The attacks in Paris are a horrific reminder of the threat posed by international terrorism and the need to combat the extremist ideology that threatens the national security of the United States and its allies. The U.S. has no choice but to respond to such threats and eliminate them to the best of its ability. But America’s response must be calculated and thoughtful, not reactionary and fearful.
This past week governors across the country, including Gov. Haley, publicly stated their opposition to the settlement of Syrian refugees in their states. The rationale has been continually presented in terms of security needs but in reality is rooted in fear. But how reasonable is this fear? Who are we willing to sacrifice in the name of perceived national security?
Certainly, the U.S. should continue to conduct robust background checks on Syrian refugees entering the country. That was never in dispute. But we must remember that the U.S. is hardly a stranger to the process of vetting refugees; we have done this for decades and have successfully resettled people all across the country.
Mark Toner, deputy spokesman for the Department of State, called the refugee vetting process “the most stringent security process for anyone entering the United States.” It involves the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, among other federal agencies, and incorporates interviews and background checks.
A typical refugee screening can last longer than 18 months, hardly an easy hurdle to overcome. If potential terrorists were interested in entering the U.S. there are surely easier and less time-consuming ways than through the refugee pool.
In our haste to feel secure we cannot overcompensate and leave behind innocent people like you and me who have hopes and dreams, parents and siblings and a desire to live a calm and fulfilling life.
The governors who refuse Syrian refugees have demonstrated the striking human capacity to succumb to fear instead of embracing compassion and empathy for the kind of suffering only war can bring.
Let us not pander to fear.