Image from Newsweek.
After the terrorist attacks that happened in Paris on Friday night and resulted in at least 129 casualties and over 300 wounded, France and many other countries are revitalizing their attacks and positions on the Syrian War. Obama has pledged to accept Syrian refugees to come to the United States, yet not everyone in the United States is on board with this costly endeavor. 25 out of 50 governors have already opposed to accept these refugees as there is fierce opposition, complaints, and concerns about safety among US citizens. Today Speaker of the House Paul Ryan called for a suspension of the Syrian refugee program until the Obama administration comes up with a definitive and clearer strategy towards the Islamic State and a stricter way of vetting refugees before allowing them to resettle in the US.
To quote Paul Ryan:
“Our nation has always been welcoming,” Mr. Ryan said at a news conference. “But we cannot allow terrorists to take advantage of our compassion. This is a moment where it is better to be safe than to be sorry. So we think the prudent, the responsible thing is to take a pause in this particular aspect of this refugee program in order to verify that terrorists are not trying to infiltrate the refugee population.”
Do you agree with Paul Ryan's decision? Do you think we should allow Syrian refugees into the US? Could we potentially be endangering ourselves? Should we appeal to our humanitarianism or national security?
I think we should allow any refugees who need help into our country, however we must go about this in as safe a manner as possible. It is in everyone's best interest to keep America safe, but if the price of that is to not allow people in need passage into our country, then the terrorists have claimed a major victory over us. The best way to handle this situation right now would be to allow refugees into the country, but implement more stringent safety procedures for the time being so that potential radicals/jihadists are kept out. If we were to completely shut out any immigration from Syria or the Middle East, then we would begin down the slippery slope of xenophobia that would only hurt our country in the years ahead.
ReplyDeleteI think that we should continue welcoming Syrian refugees as long as refuge is needed. It would be inhumane to ban them from fleeing a place where they are fearing their lives. It's families, children, men, women who are fleeing. It would not be okay to turn our backs on them when they need help. If we deny them refuge, not only are we turning them away, but we are also making this horrible situation even worse by creating anger towards America for denying them safety simply based on religion and/or ethnicity. We must stop being so prejudice and see everyone as a human being. We are the same, no matter where we come from or what we believe in.
ReplyDeleteWhile we certainly cannot turn our back on the refugees, I agree that there is a need for specificity and attention to detail in any program that brings more people into our country. I hope that the suspension will be quickly resolved, but I cannot say that I am entirely opposed to it. Ideally, I would hope that since the Obama administration wants to allow more refugees in, they will be willing to work relatively quickly and compromise a bit more in order to appease the Republicans. A small suspension could be a huge benefit if it improves security, as long as it doesn't last too long. These people do need help and we cannot deny them very long. We would want them to do the same thing for us.
ReplyDeleteI think I would agree with Paul Ryan. We shouldn't be allowing Syrian refugees into our country so easily. We should be taking time to screen refugees seeking to come into the US. Without these procedures, we could be letting in potential terrorists who would possibly launch attacks in the US that would claim innocent lives. It is not right to keep our refugees who desperately need help, but it is unacceptable to recklessly bring in refugees and put our own countrymen and women in danger.
ReplyDeleteI think that it's the right thing to still allow refugees into our country, however we must remain cautious about this. We don't want more terrorist attacks and putting more lives at risk, but leaving refugees in need out of country is not the answer. I believe it's the right thing to do to keep allowing refugees into our country. It wouldn't be right to turn our backs on the refugees in need and so I agree with what Obama is doing. I don't agree with Paul Ryan totally in denying refugees in our country, but I can see how he feels when trying to think of ways to keep our country safe. I think we should allow for Syrian refugees in our country, but I think it does put some risk in allowing them in our country but it would put a bigger target on our back if we didn't. Allowing Syrian refugees into the U.S. is doing the right thing for not only them but for our country in some sense.
ReplyDeleteI think we should continue to allow Syrian refugees into the country under the strict guidelines already in place. The guidelines described in the article seem sufficient to me to keep us safe from possible terrorists trying get into the United States. Therefore, I do not think this is question of humanitarianism versus national security as the security of this nation wouldn't be threatened as long as we adhere to the guidelines already in place. Therefore, we should accept Syrian refugees because it is the right thing to do and won't endanger us.
ReplyDeleteI understand Paul Ryan's stance and I agree that we must be careful with letting all these refugees in but I think we have to do everything we can to help these Syrian refugees. This is a major humanitarian crisis and we may have to risk some of our own security to help it. That being said it also looks like we have strict guidelines on how we'll be conducting this situation and I think we can do it successfully. No matter what we do though this still might be risking our national security. But if we don't let these refugees in than we will all lose.
ReplyDeleteI understand Paul Ryan's stance and I agree that we must be careful with letting all these refugees in but I think we have to do everything we can to help these Syrian refugees. This is a major humanitarian crisis and we may have to risk some of our own security to help it. That being said it also looks like we have strict guidelines on how we'll be conducting this situation and I think we can do it successfully. No matter what we do though this still might be risking our national security. But if we don't let these refugees in than we will all lose.
ReplyDeleteThis issue has a flurry of internal conflicts, the biggest being the debate between natural security and humanitarianism. I am in the middle of this debate not being able to pick a side. I value all human life and want to be accepting of all but I am also genuinely concerned about are safety her at home, unfortunately recent events haven’t settled my concerns. Pertaining to the map, there seems to be a clear divide between the Republican and Democratic states. Where the Republican majority doesn’t support the refuges and the Democratic majority does support refugees.
ReplyDeleteAs with many things, this is such a difficult decision because of the uncertainty surrounding it. There is no way to surely tell if this program actually does have a great risk associated with it or if it will be simply saving many lives. Personally, I can't imagine turning away all of these people come from an area associated with acts of violence, acts of violence that they are leaving in order to live somewhere else it should be noted. However, because of those acts of violence, I think it is going to be necessary to enact more stringent and meticulous screening programs. It is far from ideal and a great shame, because they will have to wait longer to reach where they are attempting to go, but it is going to be called upon after the recent tragedies that have been seen. There is no way, however I cannot justify essentially condemning a whole group of people solely due to the actions of a few. I can understand taking the precautions deemed necessary, but we should step up our process in order to accommodate for them to enter the country. That way has not been found yet, and a surefire one may not exist, yet it is time to amp up our search for the best way. From there, I think we are called to help those who cannot help themselves, as we have done in the future. Furthermore, this has been what is decided by the president and federal government, and it is going to have to be seen whether or not there really even is a debate as to what will occur, as t is possible that states will not even have a say. If that is true, the discussion is already closed, an I think we will see an increase in security measures, and we will continue to aid refugees.
ReplyDeleteWe should continue to accept Syrian refugees. The refugees are innocent people and shouldn’t be punished for the actions of others. If Americans really don’t feel safe, the government can make stricter regulations as to who enters the country, but in my opinion, the regulations in place seem good enough to keep the country safe. I understand why many people are concerned, but it’s more important to help the refugees, rather than be concerned for the nation’s security, which isn’t threatened by the refugees.
ReplyDeleteWe should definitely allow refugees into our country. I do believe that this needs to be done in the safest and most effective way possible. However, this does not mean that we should turn refugees away; these refugees are leaving everything behind and risking being torn apart from their families because they are so afraid of what is happening in their own country, which they should be. If we were in their situation, I am sure that we would seek help from other countries, and we would be lost if we were denied help. As Talia beautifully said, we are all the same. Terrorism has no religion or race, and no religion or race promotes violence. The Syrian refugees cannot be discriminated against, and we should help them.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of those cases where the United States, as the world's leading super power, who often acts as the world's moral compass, must not let the threat of foreign danger give pause in doing what we know is right. The truth is, yes, by letting refugees into the country, we may also be letting in possible terrorists. However, any integrity we have as a nation disappears if we refuse to lend a hand to those we truly need it. What we can do to protect ourselves is strengthen the background checks on those entering the country and strengthen agencies within the US who investigate possible terror attacks. The United States will always be threatened. Whether or not we keep foreigners out, there will always be people from within our country who would like to see the downfall of the country. To stand up to those people and those abroad who wish us harm, we must refuse to give in and refuse to give up the values which sets our country apart.
ReplyDeleteIf we don't let refugees in, the terrorists win. I'm pretty sure Republicans don't like when the terrorists win.
ReplyDeleteBut actually, if we don't allow refugees of any kind into our country, then they may have no other choice than to go back to the place they were trying to escape from. Of course we risk letting terrorists into our country, but if we allow refugees in in the safest, most precautious of manners, we can greatly decrease the risk of that happening. It is America's duty as a leading superpower to aid other countries.