On the 13th of November 2015, mass shootings and suicide bombings occured throughout multiple locations in Paris, France. The attacks killed 130 people and injured 368. The next day, ISIS (ISIL) took credit for the attacks.
One of the attackers was found with a Syrian passport near his body. Despite the fact that the passport was most likely a forgery, the finding sparked panic among the International community. Politicians in the United States (from both parties, but mostly from the Republican party) were quick to proclaim that they wanted to ban the arrival of Syrian refugees.
The panic about Syrian refugees arriving is both unwarranted and sad. Americans scared of refugees do not realize -- or do not seem to care -- that refugees are coming to the United States because they have no other choice and that their lives depend on it. It is true that we could temporarily ban Syrian refugees, but doing so would likely cost even more refugees who are waiting to leave their lives.
In the face of tragedy, France has acted with dignity and understanding. It has said that it will take in 30,000 Syrian refugees in the next year. In contrast, the United States has decided to start banning Syrian refugees, with governors in 31 states declaring that Syrian refugees are unwelcome. These states include the Republican ones, such as Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas, but also more liberal states, including Massachusetts.
On Thursday, November 19th, the US House of Representatives passed the American SAFE act. SAFE stands for Security Against Foreign Enemies. The bill now moves to the Senate. If it passes, it will drastically increase the number of screenings that refugees are under, and it will require the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Head of the FBI and the Director of National Intelligence to sign off on each individual refugee. This will take a drastic amount of time and will cause many refugees to not reach the United States quickly enough.
The situation is enough to make anyone angry, but luckily, there are ways that you can help refugees enter the country. All you have to do is call your senators and ask them to not pass the American SAFE act. The call will take 5 minutes -- just leave a message with the person who answers the phone (who's probably an intern) or if you would rather not talk to a person, just call after hours and leave a message.
Attached to this hyperlink is a list from senators from all states. Please call your senator, and tell them not to pass the SAFE act.
At the end of the day, all Americans have to remember that Syrian refugees are people, just like us, who have been through more difficulty and pain than many of us can imagine. Just because they are a different nationality and (maybe) a different religion than you that does not mean that their lives should be any less important. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of not passing the American SAFE act so please take the time to call your senators. Thank you in advance.
