Republicans have an obligation to support American values - show compassion for Syrians

Sadly, I haven't heard anything from selfish and small minded Republicans about how desperate the tragic Syrian refugees are as they flee their homes to find safety from civil war in Europe. Instead, Republicans have leaped to a conclusion that the victims of an international humanitarian disaster are harboring terrorists.

Syrian refugees pouring into Europe

Irresponsibly, the self righteous "pro life" Republicans appear to have no interest in protecting the lives of children who are victims of the Syrian civil war. Republicans choose to ignore the terror inflicted on these desperate refugees by the evil President Assad, who poison gassed and dropped kettle bombs on his own people. So much for "right to life" Republicans. Right wing reactionism is spreading unfounded fear about innocent people, when there's no evidence that Syrians are terrorists.

Syrian refugees are not terrorists!

Republican leadership in the US Congress has an obligation to demonstrate compassion for Syrian refugees.  

Accepting Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the US is the right thing to do. Allowing the refugees to find safety in the US is consistent with our American values of accepting the "tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to be free", as Emma Lazarus wrote in the compassion poem inscribed on The Statue of Liberty, in New York Harbor.  

Statue of Liberty

Unfortuantely, too many Democrats seem to be falling victim to Republican fear mongering of targeting a group of refugee people who aren't even in the US yet.

Moreover, it's certainly ironic to consider how pro-life Republicans can't do anything to prevent innocent Americans from becoming victims of prevetable gun violence, while blaming Syrian refugees for terrorism, when they aren't even in the US.

Americans must come to terms with the hypocrisy of convoluted anti-immigration Republican rhetoric. We're descendents of immigrants. Americans must stand up to terrorism and those who have taken up arms to threaten our civilization. Yet, at the same time, we have a moral obligation as humanitarians to welcome those who are experiencing the horror that we're fighting against.

Republicans are morally wrong to continue stoking fear about innocent Syrian and Iraqi refugees. Shame on Roman Catholic Speaker Paul Ryan, for contributing to the morally wrong Republican legislation to make it more difficult for the refugees fleeing to Europe to enter the US.

Speaker Ryan is a political leader who has has an obligation to support American values in support of legal immigration. Americans must respond to the Syrian and Iraqi refugee crises because, the truth be told, our nation is not innocent in this turmoil - the Operation Iraqi Freedom invasion of Iraq opened the Pandora's box to this growing international turmoil.

Most important, Americans must show compassion for Syrian refugees because it's the right thing to do. Let's honor our immigrant ancestry by supporting our immigrant friends.