So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is … fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.
— Franklin D. Roosevelt
The terrorists don’t need to come to our shores. Our reaction to their attacks in Europe is accomplishing exactly what they’d hoped for — the spread of unreasoning fear, the turning of neighbor against neighbor, the tightening of restrictions on American citizens who’ve done nothing wrong, the paralyzing of a government already fractured by partisan politics. It’s a continuation of the anti-Muslim hysteria that followed 9/11. Daesh could not hope for more.
I know. It’s insane.
Insane, frightening, and just plain stupid.
I cannot help but reference the Japanese Americans from WW2. May that not happen again!
I haven’t heard anyone suggest that. Yet. On the other hand, Trump supports a database to track all Muslims in the US …
Well first and foremost with regard to the entire issue regarding the Syrian refugees, from the first moment they began migrating across Europe if anyone with any common sense whatsoever didn’t think ISIS was going to use the event to at least try to embed loyal and trained terrorist into the mix is akin to some member of the Ostrich family. So someone is going to have to spend a lot of time explaining to me why it took the attacks in Paris to raise that red flag in particular.
I have had my share of doubts about our government’s security bureaucracy over recent years and sometimes don’t trust them any further than I can throw them but since ‘911’ the system seems to have worked pretty well in sifting out the bad guys. And I trust the current vetting procedure that has been in place for incoming refugees will certainly suffice in their vetting of the subject 10,000 refugees currently scheduled to enter the United States. Even given the heightened significance of their origin.
We already endure mass killings now days here in the United States almost on a monthly basis and seem to be doing pretty well at raising our own brand of terrorists. How hypocritical can we be? It’s all a matter of labeling it would seem. If Congress needs to pass any laws regarding vetting, they need to start in their own backyard first because it’s our own citizens who are killing us, not foreigners, refugees or terrorist.
Well said, Allan. The refugee problem is a subset of the immigration problem, bigotry and xenophobia.
Not sure how I overlooked this comment, Alan. Sorry.
There’s a calendar/chart floating around right now that shows mass shootings (defined as four or more people killed or wounded, including the shooter) in the US occurring at the rate of more than one a day. ISIS needn’t bother with us. We’re already doing a dandy job of killing each other.
I don’t know what needs to happen to correct this way of thinking. Makes me sad and angry!
Me too. 🙁
LIberties given up for safety are never returned.
Just as a practical note, there is just so much money to go around. Veterans, schools, decaying infrastructure….and in addition tens of thousands of immigrants taken in over the past year from central and South America must be fed, clothed, given healthcare, educated. (No, not all Spanish speakers are from Mexico.) Not anti immigration, but the costs – all sorts of costs.We are taking in immigrants from our neighbors who need help in this hemisphere – can’t others help over there? Or as has been suggested NATO must step in and create safe zones where people can live and be protected. Makes more sense and we could help fund that…already are at a much higher level than the neighboring countries there…
In a way it’s nice to see we aren’t the only ones dealing with immigrant problems. But so far, I haven’t seen that anyone else is doing any better with it than we are.
BTW, sorry about the delayed response. My notifications aren’t working and I can’t figure out why.