With all of the news circulating recently regarding Syrian refugee movement in Europe, it seems relevant to take the time to actually try and figure out what is going on.
I, unfortunately, have neglected to do this and take the time to fully understand what exactly is going on in the Eastern Hemisphere. This, however, does not keep me or any other uneducated observer from forming an opinion, especially considering that, before politics and government and international law, this seems (at least at first glance) to be somewhat of a moral issue.
In a Moral Philosophy 101 course that I am currently enrolled in, we have focused on two major kinds of moral framework: consequentialist and deontological theory. The former essentially argues that any action is morally permissible so long as its outcome is beneficial for the masses (i.e. killing Nazis). The latter argues for a more simplistic approach, stating simply that an action is moral or not depending on the nature of it in and of itself (i.e. killing is bad). It seems now that, despite the countless moral dilemmas that have occurred already in my life, I am now able to apply these lessons to this current event.
I consider myself to be a Consequentialist 99 percent of the time. My moral compass guides me so that I do, occasionally, find myself sacrificing the morality of my immediate actions to heed a beneficial end result. Yet, in this circumstance regarding these refugees, my heart presses forward towards that final percentage point. Despite any potential correlations with ISIS, or whatever terrorist organization that these refugees may or may not be affiliated with, it does not remove the fact that they are people just like the rest of us. To deny them similar rights as other refugees or distressed persons seeking asylum would be to deny them a basic human right.
I read an article a few days ago regarding the general consensus of allowing Jewish immigrants into the country following the beginning of World War II. Disturbingly, those numbers are strikingly similar to the disapproval numbers regarding the Syrian refugees today. The 1 % Deontologist within me cries out for everyone to recognize the fact that the action of turning away these refugees is, at its core, immoral.