The United States used to be known as the “melting pot”, a place where immigrants would come for protection, as means of creating a better life for themselves or their families, along with many other reasons. However, immigration to the U. S. normally stems from a valid, urgent reason. People don’t just leave their families, their homes and everything they know behind to take advantage of America, they do it because they have to. Most Americans can’t fathom why accepting immigrants or refugees is not only an ethical need but also provides many economic and political benefits. To put it into perspective, people in America have not experienced a quarter of the things that children in Syria have today; there have been no recent wars, no extreme bombings, and no violent dictators. So why is it that the “home of the free” is so unwilling to help those in need?
Due to immigration and refugees being a hot topic in today’s society, many people are tweeting and sharing posts either for or against the idea. I realized that while people are trying to justify their side of the issue by whatever means they can, including the use of “alternative facts”, many have lost sight of the real reason this is occurring; people are in danger, children are in danger.
This danger can be seen in Honduras, where children are desperately trying to escape the prevalent gang forces wreaking havoc in their neighborhoods and schools where some are forced to use and sell drugs for fear of their family’s safety. These children have experienced the brutal murders of friends and family, which leads to the understanding that
A vast majority of child migrants are fleeing not poverty, but violence.
This is no longer just an immigration problem, this is now a refugee crisis. These fleeing children are “facing threats similar to the forceful conscription of child soldiers by warlords…being forced to sell drugs by narcos is no different from being forced into military service.” So why is it that the number of children detained by United States immigration authorities continue to increase? Are children vying for safety really the problem?
Danger is especially prevalent in the Middle eastern countries affected by the recent Muslim ban that “indefinitely suspends admissions for Syrian refugees and limits the flow of other refugees into the United States”, which has been temporarily been ruled unconstitutional has devastating effects on those trying to escape the war filled Middle East; a main example being Syria.
“Every 15 seconds, a Syrian becomes a refugee”, forced to leave their homes to escape the violence that surrounds them. However, if they are unable to, they become another name added to the list of the “estimated 400,000 people killed” While Syria is the main example of the effects of living in a war-torn region, the other countries are not exempt from the resulting harsh conditions. This baseless immigration ban continues to prove itself as careless and unmethodical; according to CNN, of the 3,252,493 refugees admitted into the U.S. from 1975-2015, only 20 have conducted attacks, only 3 of which were successful. Additionally, no Americans have been killed by any members of the countries affected by the travel ban between the same 5 year period mentioned above. Why are Americans so against helping those who have done nothing to us? When did we transition from a loving and welcoming nation to one that breeds hate and oblivion?
People need to understand that it doesn’t matter where you are from, what color your skin is, or what religion you are a part of, a life is a life. Americans are no better than anyone else, but as an affluent nation, it is our duty to help those in need.
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