After the Nov. 13 terrorist attack in Paris, everyone voiced their love and support to the people of France. But the refugees across Europe are not receiving that love. Our responsibility as human beings is to help refugees, those fleeing oppression — now, when that responsibility should matter more than than ever, we are turning them away. Anger and grief toward ISIS has quickly turned into fear of every Syrian refugee. To make matters worse, the Republican Party wants to close the United States’ borders. Donald Trump claims terrorists could be sneaking into the country.
We are forgetting that refugees are escaping from the same kind of violence that the people in France recently experienced. We are also forgetting that the U.S. government has a sophisticated system to process anyone requesting asylum. Before the U.S. even considers granting entrance to anyone, an applicant must go through a rigorous background check that includes a series of interviews, screening and security clearance process conducted by Regional Refugee Coordinators. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how long and how rigorous the process takes — Americans continue to see refugees as threats.
Americans have forgotten their compassion. Trump promised that if he wins the presidential election all the Syrian refugees will be sent away. He also promised to establish a Muslim registry. Does this remind you of anything?
Fear has increased since the recent Paris attacks. But we can overcome fear. We can take a deep breath, stand up straight and make a realistic evaluation of risk. America has been swayed by fear before, such as when Japanese-Americans were exposed to President Roosevelt’s Civilian Exclusion Orders and sent to internment camps. They spent years in the camps, even while members of their family served honorably in the U.S. military. Today we look back on that period with shame and regret. We are a nation built on freedom of religion, freedom of speech and our relationship with the rest of the world. That foundation should not be conditional on our fear.