Jesus.
He is love. He is acceptance. He is open arms. He is the Protector of the
outcast and the forgotten.
America.
It is the melting pot. It is a home for the homeless. It is the land of the
free, home of the brave.
I am
both a Christian and an American, and I am heartbroken by the way people have responded
to the Syrian refugees seeking asylum here. Why are we letting a handful of
assholes change our way of life? What they want is fear. And we are handing it
to them on a silver platter.
What
happened in France is appalling and it hurts me to even watch broadcasts about
it. But the reality is that Syrians live that hell every single day. When did
we become the country that closes its borders to those that need help? It’s
like saying we don’t want to protect victims of domestic violence because we
are afraid they will physically abuse us. It just doesn’t make sense.
When
I lived in Mexico, people were scared to death that I was going to get hit by a
stray bullet or get my head sent home in a potato sack. That right there is the
power of the media. The media prints what sells. And what sells is stories that
scare. Yes, there is violence in Mexico, but it is limited to a very small area
and if you don’t get involved with El Chapo, then you’re fine.
The
same thing has happened to us with Syria and ISIS. The media has scared us with
stories of ISIS attacks. Not that they’re not true, but now every Syrian,
Muslim, or anyone else from the Middle East is labeled TERRORIST. When in
reality, it is a very small percentage of those people.
If
you don’t agree, believe me, I understand your point of view. Why risk allowing
people in this country if we don’t know whether or not they are ISIS? Why aren’t
we providing homes for our veterans and other homeless Americans before these
foreigners? How dare they threaten our American way!
But
it is we that are threatening the American way by saying, “This is our land.
Keep out. We’re afraid of you. Go away.” I, for one, am not willing to change our
way of life. I am not afraid. I will not be held hostage in my own country. I
am in no way, shape, or form afraid of death. I will live my life with joy and
if death finds me soon, then so be it. However, I have no right to deny someone
seeking the protection and peace that I experience every day. Most of these
people are men, women, and children leaving everything they know and everyone they
love to risk their lives and be free. Did not our ancestors seek that same freedom so long ago? Therefore, I will not shut the door in the faces of
these human beings. I will open my arms and say, “Welcome home.”
