Which side of the refugee debate are you on???

Oh Jabber, you're getting into contentious territory here, I fear...

My heart and upbringing tell me that 99% of the Syrian refugees are fine upstanding - and faith-focused - people. (Even if their religion might not be Christianity, we still need to respect that theirs is a long-standing faith, not a fanaticism.) These are primarily good people who have lost everything and have traveled far in the hopes of starting a new life.

And I hate that during World War II our country incarcerated US citizens, just because they were of Japanese descent. There are so many parallels to today. Despite our global wish to learn from our pasts...

Actor George Takei speaks very eloquently about his family's internment during that time. Here's an article from the Huff Post where he discusses this, in case you aren't familiar with his story.

But I also understand the fear that has been generated by the Paris situation.

I think you know that our forum rules preclude political discussions, simply because we don't want hurt feelings or angry rhetoric. But if you still want to talk about this, Jabber, I grant my permission, as long as we all promise to respect each others' points of view.

I am not very politically oriented, in fact I normally try not to watch the news, because it is usually so negative.

But since we got started on this Syrian refugee situation, I thought it was appropriate to share this article, about how Scotand is greeting their refugees.

Note how this article, from The Nationalist, a newspaper that supports an Independent Scotland, makes the point that the refugees are fleeing terrorism, and deserve a warm welcome.
Here's a link to The Nationalists' editorial in which they further explain their point of view.

Again, I'm a person with a humanitarian point of view. My parents supported Cuban refugees all those years ago. We had them for meals, provided them with clothes, and helped them find jobs and assimilate into the US.