I wrote this in November 2015, and today seems like a good time for a reread. Now more than ever, we need to be courageous in the face of fear, and #actlikeanamerican. Original post with links may be found
here.
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In the beginning, there was death, and also facts
November 18, 2015, Posted by Janiece at 10:00 AM
Everyone's talking about it - the press, the Presidential candidates,
the President, the Governors. Every other post on social media relates
to it, with people coming down on both sides of the issue, usually,
predictably, along party lines. Some people want to ensure the Syrian
refugees are welcomed in the West, and are helped to build a new life.
Some people want to keep them out, on the grounds that they may be
dangerous.
When the terrorist attacks occurred in Paris and Daesh took
responsibility, I decided I needed to know more about this group. Who
they were, what they wanted, their philosophy. I quickly expanded my
search to include facts about terrorism in America, what the risks are,
where the danger lay, and the historical context of refugees in America.
It's a complicated subject, and I won't try and regurgitate what I've
read. Anyone with an open mind and in Internet connection will easily
find the same material I did, and I'm far from an expert on these
topics. But I will state some facts that have informed my opinion on
this topic.
- ISIS (Daesh) is an apocalyptic cult.
It is based in 7th Century Islamic law, and its adherents are
attempting to bring on the end-times by, among other things,
establishing a caliphate in Syria.
- Daesh has very definite ideas about who is an apostate when it comes
to their medieval belief system. Number one on their list of
better-off-deads is people like me, followed closely by moderate Muslims
who prefer to live in the 21st Century instead of the 7th. Christians
are last on their list, provided said Christians pay a tax called jizya and acknowledge Sharia.
- Approximately 23.2% of people in the world identify as Muslim - roughly 1.6 billion people. Daesh's total fighting force is estimated at 20,000 fighters, or approximately .0000125% of the Muslim population.
- Many of the refugees from Syria who are seeking refuge here and in Europe are fleeing Daesh.
The Caliphate has taken over their neighborhoods, and rather than being
hung, or crucified, or being sold into slavery, they ran.
- So far, none of the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks in Paris have been identified as refugees. They've all been identified as European nationals.
- Since 9/11, nearly twice as many people
in the United States have been killed by white supremacists,
antigovernment fanatics and other non-Muslim extremists than by radical
Muslims.
- Drawing a direct line between the United States' military endeavors in the Middle East and the rise of Daesh is a completely supportable thesis.
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My thoughts on the topic of Daesh and the plight of the Syrian refugees
can be divided into three areas: Geopolitics, risk, and values.
Geopolitics
When I observe the world stage, and the continuing conflicts between
radical Muslims and the West, I can come to only one conclusion: What
we're doing
isn't working. Bombing the hell out of Afghanistan,
toppling Saddam Hussein, leaving without a plan or providing nation
building - all of these things have made the situation worse, not
better. It's led to minor and major terrorist attacks, the fraying of
our alliances, and the continued deterioration of our nation's
reputation on the world stage. Our strategy didn't work, and calling for
"more of the same" seems the height of stupidity.
I'm not going to try and pretend that I'm in any way qualified to devise
a strategic vision for dealing with the Middle East in all its
complexities. Smarter people than me have failed for decades, and I
don't have the education or the experience to even take a stab at it.
But I do believe that any such strategy needs to be driven by a common
goal that we can share with the regional stakeholders, and guided not by
American arrogance in assuming our way is the only way, but by
compassion.
By agreeing to help with the Syrian refugee crisis, Americans are
telling moderate Muslims that we stand beside them in their struggle
against Daesh. We're saying that we consider Daesh our common enemy, not
a "Muslim problem." We're welcoming moderate Muslims into our
community, a community built on civilized, egalitarian behavior, and
offering them the protection of the greatest country in the world. To
deny them refuge because they're Muslim, or only to allow those who pass
a religious litmus test is profoundly bigoted, and reinforces the worst
stereotypes about America.
Risk
The argument I keep hearing about opening our borders to the Syrian
refugees is that the Boston Marathon bombings were carried out
by refugees, so therefore we must ban all refugees in order to protect
our citizens.
I do not deny that the cretins responsible for the Boston Marathon
terrorist attack were Chechen immigrants. Their parents were granted
asylum in this country, and that's why they lived here. But they weren't
refugees, and they were not connected with any specific terrorist
organization. I don't think you can draw a direct line between their
immigration status and their decision to do evil.
I don't think Americans have a very good understanding of risk. For
example, drowning causes approximately 3,500 deaths in the United States
each year. Unintentional deaths from shooting causes approximately 600
deaths in the United States each year. And yet, people are much more
cavalier about water safety than they are gun safety, especially as it
relates to their children.
Daily, we drive our kids around in automobiles, even though 1 of every 4
unintentional injury deaths among children younger than 13 is caused by
auto accidents. And yet, we accept this risk without thought, while
collectively losing our shit over the possibility that a Daesh fighter
might sneak in with the Syrian refugees.
I am in no way suggesting that the risk is "zero," nor do I think
intelligence and law enforcement organizations should be lackadaisical
in their approach to these issues. Due diligence is required when
accepting
any refugee population into our boarders. But a
realistic evaluation of the risk/reward is required, and decisions
should be made based on facts, not logical fallacies and emotion. And
the fact of the matter is that I have more to fear from the white,
Christian, secessionist whackadoos than I do from any moderate Muslim
refugee.
Values
I served this country in uniform for 17 years. I don't think that
service gives me more moral authority to speak to the values of the
United States, but it did give me an impetus to analyze why I thought
America was worth that service, and why I promised to give that last,
final measure if required.
I served because I believe in America. I believe we're a nation of
people who can accomplish anything. I believe we're a nation that values
helping others, that values protecting the weak and opposing the
oppressor. I believe we're a nation who wants to be seen by the world as
a moral leader, who wants to retain our position as a Superpower and
shape the world to our liking. And I believe we're a generous people.
So when I see that a growing number of states are "refusing" to take in
Syrian refugees, I am deeply, profoundly ashamed. When I see that my
fellow Coloradans are signing petitions to encourage Governor
Hickenlooper to reverse his position on taking in the people who are
fleeing Daesh, I am horribly embarrassed for them, and I judge their
courage and compassion wanting.
We are
Americans. How can we refuse these people in their hour of
greatest need, when they are fleeing civilization's enemy, an enemy we
helped create? Will we ask our all-volunteer Armed Forces to go into
harm's way once again, to defeat our enemy on their own ground, while we
ourselves cower in our corners, afraid to help those who have suffered
the most at the hands of this scourge?
Will we learn nothing from history, where we refused entry to our nation
to millions of Jews who were then exterminated by madmen? Will we
instead intern Muslims, as we did Japanese-Americans, to our everlasting
shame?
These people, the ones who want to close our doors in the face of the
wanting, they're afraid, and I understand their fear. They see what
happened in Paris, in Boston, and they're afraid. They see their own
loved ones in the faces of the dead and injured, and they want
protection. For them, forsaking our values in the name of safety is the
right course.
And yet, such forsaking is exactly what Daesh wants from us. They want
to sow discord among civilized nations, and turn us one against the
other. They want us to turn away from our fellows, and invade their
territory, thus hastening the end times.
We are
Americans. We have a history of courage, and conviction.
We see ourselves as the land of the free and the home of the brave. We
must embrace our courage now, and stand up to the bullies who would have
their own way on pain of death. We must welcome those who have fled
from our enemy, and provide succor, and protect them with our might. We
must accept the risk of doing the right thing, as a nation, instead of
allowing our Armed Forces to always act as our proxy in this regard. We
must not give in to fear. Courage is the act of doing what's right, in
the face of fear.
I am afraid. But I will muster my courage, and I will welcome my Syrian neighbors. Because I am
American.