This past week, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris, has been one fraught with contradictions, fear, hatred, intolerance, and ignorance. As of this writing, 132 people died in those attacks. It’s hard to find the difference between what was done in Paris and any number of mass shootings in the United States. Madmen armed with firearms took the lives of innocent people who were only living their lives.
Now the drumbeats for war are growing louder and louder. Conservatives say that this is why we need free and unfettered access to firearms: To prevent these kinds of terrorist attacks. In the United States, guns are everywhere—but they did not stop Aurora, Virginia Tech, Columbine, Sandy Hook, and too many other mass shootings to list, nor did they stop Oklahoma City, the World Trade Center bombing, or September 11.
Conservatives argue that we cannot allow refugees to come into the United States, for fear of terrorist attacks like the ones in France. But these attacks happen in the United States on a weekly basis—they’re just not perpetrated by people associated with Middle Eastern terrorist groups.
The very same people who are screaming that we should not allow Syrian refugees into the country for reasons of public safety are the same ones who refuse to stand up and do anything in the name of public safety in terms of mass shootings. The answer is—always—more guns. They have visions of grandeur in their heads. They see themselves as the hero in the event of a mass shooting or terrorist attack, when it’s more likely they would add to the chaos and confusion, and cause even more carnage. Let’s also stop kidding ourselves: There is no difference between a terrorist attack and a mass shooting. It does not matter who the perpetrator is. They both are acts of terror.
And how can we not mention the change of heart many conservatives have had in the last week in regards to the homeless? “We cannot allow refugees in this country until we care for our own homeless!” has been the cry of many a conservative this past week. We’ve all seen the comments on virtually every story about Syrian refugees. Where have they been on this subject for the last 40 years? Now all of a sudden, the homeless in America are finally on the conservative radar?
Many of the people who do not want to see Syrian refugees come to America have forgotten that many of their families came here generations ago as immigrants, and yes, refugees. These same people also claim to be Christian. I think the Bible might have something to say about this:
Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt. — Exodus 22:21
Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt. — Exodus 23:9
When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them — Leviticus 19:33
The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners iin Egypt. I am the Lord your God. — Leviticus 19:34
You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born. I am the Lord your God. — Leviticus 24:22
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. — Deuteronomy 10:18
Right now, those on the American right—those who claim the high moral ground of righteous Christians—should take a deep look at themselves. Instead of turning the other cheek, they are seeking vengeance. Instead of opening their doors to the oppressed, instead of doing the Christian thing and taking in those who need it most, they are playing the role of the innkeeper to Mary and Joseph, and sending them off to a manger.
This is the United States of America, and we are supposed to be better than this. Listen to the words Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke to a beleaguered nation in 1933: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. We have instead chosen to listen to the likes of Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Ron Johnson, Scott Walker, the NRA, and Fox News, to name just a few of the vile spewers of hate.
They have made us afraid of our own shadows. If you feel you need to carry a gun everywhere you go, it is not for your protection. It is because you are afraid. If you see a threat in refugees who are trying to escape war, it is not because we cannot take care of our own. You fear them. You are afraid. If you beat the drums of war, it is out of fear, not security. By falling victim to these fears, you have given Daesh exactly what they want.
They want your fear, your hate, your ignorance, your intolerance: It is what makes them thrive. You are feeding the very beast you want to kill. For without fear, without hate, without ignorance, without intolerance, Daesh cannot survive, they cannot recruit, they cannot thrive. Without your hate, they are nothing. By barring Syrian refugees, by saying things like, ”we should close some mosques,” we are only feeding the monster.
We must recognize that the suffering of one person or one nation is the suffering of humanity. That the happiness of one person or nation is the happiness of humanity. — Dalai Lama