Ben Carson likened Syrian refugees fleeing the country’s bloody civil war and Islamic State violence to dogs on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters following a campaign stop in Mobile, Alabama, Carson stressed that the United States wants smart leaders who care about people, but noted there should always be a balance between safety and humanitarian concerns.
“For instance, you know, if there is a rabid dog running around your neighborhood, you’re probably not going to assume something good about that dog, and you’re probably gonna put your children out of the way,” Carson said. “Doesn’t mean that you hate all dogs by any stretch of the imagination.”
Anti-refugee bill on house fast track
The fallout from the Paris terrorist attacks will begin to play out on the House floor Thursday as the chamber is set to approve a bill to block any refugees from Syria or Iraq from entering the country unless they pass a strict background check and receive government certification.
The bill, which was crafted by Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), is expected to pass with a big bipartisan margin. A sizable number of Democrats are likely to cross the aisle and vote for it, despite White House opposition, said lawmakers in both parties. Some rank-and-file Democrats are concerned about looking soft on national security even as French authorities continue to track down suspects from last week’s deadly attacks.
No everyone doing their fair share
Obviously not everyone is doing their fair share. The wealthier gulf states have taken in no refugees since the Syrian conflict began. Those states closest to Syria have taken in millions of people. Many of these refugees have lived in tent cities and have been dependent of the host country as well as international relief efforts.
At some point, the “six Gulf countries — Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain must step up to the plate and offer assistance, relief and shelter to those who have been impacted by civil war and by the Islamic State thugs.
Hopefully, President Obama will speak very directly the Saudi King on this issue. I would be taking him to McDonalds if I were Obama.
The United States has taken in 1500 Syrian refugees since their civil war began. We could do far better!
Migrant crisis, part 2
The humanitarian crisis in Europe continues to grow each day. I believe these people are more than migrants. They aren’t moving for jobs or education or even new cultural experiences. They are moving to save their lives. The longer these people are denied refugee status, the longer Europe can put off accepting the inevitable.
The pictures we see now on TV must be the modern day version of what it looked like (see picture above) some 75 year ago, give or take, when Europeans, many of them Jews, left their homes and headed to anywhere they presumed they would be safe. How many of those people were turned away? How many people were not given sanctuary? How many of those people and their descendants would be alive today if some town or country had give them safe harbor.
