Syrian Refugees

Seriously, what the Hell?

Honestly, what is the American House of Representatives doing with this whole "We're blocking people coming from Syria" thing?

Here's the article I read: http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-congress-refugees-20151119-story.html

I'm sorry, but I thought this was America? I know that this isn't exactly related to our topic of the week in class, but seriously, I'm mad about this. And, like I said before, this is AMERICA: I can write about whatever I want. Plus, it's also kind of about religion.

from weheartit.com

In fact, it's the treatment of Islam that is the boiling point for me in this whole debacle. Check out this quote from PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE Ted Cruz.

"Cruz had suggested permitting only Christian refugees from Syria into the country, but such a condition is not part of the House bill."

What the fuck? How is being Muslim a crime? Why am I in a country that allows people who "represent" me to so openly and so publicly show their biases on their sleeve? Regardless of whether or not it's in the bill, this anti-Muslim sentiment is palpable in the air in many places throughout the world right now. But, Ted Cruz... I mean, to paraphrase the comedian Doug Stanhope about religion, the Catholic Church has a much longer and storied history of abuse, mistreatment and violence than any other institution in the world: I'd be much more terrified to hear that that NAZI used to be a Pope than the other way around. I mean, "just" Christians, Ted Cruz? Really? What the fuck? 

I understand this is a ramble-y and borderline incoherent post, but I thought the best thing I could do was honestly and accurately free-write my thoughts about this matter. 

But, back to the bill. Let's be honest and let's call this Syrian Refugee Bill what it really is: It's the "I'm a-scared that someone is going to come and do something bad" bill. We already have security checks. The article states that those checks can sometimes take months. Regardless, people come to America every single day and nothing bad has happened. 

But what about all of the Terrorists doing Terrorism and Terrorists and Terror? Bro, listen to yourself. Do you know, since 9/11,  how many foreign terrorist attacks there have been on American soil? 

Zero. 

At least zero that I'm aware of, and I'd like to think that I'd hear about something like that.

Do you know how many domestic acts of terror (school shootings) we've had by good Christian (sometimes) American boys? 

Estimates range from 45 (MSNBC) to 52 (RT News) in 2015 alone. ALONE. And the sad part? That number is probably outdated now. Let's be real, school shootings are terrorist activities, and they are done almost weekly on American soil. Where are our security checks there? Where are the biometrics, restrictions and information for that group of people? Why is it okay for American boys and girls to commit terrorism in America but as soon as someone starts speaking a foreign language and practicing a different religion it becomes unthinkable and frightening? Where is the logic there?

Why do Syrian refugees, who have gone through hell, who have taken great risk to leave their country, their homes, their families, their traditions and their hopes in order to have a chance of survival in the world, have to be forced to jump through bureaucratic hoops, navigate arbitrary guidelines and have a finger shoved up in their private places in order to learn that they're not "a security risk"? 

Listen, I get it that you think you're scared right now. I lived through 9/11. I remember what it was like. But dude, bad guys are part of the problem and they can be anywhere at anytime, and if they wanted to do something do you really think that something as small as a TSA or a border/Ellis-island-style check is going to stop them? Things will happen. Things have happened. And we've survived. Scapegoating, racism and a bias against a peaceful religion are nothing more than fear-mongering, and we're in 2015. That shit needs to stop.