Those Refugees

For John, BLUF:  It is about helping those being threatened with death.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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This whole refugee issue has the nation talking.♠  At the Blog Duck of Minerva Mr Josh Busby of Texas takes one approach—"Get a Grip America:  Stop the Anti-Refugee Hysteria".

On the other hand, at The Washington Post their writer for "The Fix", Mr Chris Cillizza, says "You might not like Republicans calling for a ban on refugees. But it’s smart politics."

Then there is the President employing ridicule to deal with Republican reluctance regarding refugees.  From The Daily Caller:

President Barack Obama said Tuesday in Manila that those who want to halt the acceptance of Syrian refugees are feeding “the ISIL narrative,” “fearful of widows” and “worried about three-year-old orphans.”

Of course the problem is that the vast majority of refugees, at least those going to Europe, are unaccompanied young men.  If you were doing some crude profile of Daesh terrorists wouldn't you think first of unaccompanied young men?  I would.  The President's comments were just sarcasm in the place of intellectual argument.

Also the President was dismissive of those who said we should give priority to Christians in Syria.  Rhetoric that misses the situation on the ground in Syria.♥.

So, my position is that:

1. Someone (The President?) needs to talk to us seriously about the whole displaced person issue, all 60 million of them.
2. The President, or people within his Administration, need to give us a true understanding of how Daesh is able to move terrorists into the US regardless of refugees and how there is ongoing recruitment of fighters already in the United States, including US Citizens.
3. The US Congress needs to hold hearings on this, with the goal of providing the funds needed to help refugees stay in or near their tribal areas.
4. The President needs to join US military forces with those of other nations to provide protection for those who are being displaced.
5. The Department of State needs to privately and publicly make distinctions between refugees♦ and economic migrants.  Not everyone with a desire to leave their nation is a refugee fleeing oppression and chaos.
6. The President needs to make clear that the view of the United States is that those who elect to come to the United States are doing so with the understanding that we expect them to become Americans and not to build a replica of their homeland.  While we can allow these kinds of isolated communities on a limited basis, are are a melting pot nation, and while we value our diversity, we expect all to be committed to the principles of our Declaration of Independence and adherence to our Constitution.
7. The Federal Government needs to ensure that State and local Governments know what is happening with refugees and to be open and transparent about it.
8. State Governors need to step up take responsibility for settling refugees and encouraging their People to make this settling work.
9. We, the People, need to keep our hearts open and welcome refugees from oppression.  We need to be helping these new people become part of America.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Which I discussed here.
♥  The President misses the point that at this point Daesh is particularly going after religious minorities in their areas, Christians and Druze and the Yazidis.
♦  Per Wikipedia.  A refugee, according to the Geneva Convention on Refugees[1][2] is a person who is outside their country of citizenship because they have well-founded grounds for fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, and is unable to obtain sanctuary from their home country or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of that country;[1][2] or in the case of not having a nationality and being outside their country of former habitual residence as a result of such event, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to their country of former habitual residence.