Providing a safe haven for refugees is part of our duty. As citizens of the United States and as individuals with a charge to defend international humanitarian rights, we must protect the Syrians who seek solace within our borders.
Regardless of stereotypes, regardless of prior conceptions about a particular person, location or religious belief, I am disappointed in the actions of the town of Duncan, South Carolina. The town recently gained infamy on the national stage due to a New York Times article that depicted the town's xenophobic, and particularly anti-Islamic, reaction to the proposition of Syrian refugees in the area. First and foremost, the State Department has announced that no refugees have been placed in Duncan. Quotes from the article, “Refugee Crisis in Syria Raises Fears in South Carolina,” illustrate that not only do the citizens of Duncan lack clear and correct facts, but that they are worried.
It’s one thing to be wrong, but another to be both wrong and worried.
Town leaders and citizens in Duncan, South Carolina, met to discuss their distrust of Syrian refugees’ placement near their town. All across the country, mayors are in support of the idea to integrate the refugees into society, but Duncan plans to push back.
When we feel threatened that our way of life might be changed or inconvenienced in the slightest, we refuse to accept that change. However, for the fundamentalists, America itself was founded on change, acceptance and dissent from a perceived tyrannical government. Since we’re currently advocating for maintaining the integrity of the Constitution and the Founding Fathers, why don’t we implement their ideals of welcoming others in?
Maybe we will and maybe we won’t. Ultimately, the State Department has all of the resources to ensure that the refugees are placed accordingly based upon need and safety. Yes, screening in the past has gone awry, but now it seems that it’s much more pressing that we assist people who are in need.
In South Carolina, other leaders are advocating positively for the Syrian refugees. It’s leaders like these that make me proud to be from South Carolina and grateful to attend school in South Carolina.
I am not promoting the idea of tolerance per se, simply because the idea itself is elusive and enigmatic, but I am proposing that we accept and trust individuals until we are given a substantial reason not to. With these Syrian refugees especially, I hope that Duncan, South Carolina, is able to cast its original qualms aside and embrace the new members of the community with open arms and resources. Our security is not guaranteed either, and one day Syria might repay the courtesy.