Syria and much of the Middle East is facing a terrorism crisis. The topic has come up recently about whether or not America should allow Syrian refugees to seek peace in America. While there are pros and cons to both options, I believe more people need to understand the facts before jumping to conclusions on the matter. It's a decision that has a heavy effect no matter which way you go. Because of this fact, I don't think there is solid answer to the dilemma.

The White House announced its decision to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next fiscal year back in September. More people are just now becoming aware about the situation in light of the 2016 presidential election. Among a few contenders are Hilary Clinton and South Carolina's own senator Lindsey Graham, saying that we should accept even more refugees into the United States borders.

The main concern that Americans have with letting Syrian refugees come over is the possibility of members of ISIS sneaking over. We all want America to stay safe from the attack of terrorists. Recently there has been new legislation aimed at improving screening for refugees. This is an understandable precaution, but how far is too far? Among the improvements suggested is a religious test. This doesn't make any sense, however, because ISIS is not an accurate representation of the Islamic religion. They claim that their actions are in the name of Allah, but this is not the case. Islam does not teach violence. Later on, after 31 states spoke up against letting any Syrian refugees in at all, there has been legislation to halt the program altogether. President Obama threatens to veto this new bill.

There are also a few things that I feel obligated to mention here. It has been brought up that America has enough of its own homeless, including a large chunk of homeless veterans, to take care of. While this is true, where was this concern for them a few years back? What is all of this talk worth if no one is actively seeking to help the many homeless Americans? This is a valid concern, but it doesn't mean much when there aren't any efforts being made to back it up. ISIS has also made it clear that they are determined to strike America. They have went as far as claiming to have ISIS soldiers in many states, ready to attack at the given word. Is the fight inevitable? Many say that it is, and so we should help these people who so badly need it. But there isn't really any way to know. It's a gamble.

Let us think heavily on the matter before we jump to any type of conclusion or final decision. This decision should not be made out of hate or prejudice. Let us remember that ISIS does not represent the majority, and that the Syrians are even bigger victims of ISIS than our own country. If the situation were reversed, and it were Americans that needed to seek refuge from a fallen and war-torn country, I'm sure there would be a nation willing to help.