The Refugee Dilemma: Should We Host Them Here?

Wolves In Sheeps' Clothing? By Eric Power

There's much to be said lately about the relocation of Syrian refugees into our country. Most of it involves shaming people for being cold hearted and uncaring. Another, thankfully smaller, portion involves blind racism against anyone who remotely resembles middle eastern ethnicity. So where does the real debate lie? I guess it really comes down to this question. Do you trust the administration and more specifically, the bureaucracy, to properly vet the refugees?  



Personally, I do not. This isn't a "hate Obama" thing, though I'm sure you've guessed, I'm not a fan. I don't think I would have trusted Bush's administration to do it effectively either, to be honest.  But the bureaucracy, such as the State Department, predates this president, the last president, and the one before him. It actually probably predates many of us, which is a long time for these people to have had a non-elected job. There's very little accountability, since they are not beholden to a populace which can throw them out.  

There was a story earlier this summer about a discovery that the TSA had 70+ employees with direct ties to ISIS working in airports and having access to security checkpoints and planes. They ran a pre-employment background and security check on them. Yet somehow they missed that minute little detail of, "Oh hey! They're aligned with an extreme radical Islamic terrorist organization! Maaaaybe we shouldn't hire them to secure our airports, whaddaya say?" That is a direct failure of the bureaucracy doing the job that they've been tasked to do! Maybe this is one reason why 95% of contraband items (i.e. weapons...you know, real ones like bombs--not knitting needles) slip through the airport security checkpoints. And if they can't effectively check out people to work in a critical area such as airport/airplane security, what makes me think they will be competent with the refugees?!?

There is a moral responsibility to help others;  I absolutely believe this. I am a Christian and that is one of the bedrock tenets of Christianity.

Service to those in need, in the name of our Lord. But it has to be done responsibly. Safely. Logically. We have to protect our family. We cannot let potential terrorists into our country. People would not let possible child molesters stay the night in their house with their children in the next room. That would be criminally negligent! It's the same issue with an unknown factor like the refugees. Unfortunately, it is hard to distinguish a "good" Muslim from a "bad" Muslim due to an ambiguous blend of mainstream and radical beliefs. Many nonviolent Muslims still hold to some of the rhetoric of the radicals. How does one distinguish between the two when they hold similar views?? If they could thoroughly check the refugees and know that they are good people who are just trying to escape a violent conflict, then great! But clearly, they have issues with that also . 

There's nothing that says we can't help them where they are! Food, medical care and supplies, and armed security in a neutral zone camp (yes, it's rough living, I understand that). That will keep us safe from any bad apples who may slip in through the cracks, and also allow them to stay in their homeland which, if they are truly war-torn refugees, they would want to return to after the conflict is over.

It can't be as simple as we'd like it to be--I wish it could. I'm all for helping those in need; I just want to make sure the bad ones don't take fatal advantage of our good will.  As always, thank you for reading, Happy Thanksgiving, especially to our troops, police, and firefighters working today, and God bless. 

Sources: 

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/110415-779192-poll-13-of-syrian-refugees-support-isis.htm

http://m.washingtonexaminer.com/tsa-missed-95-percent-of-weapons-explosives-in-security-tests/article/2565360

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/airport-workers-terror-watch-lists-213000858.html