Refugees Are the Least of Our Worries

According to the Opinion section of the Courier as of late, it seems many people in Valley County believe that Middle Eastern people are posing a threat to the community. I, however, do not believe this. The general consensus seems to be that the government wants to bring around 100 Syrian refugees into our area. These people are no harm to us. According to Assistant Secretary of State Anne Richard and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Leon Rodriguez, Syrian refugees are already subject to the most rigorous screening process of individuals entering the U.S. from abroad. In other words, they pose no credible threat to us. Instead of worrying about such issues, maybe we should focus on actual threats to our lifestyle and safety. Suicide rates in Montana are ridiculous. For instance, In 2009, Montana had the highest suicide rate in the nation. Drunk driving accidents kill around 100 people a year in our state. According to NASA, the global temperature has increased by 1.4 degrees since 1880. These are actual issues that are putting Montana’s present and future in danger. By comparison, terrorism barely rates as a danger. In 2014, 18 American citizens were killed by terrorists. That’s a 1 in 17,716,667 chance. You have better odds of getting struck by lightning, twice. Our nation is supposed to be the land of opportunity, the melting pot of the world. Why just assume civilians of the world are dangerous, based on a minority of their culture’s representatives? Did we reject German Christians from our country after World War II because people in the same ethnic group committed genocide against the Jewish people? That would be silly, wouldn’t it? Categorizing Middle Eastern people as an automatic threat to our livelihood is racist. People of the world should be treated with compassion and empathy, no matter their race, religion or culture. Don’t get me wrong, I love to see people of our area becoming passionate and concerned about our safety. That said, this issue is one that we should not be wasting time opposing. We should lend a hand to the world’s people, so when it is us in need, other cultures will answer our call.