Syrian refugees

Some years ago Linda and I were looking for the Damascus Restaurant in Allentown.  We asked a guy on the sidewalk if he knew where it was.  I’ll never forget his answer.  “It’s three blocks down.  You can walk–you’ll be safe.  This whole neighborhood is Syrian.”

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians are fleeing the violence in that country.  By now you’ve probably seen the picture of the dead little Syrian boy who looks like he is sleeping on the beach, except the waves are washing over him, or the picture of the Turkish policeman holding him with his little legs hanging over the policeman’s arms.

Germany is taking thousands.  Austria is taking thousands.  Belgium and Sweden are taking thousands.  So far we have taken about 1500.  Here’s what I think.  Take them all.

The U.S. has benefited from Cuban refugees in the Sixties.  It has benefited from Hungarian refugees in 1956.  It has benefited from Hmong, Lao, and Vietnamese refugees.  Heck, if we go back far enough it has benefited from German refugees in the 1700s (my ancestors), from Irish potato famine refugees in the 1850s, and from Jewish refugees from Russian pogroms in the late 1800s.  I cannot think of a refugee group that did not enrich this country.  

So take them in.  Remember the words on the Statue of Liberty.  We’ve got some room.