General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIt seems like a lot of the xenophobia here is based on ignorance of the refugee resettlement program
that the United States runs.
Here's a link that leads to other links to guide you:
http://www.iistl.org/refugee.html
The fact of the matter is this isn't opening the floodgates, but rather letting through those that the State Department are comfortable do not pose a threat to any citizen. There's an extensive background and security check that takes up to 2 years or more, in addition, the United States is somewhat unusual in that it offers permanent residence to refugees who go through with this process. As a result, we have a relatively high retention rate of refugees who stay and contribute to the economy, and they then, as permanent residents can sponsor relatives to immigrate as well. This is, more or less, how we got 50,000 Bosnian(90-95% Muslim) refugees and immigrants in St. Louis.
Its far more likely that terrorists will come from one of two sources, homegrown and those coming in on legal visas. You obviously can fly completely under the radar as an American citizen who wants to commit terrorist acts here until you commit the act, and travel visas don't require nearly as much vetting as refugee permanent residence does.
No one is saying that reasonable precautions shouldn't be made, but we just have to make sure they are reasonable.
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Waiting For Everyman
(9,385 posts)but how do you vet someone who has no papers? What are we going to do, call up Assad and ask for a background check?
Or maybe we'll rely on some bureaucrat's judgment that someone is "safe"? Because I'd so be willing to bet my life or my neighbors' on that (not!).
Humanist_Activist
(7,670 posts)and I'm as safe as any other American citizen, I would trust the judgement of those with the experience and expertise to check such things over mindless hysteria.
Koinos
(2,792 posts)It is right and humane to give refuge to innocents who suffer.
Humanity, compassion, and love -- not wealth and power or even technology -- are what make us human.
From a practical point of view, it is doable to screen refugees. Those most likely to harm us are not fully screened Syrian refugees, but domestic and foreign "terrorists" who already dwell here.
As mass killings multiply stateside, it appears we have most to fear from "native born" Americans with an attitude and too many guns.
rjsquirrel
(4,762 posts)White privilege.
There's about a dime's worth of difference between tea party xenophobic bigotry and what you often find around DU. Which is to say there's so many ignorant people drawn to online political discussion regardless of party.
Xenophobia is as American as apple pie.
FLPanhandle
(7,107 posts)No way the State Department is staffed to handle the volume people have been proposing to let enter.
Humanist_Activist
(7,670 posts)for example. Don't see why they can't now, that's a funding and staffing issue.
