FDR’S “THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF” DOEN’T APPLY TO GOP POLITICIANS

…The tough guy, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie doesn’t trust Syrian 5 year olds.

 

Republican governors don’t seem to know about federal laws.

 

By the latest count, 31 governors (All but one were Republicans.) have vowed to not allow any of next year’s 10,000 expected Syrian refugees to settle in their states. Apparently, these governors didn’t take any US Civics classes in school.  That's because legally, governors can’t prevent the free movement of people, once they are granted refugee status by the federal government. So this is pure political posturing, unless these governors intend to take up arms against the feds.  If they did, ISIL would be in the grandstands egging them on.

 

With what’s going on in France and Belgium, it’s understandable that many Americans fear the arrival of Syrian refugees in the wake of last week’s Paris slaughter by jihadists.  Especially since one of the terrorists appears to have entered Europe posing as a refugee.

 

 

  However, that is so far only supposition because of a Syrian Passport that was found near one of the suicide bombers at the Paris concert.  The authorities say they don’t know if it’s a valid Passport, and even if it is, it could have been planted on one of the bombers just for terrorizing the Parisians.

 

What the US Governors don’t seem to understand is that of the millions of Syrian refugees that have tried to come to the United States, only 2,200 have been allowed into the US over the past 4 years.  Of those that were allowed in, 70% were women and young children.  Of the men allowed, none were single men of combat age.  Only married men with their families were allowed through immigration.  In addition, all of these refugees had to be vetted for 18 months before they were allowed in the country.

 

If ever there were a case for abundant caution, it would seem to be now. Except for the fact that what is being proposed by several governors and politicians, including a few presidential candidates, is morally reprehensible, un-American and in some instances, legally untenable.

 

What is meant by these knee-jerking politicians is that “No jihadists need apply here!”  OK, I've got it!  But I guess it is true, fear does strange things to people.

 

What is reprehensive from these candidates such as Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush is that they want to consider only allowing Christian Syrians to enter the United States.  Cruz promises to introduce legislation along these lines.  As President Obama has pointed out, we don’t do religious testing in America. I believe there is also a bit of an issue with the US Constitution that they are all ignoring.

 

As I wrote earlier this week, Donald Trump has said he would consider shutting down US mosques. But as the conservative writer Kathleen Parker wrote, “Where was Trump when the Westboro Baptist Church was spewing hatred toward gays? Or when Terry Jones, pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center, wanted to burn Korans?”

 

The Republican candidates seem to be the most afraid and they are all going a bit crazy.  Governor Christie is acting so tough, he doesn’t want to allow Syrian orphans under the age of 5 into the country.  Ben Carson says he doesn’t trust the US government to properly vet any refugees.

 

Oh, and guess what?  The polls say that over 60% of Republicans agree with these extreme measures, while only 30% of Democrats agree.

 

I must agree that our government has been very lax in letting Visa visitors stay in the country after their Visas have expired.  So, there is a reason to not totally trust the US government.

 

And there are many very fair questions about these issues that deserve serious answers when it comes to dealing with middle eastern refugees. However, I believe that for those that have been fleeing from being slaughtered in their own land, that is something very different.  More than 200,000 civilian Syrians have died to date.  Had I been in Syria, I too would have done everything I could to get my family out of harm’s way.

 

I would hope that if I were in that position, I would be given a chance to show that all I want is to get my family and myself to a safe haven and to be given a chance to go forward.  Not to be sequestered in a squalid refugee camp with no future in sight.

 

National security will be one of the most important issues for the 2016 elections.

 

Copyright G.Ater  2015