Don’t confuse Muslims with terrorists

Wisconsin’s Governor and other politicians can stomp their feet all they want about accepting Syrian refugees, but it turns out they have no real say in the matter. Walker sent a letter to the federal government this week, declaring Wisconsin would not accept any of the 10,000 refugees this country has pledged to accept. But the refugee resettlement program is run by the federal government, not states, so Walker’s stance carries no real weight. Other than to encourage fear and violence toward those refugees, who are simply trying to escape their country, which is being destroyed by terrorists. They do not want to leave their country, but do want to protect their family. These refugees, if properly vetted, are not the bad guys. As former Secretary of State Madeline Albright points out, our enemies want to divide the world between Muslims and non-Muslims. By making Syrian refugees the enemy, we are playing into their hands. We shouldn’t confuse being Muslim with being terrorists. We have an obligation to help, just as this country has done for decades. Millions of other refugees have come to this country, from places like Vietnam, Cuba and Laos. If governors like Walker truly had the authority to prevent refugees from settling in their states, chances are all those past refugees from other far away lands wouldn’t be here now.