion we follow, our most basic values, like peace, love, and acceptance are the same. We all believe that we can make the world a better place by being kind and by helping one another, and that war and hatred make the world worse.
These "revelations" may sound a bit cliche and simplistic, something that we teach to children from their very first day of school, but as I read many of the political reactions to the horrors from Paris, I find it hard to believe that we have actually learned them. Many of our politicians, including Wisconsin governor Scott Walker, are taking the attacks in Paris as a reason to reject Syrian refugees and close our borders. I believe they have gotten the wrong lesson from the attacks. They are looking at the handful of violent extremists and are missing the hundreds of thousands of people left stranded and homeless by the same violence we just saw in France. Instead of seeing this as an example of what happens when we accept migrants into our countries, we should see this as an example of the migrants are fleeing from, the reason why they became migrants and refugees, and the reason that they so desperately need our help.
Friday saw the deaths of 129 people in Paris-which is undeniably horrible-but the last time the average daily death toll in Syria dropped that low was last February. To rephrase that-what happened in Paris on Friday has happened in Syria every single day for the past eight months. And, at this rate, the death toll for 2015 will be significantly lower than it was in 2013 and 2014. Is it any wonder that so many Syrians are trying to escape that? I find it more amazing that in the face of such a humanitarian crisis, anyone could think that turning them away was a reasonable option. How can we turn our backs on our fellow humans when we know that this is what they are facing?
America claims to be a nation that stands for good, for human rights, and for helping others, yet when given a chance to help those who need it most, we are threatening to forsake those values and deny the helpless entrance to our country. Its callous, heartless and almost inhuman. We are a nation with the resources and the space to help people, but due to bigotry and prejudice we are keeping those blessing to ourselves. If we don't take the refugees, where are they supposed to go? They can't return to their homes, and Europe is already taking as many as they possibly can (including France, who after the attacks actually increased the numbers they were committed to accepting). The US is one of the only havens left for them, but instead of welcoming them or offering support, we are rallying around closing our borders.
The only thing we should be doing right now, as human beings, is help and support those effected by violence. In the wake of the Paris attacks, many showed that they stood with the French, either by flying the French flag, or putting filters over their profile pictures. This is good, but its not enough. We need to stand with everyone. Stand with the Russians who just lost 224 people to a plane explosion in Syria. Stand with the rest of Europe as they struggle with the increasing numbers of immigrants entering their borders. And most importantly, stand with and help the Syrian people as they flee the war zone that their home has become. Stand with them all, because at the end of the day, regardless of nationality, religion, or ideology, we all want peace and working together and supporting each other is the only way to achieve it.
A few other resources, in case you need more convincing:
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html (pay close attention to the rights for all people, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness part)
For the Christians who read this go also read Luke 10:29-37 and Matthew 25:31-46
France's reaction to the attacks: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/11/18/france-says-it-will-take-30000-syrian-refugees-while-u-s-republicans-would-turn-them-away/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/11/17/isis-wants-you-to-hate-muslims/ (another interesting news article)
For anyone who wants to know how they can help:
http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2015/related/proposals/ab506 (a bill proposed to the Wisconsin legislature to fund support for Syrian refugees)
https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=1523#.Vk1Hw3YrLIU (a website that helps find charities that help Syrian refugees)
And also, please share this and spread it around a bit!
Steven, well said.
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