The compassion and hospitality of our fellow Americans

[Orrex]

Last edited Tue Nov 17, 2015, 08:16 AM - Edit history (1)

This was posted on one of my town's unofficial "community" FB pages:

Can we start a petition to stop these refugees coming in our state. I believe we can help from a distance. But more importantly what about helping our veterans.

Predictably, it was met with a chorus of support, all justified by the exact bigotry that you'd imagine. I'm horrified and embarrassed, and I'm not candy-coating my replies.

What a bunch of sick, ignorant fucks. Right in here in my town, and probably in every town.

[FSogol]

1. Disgusting. I keep hearing crap like that too. n/t

[Orrex]

6. I kind of knew it was there all along...

But it's quite striking to see it out in the open. My small town has a sizable Syrian population, too. I wonder how they feel to have their fellow Syrians identified en masse as potential terrorists.

[Thor_MN]

2. They haven't found a "refugee" amongst the terrorists...

http://thinkprogress.org/world/2015/11/16/3722838/all-paris-attackers-identified-so-far-are-european-nationals-according-to-top-eu-official/

[Orrex]

4. Thanks--I posted that link in the discussion

Here's the exchange that followed:

BIGOT: Yeah, but you know that they found the mastermind in Syria, right?

ORREX: So you're saying that he's not a refugee?

BIGOT: He will be soon enough.

ORREX: You're confusing "refugee" and "fugitive."

BIGOT: I'm not confusing anything, junior.


Well played, sir. Well played.

[Lifelong Protester]

3. I know, and in WI

I'm not sure if what upsets me more is that we have to live with Snotty Wanker or that a majority of people must think he's ok. It's sort of the same thing....

[Orrex]

5. It's truly saddening to see the bigotry laid bare

I'm explicitly calling these people out as false Christians as they beat their drums of hatred and fear rather than urging compassion.


With this kind of thinking so widespread, we could easily see an overnight rebirth of internment camps. Sad times.

[Lifelong Protester]

10. Yes, and I am sad and worried, too.

Sorry to say it. And my spouse, who is 25 years older than me, is really depressed by it all.

[CoffeeCat]

7. Our governor just banned the Syrian refugees from our state...

It is a sad day indeed. What have we become?

http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/branstad-concerned-about-syrian-refugees-but-not-ready-to-close-iowa-border-states-may-not-have-authority-to-refuse-resettlement-under-federal-program-20151116

Nineteen governors, including Iowa’s Gov. Terry Branstad, on Monday said they would not allow Syrian refugees to settle in their states, joining Alabama and Michigan and contending it is too dangerous to let in people from that war-torn country following Friday’s deadly Paris attacks.

The Republican governors of Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin — along with New Hampshire’s Democratic governor, Maggie Hassan, said their states would no longer help support the Obama administration’s goal of accepting 10,000 Syrian refugees in the coming years.

“Texas cannot participate in any program that will result in Syrian refugees — any one of whom could be connected to terrorism — being resettled in Texas,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in an open letter to U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday. “Neither you nor any federal official can guarantee that Syrian refugees will not be part of any terroristic activity.”

In a late-afternoon statement, Branstad said, “We have welcomed refugees from around the world into Iowa. We must continue to have compassion for others but we must also maintain the safety of Iowans and the security of our state.”

[Orrex]

8. Happily, I've learned that governors don't have that authority

But it will play very well when GOP governors run for reelection, because they'll claim that they fought to make their states safer but were held back by the Obama administration.


This is a rare opportunity for the US to act as a world leader in a good way, demonstrating compassion for the oppressed and desperate. We should recognize it as an honor to help these refugees rather than as yet another excuse to beat up on the powerless.

[Orrex]

9. I've gotten out of that thread because I couldn't stomach it any longer

But I took a peek this morning and found that they've changed tactics a bit. Since their concerns about sneaky terrorists have been thoroughly debunked, they're claiming that we need to "help our own first" before we worry about "them."

Of course, any time there's actually call to "help our own," such as with foodstamps, housing assistance or access to medical care or contraception, they shriek about the nanny state, and when it's pointed out that the military swallows 55% of our budget, they insist that we need to "fight them there" and "our troops deserve the best."


Inspiring.

[uppityperson]

11. That is the current meme, "what about our veterans and homeless". One asked what I did to help

after I asked them. I don't think they liked my multi paragraph reply. It is sickening