By Ian Linker | The Save Jersey Blog
I am appalled by those of you who are comparing the arguments against admitting Syrian refugees into the U.S. today to the arguments against admitting Central European Jewish refugees into the U.S. who were fleeing the Nazis during the late 1930s.
Other than that both groups are refugees, and that there are domestic forces opposed to their entry into the U.S., they are different situations. I would assume those of you making this comparison would be familiar with history, but I would be wrong.
The Jews were fleeing the Nazis in the late 1930s and Americans were opposed to their entry, due to, at least according to some newspapers at the time, the strain the admission of millions of new arrivals would likely cause on the already-strained American economy (the Great Depression had been raging in the United States for almost 10 years). Hardly a valid reason when admitting these poor souls would have saved their lives.
And there was no concern from what I have read that Nazi terrorists had embedded themselves among the refugees. Indeed, we were not even at war with Nazi Germany, yet. Thus, they presented no threat to American security.
Today’s refugee crisis is far different. We are at war against radical Islam – the Islamic State and other radical terrorist groups. We know that terrorists who infiltrated groups of refugees fleeing Syria gained safe passage to Europe and were involved in the recent Paris terrorist attacks. We know that ISIS has issued very public threats against American cities. There is no better reason to oppose entry of Syrian refugees into America than to protect the homeland from attacks by Islamic terrorists.
But we don’t have to oppose the entry of Syrian refugees, outright, because there are strong humanitarian reasons to admit them. Instead, shouldn’t we allow their entry, but only if our law-enforcement authorities take extra precautions, such as certifying that we have conducted adequate background checks of the people seeking admission, as the Republicans in Congress are proposing?
There can be no compromising of American security. We must protect our homeland.
_____
I’ve agreed with Dan and Cornel West this week and now Ian? The end of the world is nigh!
“There can be no compromising of American security. We must protect our homeland.” Not only that but the mere fact that these so-called refugees get a free ride on our buck?? Where is the logic in that? Besides, they are seeking refugee not a new way of life. The United States is a Republic not a theocracy. They should be settled in countries that have the same ideological government.