Bring me your tired . . .

I've been wanting to post about the Paris attacks and the cowardly American response to those attacks for days now, but haven't had the time. Fortunately, a lot of what I want to say has already been said by people far more clever, popular and followed than me.

The immediate reaction to the Paris attacks, very reminiscent of the way we responded to thousands of Japanese Americans during WWII, was mostly, but not exclusively, a conservative freakout. Notably, and to their credit, all three Democratic Presidential candidates came out in support of the refugees and protecting human life. The Republicans were not so enlightened, calling for completely shutting down the refugee program, internment camps (way to not learn that lesson) or suggesting that we let in only Christians. Yes, these people are so afraid of Muslims, that they want to throw out all our basic liberties and lose all moral standing in the world.

Consider just some of the reactions of the Republicans' best and brightest. Among the 2016 GOP presidential field, Donald Trump declared his support for a database to track Muslims. Marco Rubio and Ben Carson compared the refugees to Nazis and "rabid dogs," respectively. Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush called for a religious test to allow only Christians fleeing the Syrian civil war into the United States. And even as Ohio Governor John Kasich was briefly advocating the creation of a new federal agency to promote "Judeo-Christian" values, one Tennessee GOP lawmaker proclaimed he wants to round up those Syrians emigres already in his state.  Link

If you read this blog or know me, then you know that I find this cowardice revolting. Syrian refugees are not a threat to us and they need our help. I would think that a country filled with so many self-righteous Christians would understand that, but conservative fear-peddling has pretty much turned public opinion against anyone who is different. I've seen arguments on Facebook from Christians who claim that since we have a homeless problem here, we can't afford to take in any refugees. Of course we are the richest nation in the world, but we wouldn't want to charge billionaires even a penny more in taxes to take care of our own homeless and endangered Syrian refugees, would we? In what way can these people say they actually follow Christ?

Hell, I am a thousand times more afraid of Right Wing nutjobs who attack Planned Parenthood, murdering three, or shoot five peaceful protestors in Minneapolis than I am of Syrian refugees. Which group has killed more Americans over the past decade? Oh yeah, the Right Wing nutjobs.

(As an aside, if you are so afraid of Muslims that you would turn away thousands of desperate, helpless men, women and children who are trying to ESCAPE from the terrorists, then you no longer get to go on and on about "American exceptionalism". The only things those Americans are exceptional in are fear and moral cowardice.)

To conclude, I present you with two takes on this issue which are not only funny, but right. This is what America should aspire to be. Not fearful, bigoted, and hateful. It's worth your time to watch both of these.