Who Are We?

With all the Trumpisms, Carsonian quips and general media hysteria, one might think that America is changing into an environment hostile to outsiders or at a minimum suspicious of non white protestants. There is certainly nothing in our history to suggest such a thing.

Well, perhaps a blip or two. The original Americans were nearly driven to extinction, those that survived were rounded up and placed on reservations where they could roam free, within certain limitations. We did have slaves in the country for 245 years, even over 75 years after proclaiming all men were equal. We did import, abuse and kill thousands of Chinese to build railroads, dams and bridges. The Catholics were not well liked but they were after all servants of the demon Pope of Rome. My own people, the Irish, need not apply for employment but who could blame proper Americans for this, we reek of whiskey and potatoes, plus many of us were Catholic. Women were not allowed to vote or talk out of turn, now look what's happened they demand property rights and want to be President. We interned Americans of Japanese descent during World War II. Interned, what a polite word for concentration camps. We denied thousands of Jews sanctuary and returned them to face death at the hands of the Nazis. We refused to allow black Americans the simple right to sit at a lunch counter or share a drink of water. We've denied gay and transgendered citizens the right to simply live their lives freely and without fear.

This past week we have seen the implications of fear of the unknown and different. It started with two Governors and spread to over 30 within 24 hours, no Syrian refugees will be accepted because of the Paris attacks. The majority of those attackers are French citizens but let's not get caught up in facts and ruin a good hate. My own Governor Mike Pence of Indiana made news by refusing the admittance of three Syrian refugees who had been waiting overseas for three years while being investigated to come to the Hoosier state, where we are legendary for our hospitality, except for Muslim Syrian refugees. Connecticut stepped in and took the refugees. What a shining moment for Indiana.

Some Presidential candidates have suggested we only take in Christian refugees from Syria, cause you know a Christian won't harm you. Complete nonsense? Yes but this is the silly season and Iowa is coming.

I've written in earlier posts that the best approach is to fix Syria and repatriate refugees to their homeland. Does anyone really believe they wanted to be driven from their homes and everything they know? In the meantime they must be helped by the entire world.

How do we fix Syria you ask? Must I do everything? Fine. For decades it was just fine to let the Assad family rule, now that we have proven our unwillingness to remove Bashir by force, leave it be. Does he suck? But of course but so what. Let the Russians broker a deal in which he remains in power for a few more years, then retires to a plush place of his choice. In the meantime he focuses his forces on ISIL. We in return convince, if we can, the alleged free Syrian forces to focus their assaults on ISIL. Meanwhile we also fully arm the Kurds including the PKA, Turkey will have to get over that unless they would like to commit a full military campaign against ISIL themselves. Fix free elections for the future and obtain through treaty the full repatriation of all refugees without reprisal.

What are terrorists? They are young people with no sense of self identity who believe they have no place in this world and are seduced into a cult lifestyle by older radicals who wish to inflict chaos and carnage but are themselves at heart cowards who would never risk their own skin. They promise their acolytes what all cults promise, a grand place at the table in the afterlife. The price for admission rather than simply drinking the cyanide laced koolaid and lying down to wait for the mothership, is to commit murder. Although they know murder on it's own is wrong, it is perfectly acceptable when done in the name of God and blessed by his representatives on Earth.

Congress has called for a pause on bringing in Syrian refugees even though the process takes a minimum of two years. The majority of politicians across the ideological spectrum say our military, intelligence and law enforcement services are the best in the world, since they're a major part of the investigating of the refugees, what is the problem? Congress wants the heads of the three major national intelligence agencies to personally sign off on every refugee. That would seem an impossible logistical task.

It would seem that the only thing standing in the way of our humanity is that we are human.

Would I allow a refugee to live with me? Yes but they would find the accommodations less than stellar. Still, if they have an appreciation for corn, science fiction and sarcasm they might find a place here in Hindtit. Of course they'll have to take their turn watching out for cow tippers.