A little over five years ago, anti-government protests in Syria morphed into the beginnings of a full-fledged civil war. With a growing death toll of about 450,000 people, Syria continues to be a topic of grave concern, especially with regard to the United States’ role as a witness to these catastrophic events. Since the crisis, the United States has contributed more than $5.1 billion for humanitarian assistance to Syria. This commitment to assistance reflects a valiant effort to put an end to this turmoil, but I think it reflects our inclination to perceive this civil war as remote, a project for the Middle East to tackle. We must start appreciating the closeness of this situation, for we have a moral obligation to grant entry to at least another 10,000 of the 4 million plus Syrian refugees. How are we going to respond to their cries for help? Rather than focusing solely on our political agenda, we should focus on how we are going to treat these refugees who are looking to the superpower for a way out. While the overarching goal is putting a hard end to this raging civil war, we have to think of the refugees first and foremost in the meantime.
A television interviewer asked Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson about his thoughts on a possible solution for the strife in Aleppo in an interview this past week. In response to his question, Johnson asked, “What is Aleppo?” thus “betraying a lack of interest or even superficial knowledge of the civil war in Syria that has been raging for more than five years.” Aleppo has become “the apex of horror,” amidst the airstrikes and on-ground unrest. So, yes, the fact that a potential leader of this country did not know the answer to this question is utterly humiliating. However, it invites us to then ask ourselves, what does Aleppo mean to us? It is not about trying to figure out the politics; it’s about finding our moral compass and acting accordingly. Syria has been victimized by ISIS and is currently caught between the United States and Russia. Safe to say it is in ruins. Our admission of more refugees will deter this victimization of the innocent.
President Obama has made it a priority to remove some of the bureaucratic obstacles that are standing in the way of Syrian refugees and American soil. The Obama administration concluded National Security Council meetings last year with the opening of more “refugee-processing centers in new locations that refugees can actually reach, including one in Erbil, in northern Iraq.” We ought to focus on the 12-year-olds drinking rat poison to relieve themselves of the pain that is war, the battered women and children and the destitute and hopeless souls.
I understand the encroaching fear of terrorism. Yet, it is currently nearly impossible to get into the United States as a refugee — “the odds of winning the Powerball are probably better.” Furthermore, the Republican claim that Obama and the Democratic party are failing to keep U.S. citizens safe is rather insensitive to the situation overseas. Donald Trump recently called for a prohibition of Muslims until we can “figure out what is going on.” We know very well what is going on. Innocent people are dying in the midst of poverty, strife and war. We must act with caution, but our indifference in the face of moral obligation is of utmost betrayal. Revamping the settlement program in the United States would allow for easier integration as well as a springboard off of which the refugees could attain new heights. Further, if we put an end to the three- and 10-year bars, we could deter heartbreaking splits between families and loved ones.
The Statue of Liberty reminds us of our responsibility with the words etched on her stand: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” May we not turn our backs to the tired and the poor and let history repeat itself once more.
Lucy Siegel is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at l.siegel@cavalierdaily.com.
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